Knight Models Logan aka Wolverine [Completed]

First glimpsed in Marvel's 1974 comic The Incredible Hulk #180 and then premiering in a full appearance an issue later (#181), James Howlett aka Logan aka Wolverine has since become a firm favourite for many comic book fans, yours truly included. You just gotta love his leave me the hell alone and go [bleep] yourself attitude. I was pleased to finally get the chance to paint him for my Marvel Universe miniature project. Not sure if I did it justice but I certainly had a lot of fun trying.  

Knight Models Logan aka Wolverine

Those adamantium claws are looking pretty sharp

There was actually a few firsts or sorts for me in the painting of this miniature, chiefly among those are the denim texture, cotton singlet texture, skin tones incorporating veins (more of this later in the post) and also forearm hair. Yup, you read that right ... forearm hair. With more experience under my belt, I felt more confident tackling this hair-raising challenge (groan). For this attempt, I mixed hair colour with the skin tone colour and painted very light strokes on the forearm. It helps to think of forearm hair more in terms of texture rather than individual strands. I also applied skin tone glazes in patches to mute the forearm hair colours - in places where my strokes were a tad too heavy-handed.   

Hugh Jackman's ... errr Logan's forearm hair might be sexy to girls but it was a pain to get right

Knight Models Logan aka Wolverine (back view)

As part of my goal to improve my painting, I diverged from my usual skin tone recipes and added some greens and blues to the mix in order to simulate the existence of green and blue veins under our skin. However, the green and blue hues I added aren't very noticable in the photos partly due to the lighting. Additionally, I tried to apply the shadows, mid-tones and highlights in such a way that hint at a very buff physique ala Hugh Jackman, the actor that plays Wolverine in the movies.

Skin tones with the addition of green and blue hues

Due to the way Logan's forehead was sculpted and the downward angle of his head, the left eye was covered partly in shadows in most of the photos. To get a better view of Logan's eyes, I took a photo from a slightly different angle (see below). I was feeling a bit 'out of it' when painting Logan's eyes, so they are definitely not one of my better works. Might still revisit them to paint the pupils smaller but for now I am too lazy to make any changes. Moreover they actually look way more decent up close in real life as opposed to the magnified photo of a DSLR macro lens shot. Just saying, that's all. 

A different angle of Logan's face, which has a better view of the eyes

Logan's hair was painted black although on occasion I thought they looked more brownish than black in the movies while the claws were given just a black wash and highlighted to simulate sharp blades. Adamantium - in the movies - to me has a very simple clean look to them and as such I felt that it needed only a black wash and did not require additional washes such as blue or purple.

Denim jeans goes best with a white top

Biceps, triceps ... all buffed up like Hugh Jackman

All in all I am pretty contended with the results. If push comes to shove, I guess I could do further work on the white singlet, the borders between the skin and singlet, the eyes and yet more contrast to the skin. But being a minimalist (call me Mr. IKEA why don't you) I always try not to overpaint.

Belt buckle isn't entirely accurate as the original is supposed to be yellowish-orange like gold

Knight Models Logan (Front view)

360 view of Knight Model's Logan aka Wolverine
For a 360 degree view of the Knight Model Logan 1/28th scale miniature, please check out the video below. For other videos, do check out my YouTube channel FourEyedMonster Miniatures. Be sure to choose the high definition (HD) option when viewing the YouTube videos for maximum quality.

Thanks for following my progress on Logan, the second piece in my Marvel Universe miniature painting project. Have yourself a good weekend, and may your brushes always be pointy.

Knight Models Logan [WIP - Base and Clothing]

What was supposed to be easy progress on Knight Models Logan miniature instead served up one of the hardest challenges I have faced as a miniature painter. I had inexplicably - against my usual practice - painted the white singlet without using a photo reference. After patting myself on the back for a job well done in getting smooth whites for the singlet, I then stared in open-mouthed horror as I realised the white singlet actually has a lined-texture to it. An uber facepalm moment for sure.

Knight Models Logan - WIP base and clothing

Wolverine's white singlet which was used as reference for painting

Starting from zero again, I was then perplexed by how to get a white singlet to show texture. In the end, I settled for a hint of the texture. To achieve that, I painted fine lines of light grey on the white singlet and then layered on a very thin wash of white to mute the overall effect. Admittedly, the end-result isn't as good as it should be but at least it wasn't a total failure. In fact, I had actually painted in a random mixture of blue, purple and black washes for the singlet's shadows but it all came to naught as my efforts in painting the texture caused the shadows to look largely greyish in the end.

Base completed with drybrushing and also some grass glued on

Shadows on the white singlet were kept subtle

Back view of Knight Models Logan (WIP Base & Clothing)

Both Logan's belt and shoes were painted to simulate leather - light brown leather for the former and dark brown leather for the latter. Meanwhile, work on the base was also very stratightforward and invloved some simple drybrushing followed by the gluing of some patches of grass.

Much work lies ahead - Logan's skin, face, hair and claws

Belt was painted to depict light brown leather with shoes as dark brown leather

At this stage, there have been no 'special effects' such as blood or dirt painted on the clothing. But I am still undecided as to whether to even paint such effects as I kinda like how a pristine Logan looks ala The Wolverine movie posters. Next up will be the most difficult phase of the Knight Models Logan miniature, the painting of his skin, face and hair. So please stay tuned for that. Peace out. 

Knight Models Logan [WIP - Denim jeans]

Depending on how you approach the Knight Models Logan 1/28th scale model kit - either as a beginner painter or one with some experience under his or her belt - this fantastically detailed metal miniature puts up its own unique challenges. If you are new to miniature painting, then the limited colour pallette required - blue, white, flesh tones, silver metallic, and black - should make things less complicated as a first project. But if you are an experienced miniature painter, then this is actually a very difficult figure to paint well due to its simplicity. Confused? Please read on to see what I mean.

Knight Models Logan, work-in-progress on his denim jeans

If you were using Logan as one of your first projects as miniature painter, then a simple basecoat of blue for the jeans, white for the singlet, flesh colours for the hands and face, black for the hair, shoes and perhaps the base, metallic silver for the blades and military tag and then tying it all up with some washes should give you a fairly decent result. However, if like me you have had some projects under your belt and are seeking to improve your skills, then it becomes a whole different ball game.   

Trial and error gave me the overall denim colour that I wanted

By the very nature of its simplicity, the Knight Models Logan metal miniature can only stand out if the painting process takes into consideration the various textures - be it denim jeans, leather shoes, cotton singlet, flesh with prominent veins, etc - is accurately depicted. The simple colour scheme will inevitably force one's eye to pay that little bit more attention to these textures and how well they are painted. So for the miniature to really 'pop', the jeans, singlet and skin tones in particular have to look ultra realistic - something easier said than done as it always hardest to paint the simple things well. 

Best angle in which to view the painted texture on the denim jeans

Interestingly enough, my preoccupation with texture for this miniature stems partly from my experiences when drawing concept sketches for my sculpting projects. When drawing, I am particularly vexed time and again on how to depict a texture by use of just pencils and tonal values. It has made me approach miniature painting in a whole new way. When I look at surfaces to paint, I now no longer look purely at colours but also textures in order to achieve the next level of realism. 

Shadows and highlights were subtly painted to prevent them overpowering the denim texture

Back view of Logan's denim jeans

Creases on the jeans were a bit of a challenge to paint

First up for the Knight Models Logan miniature was to paint Logan's jeans so that it accurately portrays the texture of denim. Online materials for denim texture are abundant making it easy for me to compile my favourites into a composite photo (see below) to serve as a reference point when painting the jeans. In a nutshell, I tried using some cross-hatching paint strokes to mimic the texture.

Case study of various denim textures I sought to replicate

Before painting began proper for this minaiture, I was fortunate enough to achieve a smooth primer coat this time around. If you have been following my progress as a miniature painter, you would know that on occasion I have encountered fairly rough primer coats. I am not sure if the extremely hot and dry weather that the city has been experiencing has had a hand in this because I assume such heat would remove some humidity from the atmosphere and improve the priming process.

Finally a good primer coat

Anyway, thanks for following my progress on the latest miniature in my Marvel Universe project. I hope to get more work done on Logan over the coming weeks, along with other projects on my work table which includes among others Red Riding Hood, a knight from a noble house in Westeros, possibly some W40K stuff as well as more concept sketches for my sculpting project.

Logan assembled and more work on Hulk's skin tone

As I try out different skin tones for The Hulk, I decided to proceed with my Marvel Universe painting project by completing the assembly of the Knight Models Logan white metal miniature.The pose adopted by this miniature closely resembles Logan as seen in the movie titled 'The Wolverine'.

Knight Models Logan, fully assembled

Assembly of this metal miniature was relatively easy except for the claws on Logan's hands. The thin blade's small surface area made gluing them to the hands a challenge. But that was solved by using a combination of sodium bicarbonate and super glue, a topic I touched upon in an earlier post. 

Logan's pose seems to be based on the movie 'The Wolverine'

After being attached, the joints of some parts needed to be filled in with green stuff to smooth out the flesh sculpture. It wouldn't do to have any gaping holes that would break the illusion of real flesh.

Using green stuff to helped smooth out the flesh sculpture

Figuring out the colour scheme for Logan is a no-brainer as he should be clad in a white singlet and jeans which are either the traditional blue or maybe in black or dark grey colours. But it's the simple colour schemes that are the most difficult to paint because the very nature of its simplicity makes any painting errors more painfully obvious to the naked eye. Moreover, it's tough to make simple colour schemes look interesting. But as Barney Stinson would say ... 'Challenge Accepted'. After all, isn't failure only a six-letter word? Sticks and stones, and all that jazz.    

Cool pose on Logan's right arm as it's in mid-motion

Meanwhile, I have managed to get some work done on the remaining two gretchins to try and get as close as possible to The Hulk skin tone as seen in the Sideshow Collectibles figure. For these two gretchins, I went with a highlight that incorporated a very light flesh colour. Additionally, the gretchins were finished off with a very diluted wash comprising dirty green/flesh mixture. Both the gretchins' pants looked rather flat so I might repaint them if I decide to complete the whole 'Ork Heavy Support' set which would entail painting two Big Gunz - one for each pair of Gretchins. 

Hulk skin tone experiment on Ork Gretchins continues

Grime and verdigris on the shell means it will likely explode in the Big Gunz

Not much contrast work was done on the pants as both minis were skin tone practice pieces

Skin tone on the left figure was smoother because it was prepared with a black undercoat vs white on the right

Resulting colours were still a little too green but the highlights were much closer to the Sideshow Collectibles Hulk figure. This means if I wish to paint skin tone in a similar vein to the Sideshow Collectibles figure, I will have to use the current highlight as a mid-tone and look for a brighter shade for the final highlights. But the increased chalkiness that comes with adding pale flesh-like colours into the final highlights might require me to compromise and settle for a greener skin tone overall.

Sideshow Collectibles Hulk skin tone versus my Gretchin test skin tone

If you look closely enough, a comparison to my earlier gretchin test subjects (located on the extreme right and left of the foursome below) will show you that the latest two gretchins I painted sport a much lighter/paler shade of green. Effects are reasonably subtle but it's there. 

Ork Gretchins stand ready to man the Big Gunz

Gretchins on the extreme left and right are from an earlier Hulk skin tone experiment

As I dabble with assembling Logan and practising Hulk's skin tone, I am also close to finishing the paint jobs of Ser Gregor Clegane and a knight from House Baratheon (Renly version) in my Game of Thrones project. Once completed, I will be able to start on a knight from a yet to be decided Westeros House as well as a paint job conversion of an Ax Faction miniature into a wilding. Additionally, work will begin on a beautiful Nocturna Models miniature called Le Petit Chaperon i.e. either paint her as Red Riding Hood or convert her into Marvel's Black Widow, who is after all the master of disguises. On top of all that, I hope to start painting some W40K stuff again. Phew ... do stay tuned!

Baking soda ... a boon from the hobby gods

Gluing very tiny parts with small surface areas to a figure or model kit is one of my main pet peeves as a miniature hobbyist. At best of times it requires a huge test of patience, a trait that I do not have in abundance. In a worse case scenario, the very thought of having to get a tiny part to bond strongly at a correct position/angle is enough to put me off the figure or model kit in question. A crying shame considering how some cool miniatures require you to work with extremely small parts.

Pure baking soda or otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate

A recent project i.e. Knight Models Logan (aka Wolverine) threw up the very challenge that I dreaded as it involved gluing thin blades to Logan's hand. Solution to my fears? Pure baking soda.

Attaching Logan's claws was made easier with the baking soda-super glue combo

Now baking soda (otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate) is usually used with cyanoacrylate glues (in my case Shellys Supa Glue) to create a hard but lightweight adhesive filler. Based on this concept, I was mainly interested in two characteristics that this mixture has namely a very fast bonding time (almost instantly) and the relative strong bond that is created. Both characteristics appealed to me, especially the first one, as a longer bonding time when dealing with tiny parts will invariably result in the said part not adhering correctly to the figure/model kit. A faster bonding time is always preferred.

When mixed together, pure baking soda and super glue form a strong bond that hardens almost instantaneously

It is important that you use pure baking soda and not those that have been mixed with flour. It shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of as I got mine from a wet market of all places. As to the actual process, what I found worked best for me involved the following steps:

1. Place a small drop of super glue on the figure/model kit
2. Dip the tiny part into the pure baking soda so that some sticks to the end that you want to glue
3. Attach the tiny part to the figure/model kit and hold carefully in place for about 2 seconds

Warning: The steps above prevent your fingers from coming into direct contact with the mixture which releases heat when reacting with each other.

And there you have it. An effective way to glue tiny parts on to your miniature figure or model kit. For me, pure baking soda is certainly a time saver and manna from the hobby heavens.

Gretchin as guinea pigs for Hulk and a look at Logan

In addition to my ongoing work on Iron Man, I plan to start painting the Knight Models The Hulk white metal model kit soon. But before a single drop of paint is applied to The Hulk, I will need to figure out the proper green skin tone to use. To help me with that will be four little gretchins, half of which is primed in white while the other half is in black.  In theory, these gretchins should allow me to try painting slight variations of The Hulk's skin tone on both a dark and bright undercoat.  

Gretchins primed in white and black

One Hulk skin tone version that I am considering can be described as pastel-like pale green, akin to what can be seen in 'The Avengers' movie's version of The Hulk. In this version, the greens are much more subdued compared to the traditional bright green colours one tends to associate The Hulk with.

The Hulk from the recent Avengers movie

Another slightly paler skin version is that of The Hulk figure from Sideshows Collectibles which seems to have more flesh colours mixed in with the green skin, or more flesh undertones to be precise. Not what one would call the traditional Hulk skin colour but it looks kinda cool to me and much more realistic in a way. However, pulling this version off would be much harder.

The Hulk from Sideshow Collectibles

With work on The Hulk at the 'guinea pig stage' another Knight Models miniature from its Marvel Universe line will likely take centre stage. To commemorate the recent release of 'The Wolverine' in Blu-ray and DVD, I will be painting Logan. It has been a while since I tackled human flesh skin tones so I will need brush off the rustiness that has set in. Also the Logan miniature will require me to paint textures to simulate the fabric found in jeans. That's going to be a big ask for me.

Hugh Jackman in the latest 2013 Wolverine movie

Knight Models Logan aka The Wolverine

Logan unoboxed - it looks to be a fairly simple model to put together

So the gretchins mean I will be working with W40K miniatures again after a very long hiatus. Should be a fun little diversion from my current painting projects. With the new year just around the corner, the paint jobs of Iron Man, a House Baratheon knight, a Nocturna Models figure as a proxy for Ser Gregor Clegane and Abbadon the Despoiler remain at various stages of completion. Meawnhile, Other stuff include the use of an Ax Faction miniature (Giant Hunter) as a proxy for a wilding in the Game of Thrones (GoT) universe as well as Nocturna Models miniatures for GoT, Marvel and other movie character paint job conversions. So much to paint and so little time. It's going to be a fun 2014.