Fuzzy Logic
I have done a lot of werewolf articles and kits for this column and for CreatureScape, but oddly enough, in nearly four years, I have only done one kit of the most famous furball of all time: Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man. It is a great kit to take on if you are a new modeler, or just to relax on a weekend. In fact, this build up only took an afternoon and while I used an airbrush for the base coats, this could be done with brush and simple paints with great results.
The kit you see here is another one of Geometric Designs long line of monster busts. To date this is still one of the finest renditions of the man whose thorny path transformed him into a monster by night and I think it makes a great starter kit because you can get great results with simple techniques and simple paints and brushes. So, lets put a leash on this puppy.
The first thing you want to do with any kit is to wash it with dishwashing soap and scrub out any dirt, dust or oils left over from the casting process. Then you need to take a hobby knife to the kit and trim out the excess resin (called "flash") and smooth out any lines or ridges that need attention with the knife and/or some fine grit sand paper.
This kit was really, really clean, so let's just concentrate on painting, shall we?
Okay, first I put a coat of primer on the kit. You can use regular old auto primer on it, but lately I have turned to FW Inks Cool Gray, which is easy to find on the internet and is in a lot of art supply stores. It is a nice light gray and easier to spray into the cracks. I spray it in through an Iwata HP-B at about 10 psi, which is a pretty low output, but it helps control the ink, which is light and easy to spray.
Now, to the right, you can see the first layer of paint. For the shirt, I used Badger's Forest Green and for the face, Badger Freak Flex brand Rose Flesh. The hair is done with a combination of FW Inks Sepia and Raw Umber. If you use light applications, you could do this with a light touch and decent brushes without an airbrush.
At this point, you really want to seal it to protect the base coat. A couple of coats of Testor's Dulcote will do the job nicely.
The next step is dry brushing. Basically, drybrushing is a technique used to bring out the highlights of a kit. Generally speaking, you choose a color at least one shade lighter than the base coat and often quite a bit higher. Then, dip the brush in the paint but only enough to put paint at the very edges. A flat brush is best for this. Then, use a rag to pull off the excess paint . . . and do this a few times. Then, lightly pull the brush across the surface. A small amount of paint will strike the upper details, but leave the color beneath.
For this kit, I used Apple Barrel Terra Cotta. This is just a regular old craft paint you can get in any craft store like Michaels. The shirt is done with a layer of Leaf Green, again from Apple Barrel, in the same manner.
You will also note that I have put a base coat of white in the eyes and teeth areas using a small "liner" brush. I think it was a 00 size, but I must confess, I did not write it down. And the nose was done with a brush application of FW Inks Sepia. I think the inclination is to use black, but I think dark brown is more in line with what makes sense . . . I mean, makes sense for a Wolf Man.
The next phase is all about toning down the kit. If you look at the pictures above, you'll see that they are rather "hot," with the colors jumping out at you. So . . . what to do?
Basically, there are two ways to tone down a kit, and often I use both on the same kit. One is to apply an "oil wash," but for this kit I don't need anything more than transparent paints. You can get a lot of cool basic transparents from Createx, again found at Michael's and other chain stores.For the hair and face, I use Createx Light Brown Transparent, which adds depth to the contours and at the same time tames the wild hairs, so to speak.
Around the teeth, you will notice some yellowing. That is a combination of Americana Buttermilk (again a craft paint) dry brushed over the teeth, then a brush coat of Lifetone Amber Oxide-a favorite of mine to be sure.
At this point, you will want to apply another coat Testor's Dulcote to preserve the work. And honestly, at this point we are more than half way done . . . though the eyes still await.
The eyes are really small . . . maybe 2 millimeters in height . . . so it takes a small brush and a steady hand, and maybe more than one try. However, the technique is simple. Basically you want concentric circles, starting with a black circle to represent the outer ring of the iris and then a white circle within as a base coat for the next layer of paint.
Now, just as a little note, I decided not to center the iris in the cornea. I think it gives the kit more character to have the Wolf Man looking sideways. In the films, he is often glancing furiously from one side of the set to the other, so I liked the idea that he was looking at something off to the side that he might want to take a bite out of.
Anyway, you can see in the picture to the right that I have basically dotted in the two circles and when that dries, it is ready to receive the next layer. Using Badger Freak Flex Asphyxia Blue very lightly, I fill in the circle. Then, using Model Master Hellblau (cool name, eh?), I put in a layer of light bluish gray, as seen below. With a toothpick, I put a tiny drop of black in as a pupil (below left).
The final stage (below left) is to put a thin wash of transparent red in the eyes around the edges and coat them, the mouth and the lips with a glossy sealer like Future Floor Wax (below right).
Basically, that is it. I did stretch out the nose a little, paint the sides black and put the kit on a wooden coaster as a base, but it is nothing to write home about. Except for the following special offers . . .
UNBUILT KIT: If you would like to buy this kit and build it yourself, you can get it for just $50 and free shipping in the USA! Contact me for overseas orders.
Unbuilt kit . . . $50 in the USA
BUILT UP KIT: If you would like to purchase this particular build up, it can be yours for $125 and free shipping in the USA. (Overseas buyers should contact me for shipping.)
BUILT kit . . . $125 in the USA
Well, that is all I have for you right now. If you want to talk kits or have questions, email me at editor@creaturescape.com and I will do what I can to accommodate you.
Until the next time, enjoy the full moon . . . it may be your last . . . (insert evil laugh here).
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