Sunday, 14 April 2019

" IF YOU HEARD HALF THE STORIES ABOUT THIS JABBA THE HUTT, YOU'D PROBABLY SHORT CIRCUIT "

So continuing on with my rather ambitious project, I have completed my Jabba the Hutt model, this model is straight out of the box with no conversions..just painted. 


He was painted with a glazing method to give the look you see in the movie. I may well make his throne/dias for him to sit on yet, but keep him removable to be able to place him on his gaming base.


" THEY LOOK LIKE MOULDY PIGS "

The title of this section was what I first thought when I saw the Gamorrean Guards in Return of the Jedi.. not that I dislike them. In the Jabba's palace expansion box you get 4 of these models -though to keep production costs down they are all the same model, this would not do for me, as I wanted variety and in the short time in the movie they appeared you see them armed with a variety of weapons, and also some unarmed at all.

With this in mind I converted 3 of the models from the box set to depict some of the other variations seen in the movie, other than their bases these are now finished.

" WEEQUAY "

In the expansion you also get 4 Weequay models, again they are all in the same pose and outfit. Same as with the Gamorrean Guards I wanted variety. All the different Weequay in the movie are dressed differently as well as using different weapons, so I converted 3 of the models to look more like their movie counterparts. You'll notice 2 are holding no weapon at the moment, this is due to me waiting for the Hired guns pack to arrive to utilise the weapons.. and the heads are going to be used on two of the band members.


It was after finishing the conversions and looking at them all nicely painted, when I suddenly  remembered that I was going to use one as the band drummer, so a quick scour on ebay and I now have another two on their way to correct my mistake.

 " FASTEST HUNK OF JUNK IN THE GALAXY "        

I know the phrase is referring to the Millennium Falcon, but it's a cool phrase and is very apt for my current build.

Yes I have started the 28 mm scale version of the Outrider, first using a piece of salvaged hardboard, I scaled up the layout that I showed last time: yeah, I had to make a few alterations as the outline didn't match the FFG x-Wing version, and also hadn't accounted for where the support struts for the landing gear would go. But hey, it`s coming together I think.


 Once I'd cut the shape out, the next step was to cut and glue plasticard formers underneath, to give the distinctive shape of the outrider.

Once these had set hard (used no more nails, a strong bond.. but takes a while to dry) I then filled in between the gaps with builders foam.


After leaving the foam to set for 24 hours, I then proceeded to cut off the overflow with a saw, going careful to avoid the plastic formers. This is where I'm currently up to, next will be shaping the foam with a sander; then the real fun starts as I begin to skin the underside.

Until Next Time Have FUN!


Dave

22 comments:

  1. WOW!

    great job on Jabba, he looks awesome! and the others are excellent too.
    Reply
  2. Thanks Andy, I'm pleased with how they turned out especially with the limited hobby time recently
    ReplyDelete
  3. Great posting, my fave by far Dave, and some top painting on Jabba and his 'friends'. I especially like the conversion work on the Gamorrean Guards; my fave "Jedi" creature :-) The Outrider is looking very impressive too. I hope you're taking plenty of notes and photos as to how its coming along - just in case you're asked to make a second one you understand ;-)
    Reply
  4. Thank you Simon, the conversions were quite small ( in comparison to scratch building ) but gave me the variation I was looking for. Funny your not the first person to ask about making another, as one of my trade customers also said " so if you've built one would you be able to make another ? " LOL
    ReplyDelete
  5. top notch mate, top notch. Jabba is amazingly well painted (much better than my old WotC 2004 Rebel Storm pre-painted version). I especially like your Weequays as well, they look rather dashingly well painted.
    Reply
  6. Cheers Steve, spent a lot of time looking at reference pictures to break down all the colours and get the right dirty look for them. Some of the pictures took a while to find !
    ReplyDelete
  7. I love Jabba, excellent job!!
    Reply
    Replies
    1. I agree Phil. He may actually be the best painted Jabba I`ve seen to date.
    2. Blush ! I have seen some exceptional ones where they've even got the tiny pattern on his belly
      Delete
    3. seeing your things close up (and not only on photo, which doesn't do justice) I am not surprised ~grins~
  8. Thank you Phil, he's been sat on the shelf since release while I tried to work out the right colours
    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely work, Dave. Jabba looks just how he should and your conversions on the other minions certainly give a more diverse group. I've noted rhe IA figures do tend to be be the same figure duplicated - fine for Stormtroopers, but not so good for other characters.

    And as the Outrider is 'in scale', it's got to be a pretty substantial piece. Nice use of self-expanding foam for the superstructure. It's interesting stuff to use, although can get a bit out of hand if you're not careful.
    Reply
  10. Thanks Jez, indeed some of the models work fine all the same, but some need a bit more diversity.
    Yes the outrider is pretty large, it stands at 2 foot wide and 18" deep. Expanding foam can be great but careful application is required. I really like the strength it gives while still remaining light
    ReplyDelete
  11. Im ging to be the (usual) voice of controversy here and say that I have no problem what so ever with duplicate figures. It was good enough for the classics like Spencer Smith Miniatures, Jack Scruby Historifigs, etc, where mass effect was standard and rather desirable. Even skirmish was the domain of repetition rather than the modern norm of individuality (and the market for it that has developed), and so people now expect this without question rather than seeing it simply as a changing trend... NOT designed to cater for, but which influenced our thinking until we THINK we created the need, whereas in truth we were primed (since GW and the 90`s) to the conditioning.

    Outrider is looking interesting. Will it be a show demonstration piece or a practical application model for the average table Dave? I think it should be a stunning piece when complete. I know `himself` has daydreamed about it ever since you mentioned doing it.

    Your Weequays are delightful and skilfully rendered but I cannot help feeling your Gamorreans are a little dark and lack a much needed highlight skin toning of lighter green on the raised extremities.
    Reply
  12. Indeed Hils, it's a personal thing for me to not have duplicates, it's something I've done for a while and the only set of figures I own that are all in the same pose are the imperials for Imperial Assault.
    The outrider if it all works out will be a display standard functional gaming piece with all the interior able to game through with removable escape pods.
    The photo lets the Gamorreens down as they're highlighted right up to yellow
    ReplyDelete
  13. The photos don`t do justice I fully agree, first hand is a bit of a wow experience when you`ve only seen the photos (but will rectify that soon.... anyway), and as is, I agree with Hils, they`re very dark. BUT I know when you say they are more detailed in the flesh, as it were, I do not doubt you at all.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. My photos have improved since I started but need to improve, plans are in motion to rectify it and obviously there's the bit your already doing for me ; )
      Delete
  14. I like the Jabba very much, hes how id like to be able to paint if only i could :( the others look great too and the ship will be immense. When will we see a battle being played?
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Thanks Luke, as soon as I've got the internals done I'll post up my first game as that is wher my campaign will be starting. In the mean time Steve will be posting up his. My plan is to build the sections of the board as I need them so I can get to gaming quicker
      Delete
  15. Very interesting you should say that. I`m actually playing (as we speak) a hybrid Imperil Assault mission... with some EotE rpg thrown in for good measure, to make the thing more thematic. When its played though completely, I`ll post it all up with all the accompanying `in game` photos: probably in a day or two.
    Reply
  16. I`m very interested in The Outrider, but looking at the blueprint, I am worried about the footprint of any game models once play begins. The spaces look mighty confined and (as I`m sure you know) for exterior terrain, buddings etc, its fine to drop scale a bit and, for example, use 20mm buildings alongside 28/34mm miniatures, to achieve a suitable aesthetic standard. But when dealing with stand alone interior and interior as one model, like 4-Ground tend to do by providing removable roofs etc) this is never entirely satisfactory, as any in game miniatures always look far too cramped for satisfactory play. The best interior models are stand alone, as this allows (adversely) slight scaling up to allow for adequate footprint of all play pieces being employed.
    Reply
    Replies
    1. Your exactly right Dave, sometimes playable space is given over to accuracy and vice versa, would like to have a balance between the two the corridors can fit two models side by side currently so I hope I've got the balance right
      Delete

No comments:

Post a Comment