Niners linemen (custom and painting)
 

Hi,

My next projects after have done 49ers 2009 Center E. Heitmann, is to complete the line with the tackles and guards.

So I'll do mini replicas of :

LT : J. Staley #74
LG : D. Baas #64

RT : A. Snyder #68
RG : Chilo Rachal #62


The challenge is to realize them in the same amount of time I did Heitmann.

On the customizing level, I'll start with the FF.net positions figures, and I'll have little things to do with these :

- modifiying of helmet (to make it modern) and arms (big hulk arms for linemen)
- make the athletes bigger/fater (the FF.net linemen are too slim regarding real O line athletes, IMHO), the goal is to make the most impressive O line possible (see my center figure, add 4 linemen as big as him, and the warrior V. Davis...you get the idea :D )
-make unique faces of each player so we can recognize them more or less :D

On the painting side, it will be easy since I found my schemes on the first figure.


TO be continued, not tommorow I think, certainly friday...



Dimitri

You should walk us thru the steps of your painting technique. I think you said you did not dry brush , but instead inked and used washes. I have never had luck using that technique , so please feel free to write up the steps , if you could.
Thanks.

Ok no problem, I'll explain the technics with more details thmbsp$

Starting with Snyder
 

Hi,

This evening I started the right tackle, making a little sculpting on it to make it bigger !

I didn't try to make it realistic, since I learned with the first figure I made that the face is barely visible under the face mask...so I tried to make it look agressive (a mix between Popeye and Freddy Kruger :rtfl: )

Very Nice ppls$

I like the 'anger jaw' protrusion thmbsp$

Yes, the goal is to make b*d *ss looking linemen :D


I made some new work on my 4 linemen. I prepared their arms to be resculpted (where's my steroids ? :rtfl: ) and place for their faces sculpting. I modified the helmets too to make them look like modern ones.

The next stages :

face sculpting for the 3 left linemen
muscles sculpting
belly sculpting :D (they need a special diet of beef and potatoes, don't you think ?)


Now...I have to wait the delivery of the modelling paste I ordered (I finished my roll for pro working).

I find a bit of green stuff !
 

Hi,

I'm happy, tonight cleaning my modelling workbench I found a bit of green stuf...enough to complete the 4 linemen ! So this week end, I'll finish some new friends for mr Heitmann ! :rtfl:



Like the first time, the figs based on the versatile ff.net figs will have that features :

sculpted real face and chin straps
sculpted arms and anatomic corrections to fit their team position (belly for linemen, muscles for TE, etc...)
modified uniforms and helmets
almost full hand painted (only the big numbers are modified and integrated Miggle peel and stick stickers)


The only difference with my first attempt is that I will not modify the posing of the figs, since I like their stance and want to gain a little time on the work (since I've got at least 21 more figs to add to my first O center).

The other figs I'll heavily modify (almost complete re-sculpting/positionning like center Heitmann) will be only the "superstars" of the 49ers 2009-2010 : Vernon Davis (next on the list, BTW), Gore, etc...

Cool!!
 

I like it.....Looking forward to the results!!thmbsp$ thmbsp$

After you complete your players, do you have a scale that you could weigh them??

ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn

Hi,


I have to buy a thing like that for the weight :

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

But before I have to fill in some money in my paypal account mtmstnks (so I can finally suscribe to MFCA too btw...)

But the modelling paste I use (green stuff) is quite light, so the weight should be quite the same than a painted regular FF.net figure.

I'll sculpt a little tonight, BTW; so stay tuned ;)

Here's the first pics of the customizing.

I almost completed the RT and RG. I started to work on the LG and LT too (filling gaps on the figs).


I'm quite tired, I'm not sure I'll work on it more tonight. btddhrs


So tomorrow for sure I'll finish the bellies, and make the arms muscles and faces, so I can paint them sunday. With my center, it will be a big and impressive line, I hope.

After that, I'll start ordering bases to start the training and technical building of my team, so I can continue the customs and paint, and start training the positions too.



Dimitri

Hi,

This afternoon I finished the chests, pants and filling. Tonight, I'll do the faces and arms muscles.

I tried to respect the real 2009 athletes anatomy (in 49ers O roster, they 're big, but not so fat), sometimes making them thinner or more muscled. If they don't find success in Football, they will be able to make their second carreer in pro wrestling or... chip and dales. :rtfl:



BTW, I'll compete in the MFCA photo contest, in the 2 categories (single pose, certainly with the center figure, and scene with the complete offensive line), as soon as I'll suscribe to MFCA.

http://miniaturefootball.org/2009/10...photo-contest/



to be continued...

Very Nice ppls$
ppcrn ppcrn ppcrn

Monsters gallery...
 

Hi,

tonight I made the figures' faces, I didn't try to make it like the real athletes, but just make them look bad guys.

The goal is to make a aggresssive effect visible under the mask, and in the same time, trying to achieve some fast improvements on the project.

Tomorrow I'll finish the sculpting. I'm a little late on my program, but here it's 1am and I need to rest.


To be continued...

MUSCLES !!!
 

Hi,

this afternoon I worked a little on my slot racing tracks, but I took some time to work on my line men too.

I almost (I have to add the chinstraps) 2 of them. Big, heavy, and hard muscled linemen ! I also made little corrections on jerseys.

Hopefully, there is no doping controls in french miniature football :rtfl:


Dimitri

Coming along nicely
 

Good Muscles thmbsp$

Very Nice ppls$

more muscles....
 

thank you !


I finished the two other figures (Tackles). It's funny to see that the 2 tackles are the most powerfull figures I made : the right tackle is low and hard muscled, the left tackle is just like a mountain :D

I don't know how it will work on the field...but I believe it will be at least impressive :rtfl:

Hi,

I completed two of the 4 linemen.

I undercoated them...they start to look like football athletes ltsplbll

Tonight I'll finish the chinstraps of the 2 other ones, and sand the defects undercoat revealed.


to be continued...

Excellent work...
 

you are obviously a miniature master! No doubt you have studied the some of the Verlinden publications and techniques?

thank you thmbsp$



I'm afraid not :D but I do professional freelance modelling (scenery, show case diorama, and other scale scenery sculpting, like accessories for wargamers). Sculpting men-type miniatures is quite new for me (I just tried it several years ago).

I plan to create my own football figures soon. For now, I practice using ff.net figures for "canevas". It's a good hobby for me : I have a lot of fun and in the same time, I improve my skills for my job. ;)

ppls$ thmbsp$

thank you !



Anyway...seeing pictures, I 'm thinking theses men should really start a pro wrestling carreer :D

The sculpt and big muscles gives them a little "cartoonish/fantasy" feeling. I guess I painted and customized too many orks, barbarians and gobelins in my life, it let a footprint in my mind :rtfl:

By the way, it should be fun to create a fantasy football game, with special rules, magic, etc...a kind of bloodbowl (famous boardgame) but electric. I have to think about it...

Awesome job on these! ppls$ For how many years are you working on figures now?

Since I'm a teenager, now I'm 30 years old. I do serious modelling (but scenery and dioramas oriented more than figures ) for 10years, now. ;)

YOU ARE MAKING US ALL PROUD WITH YOUR WORK!!!thmbsp$ thmbsp$ thmbsp$ thmbsp$ thmbsp$ frstplc frstplc frstplc frstplc

Small detail items I see in your work is great! Keep it going!

thanks thmbsp$


TOnight I finished the chinstraps on the two last linemen. Tommorow morning before work I 'll undercoat them. So I'll be able to paint the men this week end, I hope.

49ers
 

Dimitri,

I love your work and love it even more as you are doing the 49ers. I am currently working on 3 49ers projects:

1. 1980's 49ers teams from 1980-1989

2. The 1994 49ers Super Bowl team

3. The 1997-1999 team ( one of my favorites as it was a transitional team with many of the best players despite not winning the Super Bowl.

If you are interested in the rosters for these teams let me know.....

Coach Mark Francis

ps: great goal posts. your creativity is scary. you are perfecting what is already perfect.

thank you thmbsp$


I'm currently working on the 2009-2010 roster. IMHO, great individual talents in this team, both in offense and defense. Especially Vernon Davis who reveals himself this year. ltsplbll

La suite !
 

Hi,

This morning (I'm very lazy on fridays... :D ) I prepared and undercoated the last linemen, here's the pics;


If everything 's OK, I'll paint them this week end.

Dimitri

adding a pic of complete o line
 

Here's another pic of the complete o line...now, I have to paint it ltsplbll

gonna be a great line to run behind!

learning
 

Thank you french guy. The step by step way you are creating your line has been a learning experience. Keep up the good work. Fred

thank you both thmbsp$

I hope it will be powerfull too. I'm wondering myself if I'll equip them with DDB or make my all team with Proline bases (because proline range is big : rookie, dial base, square, round, strenght, speed, and if I do a complete team, it will add a nice (IMHO) "graphic" coherence to it).

Hi,

this afternoon I started the painting job, it is really faster to paint 4 figs instead of only one.

I finished the pants, and I'm currently working on skins and jerseys.

I 'll finish it next week evenings....and I prepare an article for MF.org to show you easy ways to obtain cool shades and effects like these figs.


I'll make better pics tommorow with daylight.

Can't wait...
 

...for your article. I want to do my 49ers pants like that. :Dppls$thmbsp$drl$$

No problem, I'll make a detailed "how to" article with paint references. thmbsp$

I'm doing pics during my painting, so the article will be posted when I'll finish this 4 monsters :D

Where were you last summer when I painted my Bears

I am sad:( :(

your teams (the ones you posted in solitaire forum) are already good looking ! thmbsp$


Tonight, I finished the red washes and the black ink "pin stripping".

Sorry for the saturated colors (the jerseys and pants are darker than that) tomorrow I'll make daylight pictures of it.


For the pin stripping, I used black ink from Vallejo game color spanish brand (on ebay you can buy it even in USA). I really like this brand, with Coats d'arms brand too it is really the best quality price ratio, IMHO.

This brand make a quite thick and opaque ink, more consistant than Citadel "washes". So if you want to do washes with vallejho inks, you need to dilute it with water. Citadel washes are already diluted, you can use it out of the pot. It's easier, but a lot more expensive.



But right out of box, that ink has the perfect consistancy to make lining and pin stripping.

I use black lines to separate the pants from the jersey, jersey from skin, and pants from socks...or sometimes create detals when there is no or few details. I'll explain that in my future article, very soon.


edit, the fact I didn't painted the pants in gold metallic is a technic named "NMM" or "non metalic metal". I made my first tries using gold paint, but I didn't like the aspect. So I tried to make it with "NMM" technic, the result is not really accurate, but I prefer it.


To be continued ;)

Excellent! thmbsp$

As a friend of mine says "WOW"!!!!!!!!!!!