Menhir

[Garion77]

Hello everyone,
a bit of a late entry. Being struggling with mental issues for the last few months and that's why I Have been quite absent of the forum lately ; modeling being not a priority. I wanted to get in this group build as I always been fascinated from that part of the hobby. When it started, I didn't have any subject at hand. Then I kind of sunk mentally. Being a bit better, and with a bit of encouragement from my friend Digger I decided to get in. I don't aim at anything with the issues I have. I'll may be won't be able to finish.

So as I said, at the start, I didn't have any subject at hand. But now I do, thanks to a friend of mine who gave a beautiful gift. So here it is :

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

This a Menhir from the board game Tainted Grail : The Fall of Avalon. It is a kind of sculpture created by Merlin and Arthur to protect Avalon of the Wyrdness (a mysterious fog that bends and deforms everything it touches). They are actually 3 figurines like that in the game. By the way I felt in love with the game ! And it help me greatly to stay mentally a float in august.

As I've never done figures before I'll go at my rhythm and with no pressure for finishing. But I aim at doing easy things for it. I'll use the zenithal technic I saw used in lots of YouTube videos. Although it's suppose to be made out of a rock, I'll use my inspiration to do it a bit different. You can see a kind of skeleton that looks almost tree-like. So I'll go in that direction. I'll paint the things coming out on each side like tusks. The cup will be painted in metallics so is the main sword inside. And I'll have to paint the candles and light them which is going to be the hardest part of it.

And yes, my Camel project is still going on quite slowly. I had a few problems with is before my mental sunk. Most of those are resolve. I hope to post something in a near future. And @digger303 did a beautiful job with his.

Take care everyone !

[Twokidsnosleep]

oh super cool!!
You have tons of time left to finish and will be happy to follow along on your progress



Lots of friends here if you need to reach out at all and have a chat...just a PM away, mate

[RangerNeil]

Looks an interesting project - looking forwards to seeing how it progresses.

As Twokids says - if you need to off-load feel free to DM. Been there myself somI know how it feels - and what it does to you.

[digger303]

Good to see you made it

I didn't notice the smaller figure before around the back or the lack of thumbs

It's going to be interesting paint exercise with so many shadows and variations of.

[Stokesy44]

oh super cool!!
You have tons of time left to finish and will be happy to follow along on your progress



Lots of friends here if you need to reach out at all and have a chat...just a PM away, mate

Well said, on both counts. Nothing but people who want to be supportive and positive on here. The hobby and its people can be a great help when you're struggling, even if its just to hear you out - a problem shared etc etc

[Garion77]

Hello again !

first of all, thanks to all of you for your support. This is part of the reason I decided to participate in this GB on this wonderful forum. Let's say I have highs and lows (mostly lows) and yesterday was a low. Today is going to be better !

That being said, time for a short update already. I primed everything yesterday after the post and used 3 colors for it with the zenithal approach. First off, black primer from Ultimate :

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Took my time making sure it was properly covered with all the different angles on the figure. I was surprised on how much paint it took to cover everything.

Next up, I used Ultimate grey primer at 45 degrees angle and then Ultimate white primer at a 90 degree angle

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

It's already a beautiful color

Now, I have to research a bit and see what colors I will use for the stone (greys) and for the branches/rib cage (browns). Has I said in the previous post, I don't want to buy new things, money being really tight at the moment. So I'll try using what I have at hand. I'm sure I'll find the colors I want in what I have. I'll may be only buy metallic colors from Citadel has they seem to have great ones for that type of thing for the cup, the sword and other small parts.

Thank you again everyone.
Take care

[digger303]

I've only heard good things about Citadel paint.

[Garion77]

Hello everyone,
now that I caught up with everyone's build in GB, time for an update on mine. I realize at the same time that everyone had some assembling to do which has not. Feel bad a bit for everyone as I took the easy way with mine, which is good thing with my current state of mind. Just accomplishing something will do me good.

I have to mention that I'm taking my inspiration from 2 Youtube videos painting the same subject as don't know a thing about figures. Last time I primed everything using black, grey and white. Happy with the results. And did some testing for different colors after that.
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
As you can see, there's quite a lot and 3 are missing I tested different grey and browns to for the wooden part of the figure.

I decided upon a bluish grey for the base color, as I wanted the Menhir to have a magical feeling. So Intermediate Blue it is from Vallejo Model range ! It's actually the Battleship grey color. So I put paint on my wet pallet and on the painting started ! Except it didn't go at all as I had imagined.

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

First, the color came out a lot lighter than it is ! Second, nothing showed through even though I had diluted it with water. I wasn't happy at all with the result as I would have to work on it a lot with other colors to give it a rocky feel at the same time of bluish magical feel I wanted. I watched again the YouTube video I was most inspired from and think she forgot to put a part of the process in it.. because there's no way the look she had for the second part of her process can be achieve only with a thin base layer.

So I decided to prime everything again, but only black this time. And to make simpler the process for me, I decided to go with drybrushing only.

First off was my Intermediate blue
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
You can also see at the bottom an another color, which is AK's 3rd gen Rock grey ( a kind of grey beige). I used it around the candles that light the Menhirs. Thought it would be a kind of preshading for the upcoming painting process of those candles.

After 3 other colors were use. Neutral gray lightly dry brush everywhere. Light gray for the top of the figure. And silver gray to make a different color for the armure on the back.

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

To my eye the pictures aren't as great as the real thing. But I'm quite happy with the result. The only thing I would have done differently would have been to add another grey darker, like dark sea grey that would have been in the same palette as my Intermediate blue. I would have dry brush it by stippling it to go inside the details. And then do the same process after.

As you can see, the tusks/horns/skeleton part weren't painted, and same for the kind of wooden corpse inside. Those will be painted differently in the steps. I will start with wooden part by using the layering technic (never done it before). And put a wash on what I've done for now, may be using Payne's grey oil paint. Or black.

Feel free to comment and critics accepted.

Thank you.

[digger303]

It's vewry good and your off to a great start.

[Garion77]

Hello everyone !

So I haven't been on the forum since my last post in the GB. Having huge anxiety issues lately, I put lots of things aside to take refuge in my security bubble if I could say, and working really hard to overcome them as I was on the verge of developing agoraphobia. Let's say that when I was told that, it was a wake up call to work harder on those issues. Speaking of it is really hard for me and shakes my foundation but still is therapeutic

As I'm seeing lots of improvements lately, I decided to put the objective of getting back to modeling. First thing to help..well showing the progress on this projects in days following my last post here. Everything you'll see was done at beginning of October. I haven't touch anything since then related to modeling. posting my progress I hope will help me getting back to it and having the objective of finishing in time for the end of the GB.

When I left off, i had repainted everything and put different shades on it. As I'm doing my own take on the Menhir, I decided it part rock, part wood (tree) and part tusks. The next step was tackling the wooden parts being the arms.

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

I varied the tones afterwards using different browns and beige, and also painted the cup

by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Unfortunately, I don't remember what I've used... I wasn't aiming at that look but still happy with the results.

After that I painted the swords. I remember that the blade was painted with Citadel Leadbelcher.

by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Now, what I would like to do, is may be working on the wood effect again, and I'll put wear on the swords. And work also started on tusk (not in the pictures) by putting a base coat of kind of green brown which I don't remember (again base on a YouTube video about painting tusks)

My goal now it to put a progress by the start of the week as I have to put objectives to myself.

Hope you enjoy ! Feel free to criticize as don't have a clue with what I'm doing knowing nothing about figures.

[digger303]

Ohh thats coming along nicely and your reminding me to reach down to the back of my bench and pull my figure out and finish it again..

[Twokidsnosleep]

Well this is coming along great



If you ever need someone to talk to, please just PM me

[Garion77]

Hello !

well, objective met ! I set myself to put a progress by the start of this week. Pretty happy for myself with all going on with my mind.
First off, was weathering, or rusting a bit the swords. Unfortunately, I completed forgotten the paints I used. But I think I started by putting Citadel Agrax Earthshade as wash on them. Then, used different Vallejo paints from a Rust kits, all of them highly diluted. Letting dry between diferrents coats and shades. Then I finish by using a silver on some parts to make it look like they are still good parts of it.

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

You can also see I've putted what going to be the base coat for my tusks. I used German came black brown.

Then came the tusks. I inspired myself from a YouTube video from a chain called Cult of Paint. After the base coat, I used Vallejo Middlestone highly diluted. It's kind of a greenish beige. Just what I was after. That was spread in thin coats letting through the base coat. After that, it was with all home made washes applied in different sections of the tusks. The colors used were Tamiya Yellow green, AK Rock Grey, Vallejo Old wood. All of them always getting closer to the tips. Then I finish painting the tips and a few scratches using Vallejo Flat Earth, Vallejo German Red Brow and Vallejo Burnt Umber

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

I think I'll be able to finish in time finally Just have to wish anxiety attacks to get in the way. But working hard on my self and still progressing. Next up will be all the candles. I'm going to try to replicate the diffenrents colors a flame would do when glowing. And also, I'd like to touch up a bit the wooden arms. Too much of the same color in my opinion. And I'll see if I have time for other ideas I have

Take care everyone !

[digger303]

Your doing well and I'm always forgetting the colours I use to or in what the mix was. I actually have a note book for recording those details and still I think yeah thats easy I'll remember then 2 weeks (so I don't record it) later nope all gone...
Keen to see how you tackle the cloak.

[RangerNeil]

Looks damned amazing to me - well done that man!!!

[Garion77]

Hello everyone,
hope your all having a great weekend and are quite ready for Christmas. Time for a little update on my figure, a.k.a Menhir from the Tainted Grail : Fall of Avalon board game. Almost getting at the end of it and it's a real boost for me on all fronts.

This update is about attempting to recreate the look of the flames on the different candles. I went from darkest to the lighter color always getting the area smaller on each color.

First up for the interior of the menhir was a red brown from Vallejo (actually it's suppose to be a primer from they rust kit but their primers are crap in my opinion)
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

For the exterior one, I went directly for a bit of lighter color, Fire Red from Vallejo Air.
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
And applied the same color on the interior
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Really subtle changes not sure it can be seem

After, tamiya orange toned down a bit with the Vallejo Air fire red.
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
And a bit brighter on the outside
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

And then 2 kinds of yellow for the finish : golden yellow and light yellow from Vallejo Model Color
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Pretty happy with the result even if it's may be a bit too bright on the inside to my taste. But for a first attempt at that kind of thing I'll take it. I could call it finish but I decided to do a bit more on it. I want to refine the wood part. And may add a few things at the base. They are kind of like roots and branches coming up, may be I'll try to paint them and add a greenish brown at the bottom to replicate dirt and moss... not sure how yet.

And finally, I'll paint the coin you put in the Menhir when playing the game, which represent the time you have before its protective magic goes off.
by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

For those how don't know the game, that is what it actually looks like
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
It's a kind of an RPG like game. Many choices to do for the story with many different outcomes. All set in the world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Have a great weekend everyone

[digger303]

I like the fire effect.
The game looks like it's outside my pay grade...very complicated. I grew up with snakes and ladders

Menhir is looking better and better every time you add to it.

[Garion77]

Hello everyone !

the coin was painted. Easy job as it was dry brush with Mr. Metal Color Copper on top of black primer. Then put a wash in. After dry brush again Tamiya's titanium gold on everything. And pick the numbers with Tamiya's titanium silver

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

The coin is actually use in the game to keep track of time. How much time there's left for the magic protection from the Menhirs to wear off. Or to keep time of a particular quest.

back to the menhir itself. I painted what for me a roots or branches, the menhirs being in place for hundred of years. I used 2 sorts of browns, Tamiya's Flat brown and Vallejo Model Color Burnt Umber. Then trying to highlight a few parts, I used Vallejo Model Color Old Wood and Desert Yellow. And for shading I mix a bit of black to the burnt umber. And Citadel's Agrax Earthshade was put on it.

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

So before calling this one done, I would like to try to dirty the bottom a bit with greens and browns...not sure how yet. So ideas are welcome ! I should also check how much time there's left for the group build ! to make sure I have time for that part !

Take care everyone

[digger303]

You haven't put a foot wrong. It's all going so well.
Must admit to not knowing the back story to this figure and misinterpreted what I was looking at sometimes, but it's getting clearer

[Garion77]

Hello everyone !
finally much needed vacation time !! My son and I are going to try to spend lots of together time with games either playstation or board game. But first thing on the agenda was our traditional Christmas "galettes"... don't know the English word for it... kind of a cookie but not a cookie

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

We give them to everyone in the family and a few friends. My grandmother's recipe that I'm the only one who as it...so I'm carrying on the tradition with my son. A full days work to make about 60.

Back to my Menhir, I was wondering how I could recreate grass/moss and dirt at the bottom of it. Youtube being always a good inspiration for ideas and how to I found a method using a rope and acrylic paint. Then off to the dollar store for cheap stuff...
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

The technic consist of cutting in real small pieces the end of the rope. Then mixing it with paint. I use the brown to make it darker a bit and made an another batch lighter.
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
The trick is not to put too much paint so it doesn't act like glue for the thread... which I did. You let that all dry on baking sheet and then pass through that kitchen tool which again I don't know the English word for
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr
And the result :
Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

Use PVA glue to put them on the menhir and added also pigments to the base of it.

Sans titre by Francis Pare, sur Flickr

I sure would like to make it look like it's wet a bit but I don't know how..

The Menhir should be done... I'll look only if I have a few touch ups to do. Final pictures will be on the forum later today. Pushing myself to finish sure help my huge anxiety attacks I,m having in quantities ; helping me ease my pain and putting my brain in something else. It also help me getting back to modeling and will surely help pushing now myself to finish my Javelin but mostly my buddy build with Digger, the Camel. If I find time through board games and my PS5

[Tomcat64]

OOh interesting - I have both the video game and board game of Tainted Grail and haven't had chance to play either yet.

This has come out really nicely - I love the flame effect you've built off the candles, that's works brilliantly.

The grass around the bottom sets the whole thing off too

Great work - and apologies for only managing to catch up at the end

[Garion77]

OOh interesting - I have both the video game and board game of Tainted Grail and haven't had chance to play either yet.

This has come out really nicely - I love the flame effect you've built off the candles, that's works brilliantly.

The grass around the bottom sets the whole thing off too

Great work - and apologies for only managing to catch up at the end

No apologies needed ! the game is great ! you'll find that the time management of the Menhirs is a pain in the... I, myself, changed a bit how they work so they aren't as a pain... that was the main critic on the game on forums. You'll understand when you play. I've pledge for the next game of Awaken Realms...forgot the name... I'll get it at the end of 2025

[RangerNeil]

<snipped>
I sure would like to make it look like it's wet a bit but I don't know how..

</snipped>

Maybe a dry brush with gloss varnish just to catch the very tops of the surface??

[Garion77]

<snipped>
I sure would like to make it look like it's wet a bit but I don't know how..

</snipped>

Maybe a dry brush with gloss varnish just to catch the very tops of the surface??

that's a great idea ! even if I putted the finished pictures of it I'll try it anyways.
Thank you and Merry Christmas !

[digger303]

Yep the grass effect and fire is very attractive and gives the figure a step up.
Overall it comes together very nicely.