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Converting - skull dugger

Mermuse - Sep 07, 2005 - 08:38 PM
Post subject: skull dugger

Hi. I'm new to this forum. Since I've never sculpted before I decided to start by building off and
existing mini so I can focus on a few important details without having to try and deal
with proportions and gesture at first.

I picked a character from one of my sketches (the guy on the left) to be the star player on my
gnoll team (made up of phigs gnoll mini's)

I added armored shoulder pads, a jersey, the spikey claw arms, and reworked the head.
I chose to leave the large jaw in to make him look stronger then in the sketch. I tried
thickening up the legs to make them more like the drawing but ended up pulling it all off
because the thinner legs have a better gesture... so I just made the hooves bigger instead
to push the proportions a little more and to make him feel stronger.

This is the mini I started with...

Any input. The spikey arms are based on GW demonettes. I don't know if I like all the texture in them. I may end up sculpting over them to make them smoother like the sketch... what do you think?

Justin_Kase - Sep 07, 2005 - 08:43 PM
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Looking fantastic - you are quite the artist and a great sculptor to boot!

I love the concept and it is looking quite a bit like your pic, which is incredible, one thing I would change is the stone he is standing on - maybe make it into a dented helmet or football, would seem a bit more appropriate.

Mermuse - Sep 07, 2005 - 08:44 PM
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great idea... I'll try that.

Justin_Kase - Sep 07, 2005 - 08:47 PM
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Can't wait to see it Smile

Also, the spike arms could go either way. Leaving them more textured makes them seem a lot more like natural boney protrusions, but the smother ones would give more of a clean edged look to them. Will they have horns? If so, will they be more textured like a beastman, or more smooth like a minotaur?

Mermuse - Sep 08, 2005 - 10:37 AM
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Here it is primered. I removed the rock and added a pile of heads
and skulls instead. No plan for horns... I want to make him match
the look of the phig's gnolls as much as possible so he feels like he
is part of the same world... just a much bigger and meaner gnoll.

Now that its all one color I can see a lot of small holes that need
to be filled as well as some shapes that are too round and soft.

Justin_Kase - Sep 08, 2005 - 10:55 AM
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Looks really good, like the skull/head pile, came out nice Smile

Really looking forward to seeing the finished product!

snew - Sep 09, 2005 - 07:52 AM
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How does he handle the ball without hands and all?

Looks good. I'd have smoothed out the blades a bit initially but I like them now in the primered picture. I just can't tell if they're natural or gauntlets.

You've done a great job.

Mermuse - Sep 12, 2005 - 10:46 AM
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snotsngrots-

They are natural... which means he has a limited role on the team (he's just the muscle).

I play a modified version of Kerrunch (older and simpler version of BB) because the 50+ page BB rulebook was a bit much for my girlfriend to try and learn. The version we play makes for very quick games... 10 to 15 min each.

Musta_Surma - Sep 13, 2005 - 01:11 AM
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The is some great work you have made.
As to catching the ball, whats wrong with sticking a claw right through it?

Mermuse - Sep 13, 2005 - 10:53 AM
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Here's the final version with some of his teammates....