This little piggy went to Laell

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Okay, so I blatantly pinched the idea for the conversion from someone else because the original model's seriously crud* from the waist down. Don't get me wrong now, the lower half's great in a mad psycho standing still and shooting everything they've got forwards sort of way. Unfortunately, she's supposed to be a very balletic swift moving stalking creature who doesn't really stand still that much so the lower half's rubbish.

I seem to be the only person who likes her head. Lots of people say she's got a huge head, she hasn't. It's a little on the large side but the hair stopping above the collar makes it look bigger than it actualy is. Also anyone who's seen the original Ashlynn artwork knows it's a blatant Christina Ricci rip off so the face is about right. I don't know why they went and redid a load of the unit art for Superiority in a crud*py "watercoloured pencils trying to be cartoony" sort of way :(.

So anyway, I'm posting this here because I'm not happy with it.





The angle of the join at the waist doesn't quite look right. I've already torn off the upper body and carves the waist down once to make it look more anatomicaly correct but it still looks too high.






Should I carve it down again? I think I might need to lower the right hip once more.

On the angle: the torso twist I've put in is intentional (walking forwards but focussing on someone). She's going to have her sword arm pointing down, blade almost tapping the earth in a "you, here - now" challenge so it looks like she's just turned, jabbed the sword at a distant foe and then tapped the earth, daring them to come and get some.

I'd like to twist her body a little bit more but then the "flat" of the small of her back wouldn't align with the "flat" of her bum. In fact I've twisted it a little bit far for that already but with luck nobody'll notice (if I aligned them perfectly she'd be facing along the line of the front leg and that wouldn't look as good). Ideally the front leg should be crossing her path as if she's just taken a step and decided to change direction (issuing a new challenge as she does so). Now, awkwardly, her chest is twisting in the opposite direction (look at the boobs compared to the waist) but I'm going to explain that by angling her pistol arm back (not the horizontal official paintjob pose back, just holding it behind her hip for balance) so she can present her upper body side on as she challenges (minimising targetable surface area - very fencing/dueling - which is supposed to be her thing afterall).

Should I carve off the pistol and leave the holster? She's holding a pistol in her left hand and isn't mean't to have a second one but carving it off would be a pain (as I'd need to resculpt the part of her belt that the handle covers).

I'm mostly asking for advice on if I should touch the waist again before getting out the green stuff. I know the pointy little bit sticks out too far (mostly 'cause of me carving off the original legs) but I can't push it back in so I'll probably bring the cloth up to it when I apply the putty since it looks nice.

And here's something I am proud of. I managed to drill through both shoulders with a pin vice from each side and they lined up perfectly (no awkward wobbly bits in the middle). Those skinny arms of hers are going to need pinning.



This should probably be moved to the painting, converting & sculpting board.

[Bungle]

if the upper body were lowered by the thickness of the green stuff I think it would be OK.

the point of the basque/bustier come in just above the pubic region and the sides sit well down on the hips. so it needs dropping by 1mm or so.



I can't see a scabbard.  so why bother cutting the pistol out... it could just be another pistol in her hand after her favourite is out of ammo.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

if the upper body were lowered by the thickness of the green stuff I think it would be OK.

What green stuff? That's just superglue separating them at the moment (and I'll sculpt the cloth up to the edges to fill the gap).

Each time I've glued the two halves together the glue seems to swell up and push the body updards (yes, there's a pin too but I can always trim that down then - can't get it out of the bottom half 'though so filing and carving around it's a little awkward but doable).

Oh, and another reason for not lowering the right hip is that, if I do, the tip of her ugly giant plank sword cricket bat thing goes through the floor (well, below the "floor" level defined by the base). Yeah, that sword's such a rapier as you'd expect a finesse duelist like her to wield! I just haven' worked out anything approaching a decent yet structuraly sound replacement yet so I'll probably use it as is.

[Bungle]

Sorry I thought I notice a hint of GS on the rear shot and thought you had used GS/BS in the join.

it appears to me to be that little bit too high... and I think you seem to think so too.  But thats all.

[Fabian]

@ Bungle - good demonstration. More please.  :icon_razz:

[Bungle]

I would have posted one of my mrs who has a bustier in the same style with a V at the bottom.... but she would then be wearing a new pair of earings :icon_eek:

[Dr.Evil]

Remove the glue and just a spot in each hole the pin is in is all you need as the green stuff will give the joint extra strength.

If you feel you can then cut the head off and reattach it, then you can have the back and butt flat bit's alined and turn the head to face the direction you want.

[Fabian]

@ Balgy, it's looking great so far

@ Bungle, you're a sensible and lucky man.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Remove the glue and just a spot in each hole the pin is in is all you need as the green stuff will give the joint extra strength.

Easier said than done (I've carved off some glue already, down to the metal I reckon). I don't reckon the glue's pushing them apart. Since I ahd to carve both surfaces the edges are lower than the centres, sort of a convex curve. You know how you carve it down at the edges and then try to get the middle down now it's a smaller obstacle. I think I've almost got the edges down to where I want/need them to be but now the middles are proving annoying.

If you feel you can then cut the head off and reattach it

Woah, deathwish two thousadn and seven! If I did that I'd have to resculpt her china nd all sorts (plus with clippers you never get a clean cut as you always destroy one part since they join in a V shape so I'd have huge gouges on her head, face and hair, or gourget).

What I'd really need to do is turn her upper bosy so that it's not twisted in the opposite direction to her hips. I also think the point eneds lowering 'till it almost touches the belt. If I leave the pistol on then she's not tournament legal (doesn't bother me now but it might later) since you're "not allowed to change the weaponry the model has" and leaving it on would count as "adding" an extra weapon (not allowed). I just really don't think I could be arsed to try and carve it off 'though (but deciding wether or not to do it has been a great exuse to avoid the greenstuff filling around the main joint so she's been in this state for two or three months now).

[Bungle]

If I leave the pistol on then she's not tournament legal (doesn't bother me now but it might later) since you're "not allowed to change the weaponry the model has" and leaving it on would count as "adding" an extra weapon (not allowed). I just really don't think I could be arsed to try and carve it off 'though (but deciding wether or not to do it has been a great exuse to avoid the greenstuff filling around the main joint so she's been in this state for two or three months now).

???

Only a problem in WYSIWYG games....

Sad to spoil a beautiful figure for the sake of an uncooperative opponent. Do you play in many tournaments?

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Do you play in many tournaments?

Nope :). And I have the badly painted default "stunt double" version in case anyone gets stroppy and would they really play against a crud* paintjob that, compared to the rest of my force is clearly an insult to them, or against a beautifuly painted figure?  :icon_w00t:

[Balgin Stondraeg]

I've repositioned her waist a few weeks ago and even took some photo's back then but haven't summoned up the energy to post them yet. With the recent swathe of photo's I'm feeling more inspired and so might put up the updated pictures (no putty yet).

[Bungle]

Looking foward to seeing how it has developed.

[Custom_Hobby]

Any updated pics Balgin?

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Yeah but I'm a bit sleepy so I haven't trimmed off the edges much. No putty yet, the focus is on the realignment of the waist. I might reposition the left arm further back a bit too.