Statuary Gardens (Figurines)

[IncoherentEssay]

Not going to do the same generico-pose over and over again, no , but the pose has to fit the character IMO, and ground-level action poses don't fit everyone.

Challenge* update going up(theme:mirror):

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In Soviet Russia dungeon...

...mirror breaks you!


Two legionaries facing off.



Some power armour.



And a tank.

Sorry about the small pics, having some camera issues and had to use an older one to get pics in the first place. It's either small or blurry, sadly.

*a combination of bad planning and general busyness means the main fig isn't even finished yet, planning to get it done today and paint tomorrow, though i'll sort out the camera issue so i can get proper pics.

[Ninjaman]

That mirror is cool, along with everything else.

[IncoherentEssay]

And the main fig is done now, so here we koa:

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Like with Momiji, Koakuma is a minor character in the games with no portrait of her own, so there is some variation in how she is decipted.
This fig sets a new record of sorts with 9 separate pieces in addition to the core figurine (tail, 4 wings & 4 books), beating Cirno's 6 wing blades. Relevant since fiddling with the larger wings was one of the delaying factors. Worth the time taken, though.
Was planning to pun on Koa-kuma, but didn't have the time to make both, so scrapped.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the set?
Chen-Shou-Koa
Yes, i know. That's just how i roll .

Going to have to take a small break with the main figs, stuff piling up in the near future . Challenge participation will carry on as usual.

[Prime32]

Pretty neat, but the wings look kind of odd. I think the colour is part of it - they're normally black, or have black "fingers" and crimson webbing. Her sprite has them darker than her hair at least, and one of the official manga also makes them black.
http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Koakuma

Also, it's kind of hard to tell what shape the tip of the tail is.

[Domochevsky]

Needs more closeup shots of her face.

[Fri]

Wow, this one is pretty neat. It's more or less finished already, in my opinion. Have you tried shading your works?

[IncoherentEssay]

Hm, now that you mentioned, the wings almost look ... edible? Like candy of some sort . Originally the wing-fingers were meant to be a lot darker but most mixes trying for dark red ended up closer to brown. I purposefully went with red+skin for the wings as i felt just black or black+red would look a bit too dark overall. The tailtip is the typical spade-shape of course.

Shading-wise i haven't done anything more involved than highlighting edges. I don't enjoy painting all that much, it feels like a chore at times. Still, i'm not making anything new for the moment so i could see about polishing up Koa a bit.
Though from what i've seen many figurines use flat colour on everything except hair and heavily folded clothing. It would look odd if natural lighting and the painted shading were at odds afterall.

Challenge update (theme:Nice Hat):

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A proper gentleman's siege tower. Toppled apart approximately 6-7 times whilst trying to take a pcture of it .


"They used to laugh at me, call me a fool! Who's laughing now?" A handy hat he has, at least.


An underhive maintenance worker, with a mil.surplus cyberarm.


Assassination attempt: foiled.


Patrolling the Arcane district would be a lot cozier of a job were it not for all the excaped experiments.
6-8 depending on how it's counted, so quota met.

Edit: going to tag the Challenge update here, reserving the 'probable doublepost-bump' for the next main fig. The theme was Nightmare, but i couldn't come up with anything suitably nightmarish. Creepy relies a lot on the surroundings afterall.
Anyways, here:

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Mercenaries: nothing personal, just business.

And the 'main event', a battle between soldiers and daemons:






Set up a larger area for it, since the older setup would have ended up completely crowded. Also an opportunity for different angles without moving anything.
So with 9 pieces that covers this weeks Challenge.

[IncoherentEssay]

And the next figurine is go (Konpaku Youmu):

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...i feel as if i'm forgetting something... oh right, Myon more thing:


Also comes avatar-sized :


The scabbards ended up slightly too thick, but so did the swords and that carries over, since i didn't want the swords to be too big for the scabbards.
Not too happy about the hands either, a bit bulky. Hopefully will improve with practice. At least switching to a (palm-> [dry] -> fingers) process made it easier to have them holding objects.
Myon (the bobbly ghost thing) was originally intended to be attached to her right shoulder with a wire, but the socket was a bit too loose so it wouldn't hold properly. I had similar issues with Orin (there was supposed to be 4 skulls floating around) and Cirno (the wings kept flipping around unless propped against each other).

Closeup shots of the face(double-spoilers since otherwise this would be a bit long of a post):

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And Koa got a new paint job for the wings:

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[Domochevsky]

Mhm, nice details and overall appeal. The arms and hands have just the right size too.

The face is coming along nicely and with more practice that will go well. However, now i'm thinking that the hair is the weakest point on this model. You will probably need a different technique alltogether to make that look good. Can't quite phrase what to do exactly, though. It has to be thinner and with more strands. Maybe make a single blob and then carve fake-strands into it with something sharp? Make the bangs sharper too. (longer and pointier)

[Ninjaman]

Love the demon lord and those "gating?" demons.

[IncoherentEssay]

The hair didn't turn out quite right, at least on the back of the head. More and thinner strands is one way to improve it, the other would be to abstract it more with individual strands only at the very edges, blending into a one towards the top.
Currently it sits at an awkward mid-way point between the two.
Painting would play a part in it too, as the 'individual strands'-approach benefits more from gradual highlights & washes and the 'solid sheet' from a slightly uneven drybrush.
I'll most likely go with the sheet approach for reasons of durability, though fake strands are doable. Which one to use does depend on the haircut being portrayed as well.

And onto the Challenge update (theme: cars):

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It's a car. Nothing clever/innovative about it. Not really my theme.




"Overkill? Never heard of it."



Assorted hoodlums/street-thugs from a cyberpunkish setting.


Yeah, the hockeymask/bioarm one made multiple appearances, call it bias .

So with seven (six really, the car is rather 'meh'), adding Youmu if necessary, that covers the Challenge.

[Ninjaman]

Overkill? There are lt´s of stuff out there that can survive that.

[IncoherentEssay]

Right, double-update, starting with the Challenge (theme: dark & gritty):

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There are some varieties of zombie apocalypse that see way too little screentime...





Moar dakka.



And a stony turtloid to try out a stone-skin effect.

Hm, abstract themes don't really work for me. The zombie-scene could just as easily claim to be more actiony than dark. If the scene was visualized as a drawing, which one it would be would depend on the lighting, background and special effects applied as well as overall colourscheme. All essentially unavailable to me.
Counting Z-mooks as 1, swordsmen as 2 more with the big-z as 4th.
I am aware that i have a habit of sticking with a particular subject (tanks recently), so incase something starts to become dull and seen-it-already, tell me.

And onto the main figurine (Flandre Scarlet):

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The wings were quite a hassle, as the first reference i used for them turned out to have too few (6 rather than the full 8), and i had to redo the crystals once as the first set looked awful. They need a wire core to not break, and trying to sculpt a small crystal around one without exposing the wire isn't easy. Similarly the fleur-de-lis on the tips of the rod was fiddly to make.

After all that, i decided to go with the simplified style of hair here. The mistakes i feel i made with Youmu were having too many strands for simple and too few for detailed, as well using a metalline paint to highlight the normal grey paint. With Flan i used a few different mixtures of yellow/bone, yellow/white and yellow/bone/white.
For the expression i went for 'deranged' by tilting the head, making the eyes slightly uneven and adding very little white to the eyes.

[Ninjaman]

The turtle skin worked i would say.

[Prime32]

Flandre is cool but it looks like either her torso or her top is too long (the latter not exposing enough of her blouse). There's no bow at the back, but not everyone draws that anyway.

The hat also doesn't seem that floppy (too tall and round), though that could be the angle.

Laevateinn came out pretty well.

Is there any other material you could use for the wings? I wouldn't worry too much about it sticking out, since Flandre's wings are widely believed to be artificial anyway.

[Glass Mouse]

Haha, my absolute favorite part is the samurai zombie scene! You're right - that would be enough to make me overcome my aversion to zombie movies and actually pay to watch it!
The tank and the turtle are wicked cool, as well.

As for Flandre... I love her underskirt and her hat. Very... poofy. The hair is an interesting experiment, still a little clunky, but definitely a step in the right direction.
She does indeed look mad, but it's a little misleading that her hat and her torso are positioned so... straight. At first glance, I must admit I thought her face was just lopsided.
I agree with Prime that there's something slightly off about her proportions (seems to be a recurring problem). I could draw you a sketch to illustrate, if you'd like?
Her staff/weapon thing looks really good, though. And there's something pretty creepy about the way she reaches out in the first picture. Eheh... Nice girl.... Go away!

Oh yeah, and something I wanted to say (but never did, because I suck): The way you set up a scene for the Nightmare Challenge was really, really cool. It was an awesome way to show off figurines, and you had some really nice shots. Just sayin'

[IncoherentEssay]

I'd say it's the top thats too long, compounded by the torso being a tad too thin. The wireframe was probably a bit too tall at the midsection as well, it's difficult to estimate the right proportions for the wire (though it can be compensated for as the wire doesn't need to be at the exact middle of the fig).

The hat is a bit off, but since it isn't actually attached to her head by any permanent measures i can just make her a new one (Pyonta does suit her quite well though ).

For the wings i could just make the black portions from just wire, but that wouldn't help any with the crystals. Making the wings larger overall would probably work.

Hairwise i'm going in the opposite direction for the next one, with thinner strands laid onto basic sheet shapes. It still needs general cleanup and painting before it's finished, so sometime tomorrow at earliest.

Onto the Challenge update(Theme: lightning):

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Since sculpting lightning isn't feasible, had to make something with implied shocking properties:

An orcish artificer overseeing the operation of experimental artillery whilst his golems stand guard.




And a patrol from the same force.

Since the larger, more spaced the scenes are better, i'll see about using them more often. Going to need heavier screens for them though, the current paper ones are prone to toppling over at inopportune moments.

Hm, looking all the way back to the first figurines i posted and comparing to the current ones, there's quite a lot of progress made and i owe a lot of it to the constructive criticism and support here.
Thank You .

[Ninjaman]

Lovely as always. Inc. you should try making a scene with tarrain: Grass, trees, a pond, bones.

[IncoherentEssay]

And presenting the next figurine, Saigyouji Yuyuko:

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More strands is easier to highlight but risks looking messy. I also ran into an issue with the frills, specifically that they would need to be a smaller but the material can't do that. Or more specifically i can't make an actual frill structure smaller than that and need to figure a way to make something that looks like it. Had to omit the mid-sleeve frills because of it.
The eyes turned out a bit too angular. Makes her look angry, which really doesn't fit (unless someone stole her lunch ).
Couldn't make the actual pattern on her fan at the scale so went with flowers.

Edit: and adding the Challenge update here (no theme was given):

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A guard post at a low earthwork wall.


Not all mimics are predictable.



Tomb raidin': all fun & games until you meet the guardians.


And a lineup of the delvers, props...

... and the swordwraiths.

The main flaw with props and backgrounds is the inefficient volume:detail ratio, as i had pretty much no surplus left on the previous Challenge update. Most greenery (trees, brushes, grass...) is also a no-go, not really enthusiastic to make hundreds of leaves one by one . Dead trees work though, so will see about scenic bases for later Challenge entries.

[Fri]

Woah, the yuyuko figure looks amazing. The pose, the colors... It really is.

On unrelated note, I finally have free time and was browsing for modelling clay, when i realized that I don't know what I'm going to use it for. I need to think of something.

[IncoherentEssay]

Thanks .
The obvious suggestion for the subject: yukkuri. Maybe yukkuri-fy a character from something else?

And now for the next figurine, Yagokoro Eirin:

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I admit, i forgot about the line patterns on the dress. I'll add those at some point, too tired to fix now. The constellations aren't the same as on the official art, but since that doesn't cover the back of her dress anyway i took some liberties with them. It's a bit weird how she seems to look directly at the camera in both of the first pics .
Not all that sure about the braid but that's the best i could make it. Given it's mass it required a wire to support it, so i made a central strand to build it around.
Something i'd like feedback on is about hair: whether to go with the way Flan has it or how Yuyuko/Eirin have theirs, or a different method altogether.

Main fig 'slot' is effectively occupied by the Challenge prize process once i have the details for it, so next main fig starts after that is finished.

[Ninjaman]

Cool as always.
Have you ever considered painting some of your not anime stuff?

[Domochevsky]

Mhm, hair and face on Eirin are both pretty good.

As far as the body goes i'd give her longer/stronger legs (about half a shin length) and move the boobage up a good bit, since right now it looks rather saggy.

[IncoherentEssay]

Sort-of considered, yes. I have a couple of ideas that could be good, but they are a bit low on the priority list at the moment. Again, Challenge entries can't be painted since they are made of reusable materials (otherwise there'd be considerable issues with both material costs and storage space.) The last figure of this Challenge entry is a draft for what i'm planning.

Considering Eirin's stated estimated age of >>>1400 years, i'd say she's doing quite fine there .
I suppose efforts to avert some tropes went too far the other way.

So, onto the Challenge (theme:insanity):

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ProTip: squid is always in style for doomsday cultists. Sea urchins are so last season .


When the best case scenario is vivid hallucinations, insanity is the least of your issues.


Evil (possibly mad) wizards travel in style.


A duel. I like duels.


And a dragon ogre.

[Ninjaman]

Love the duel. so dynamic.

[IncoherentEssay]

So, i had some free time, and with the Touhou 13 demo being published, the course of action was obvious.
Presenting the next figurine, Yoshika Miyako:

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The official art is a bit unhelpful on a couple things, as the buttons & strings aren't fully shown and the text on the ofuda are out of sight. Didn't have any fanart to base details on when starting on it either.
I left out her ribbon since it felt somewhat cluttered with it, and fully replicating the flower pattern on her skirt is beyond my painting skills, so it's more implied than fully replicated. Also had to leave out the holes in the triangle-frills, they gave me enough trouble as it was.

Edit: and adding the Challenge update here (theme: ancient civilization):

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From left to right: pawn(swordsman) ,knight(cavalry) ,bishop(hydra) and rook(cyclops). Though ancient greeks did not have chess as we know it .


The sphinx's hood somehow reminds me of that of a cobra. Not sure if there's a connection though.


+3 Culture Get.



You'd think all the training associated with monks would be worth more than 3/4 BAB, but no .
Count 2+1+1+2

Also fixed missing image.

Edit2: and something extra for the Challenge, since it most likely fits this weeks theme better:

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I was considering a third floor of howdah, but it'd be somewhat silly. Besides, there is already some visible strain on the supports. Challenge figs run into the cannot-support-own-weight issue quite fast, sadly. It was built in three pieces so that i avoid messing up previously built elements whilst working on the next part, the side effect being the visible seams.

[IncoherentEssay]

And the next main figurine (Kyouko Kasodani) going up:

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The expression i went for is the 'smug' one from the demo:

Didn't quite catch it but close enough. Also had to go with simple round buttons instead of the flower ones she has. Also omitted the zig-zag pattern on the sleeve bands since i don't have a sharp enough brush for it, barely made the rest of it.
Not much else to say about it, now i'm covered until 8th of May at least .

[Ninjaman]

So, i had some free time, and with the Touhou 13 demo being published, the course of action was obvious.
Presenting the next figurine, Yoshika Miyako:

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The official art is a bit unhelpful on a couple things, as the buttons & strings aren't fully shown and the text on the ofuda are out of sight. Didn't have any fanart to base details on when starting on it either.
I left out her ribbon since it felt somewhat cluttered with it, and fully replicating the flower pattern on her skirt is beyond my painting skills, so it's more implied than fully replicated. Also had to leave out the holes in the triangle-frills, they gave me enough trouble as it was.

Edit: and adding the Challenge update here (theme: ancient civilization):

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From left to right: pawn(swordsman) ,knight(cavalry) ,bishop(hydra) and rook(cyclops). Though ancient greeks did not have chess as we know it .


The sphinx's hood somehow reminds me of that of a cobra. Not sure if there's a connection though.


+3 Culture Get.



You'd think all the training associated with monks would be worth more than 3/4 BAB, but no .
Count 2+1+1+2

Also fixed missing image.

Edit2: and something extra for the Challenge, since it most likely fits this weeks theme better:

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I was considering a third floor of howdah, but it'd be somewhat silly. Besides, there is already some visible strain on the supports. Challenge figs run into the cannot-support-own-weight issue quite fast, sadly. It was built in three pieces so that i avoid messing up previously built elements whilst working on the next part, the side effect being the visible seams.

Lovely as always.

[IncoherentEssay]

And the Challenge update (theme:winter) is go:

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Never turn your back on a snowman...


An igloo.


Standing tall and proud among the military traditions of teh internets; the few, the hairy. The Bear Cavalry .


Adaptation of a previous piece. I could drop a wall of text here, but it's not finalized.

And Glass Mouse's 16-week Challenge Prize here (excuse the double spoiler but long post is long):

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Professionals only dodge the bare minimum needed.


When you only have two shots...


...you make both of them count.
(in case it's not obvious, parry by bullet [see dent on blade] followed by an upwards shot through the chin.
Sculpting a gunshot sfx is a bit beyond my skill . A floating *BANG* text might've worked but felt a bit too silly.)

And a closer look at actors:
See here for the references used.

And the possessed berserker.

[Ninjaman]

Cool. But bear is too small, and too cat-like in the face.