Color Harmony

Here's another set of comparison images shot using the Foldio studio.

These are the typical blue/white fade, which continue to look very interesting on that backdrop.

The base was created for an example at Reapercon a few years ago...

Now for the other backdrop, also from Hangar 18.

I may still try to shoot a few more sets with other backdrops that have been set aside for a while.

They are definitely small enough to fit inside the Foldio booth without any trimming.  Stay tuned!

The testing continues!

Here's another round of tests on the Foldio Studio.

These images were shot using my old setup, which I have determined should be used for large scale things such as group shots and terrain.

They were taken using my normal three light arrangement... one from above, and one from each side.

These three lights tend to eliminate the shadows cast by the other lights, depending on the pose of the figure in question.

I bring this up now, because the following set of images will demonstrate the advantages of the new Foldio studio.  The ability to raise or lower the intensity of the lights turned out to be a much bigger advantage than I anticipated.

My previous attempts at using these mottled backdrops had a tendency to burn out the middle tones of the figures.  The faded, misty backdrops did this a little less, but I wondered if the intensity pf my lights could be causing this.

I tried to move the lights further away from the figures, but that led to more shadows being created, both on the figure and on the backdrop.  You will notice here that no such shadows occurred with the Foldio.

Since I could dim the lights, I had a better chance to avoid that burnout effect on the mid tones.  Instead of moving lights around, I could tone down the brightness of the lights, and not add those shadows.

There's a variety of reasons I wanted to use these backdrops.  First, I hoped to create more of a theme with my images, but there was another practical matter.

Sometimes the figure I am trying to photograph has a great deal of the cyan, or sky blue color.  This tends to make the figure blend into the backdrop.  Many of the figures I have painted with the blue glow run into this issue to some degree.

It would be the same as if I were photographing the RJ-1027 glow on a reddish backdrop.

She's also here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/221869391843?

A side by side of two backdrops, with the one on the left having been done with the Foldio setup.

By the Comet's Light

In my world, the Old Worlde still exists, and that includes the jungles of Lustria!

In that jungle resides Tette 'Ekko, or Baby Babo, as I always referred to him.

That was a scratch built figure that always went with my Skrox army.  Yes, tons of skinks and Kroxigors!!  This close up shows the Skink Tank.  Back in the day, this unit could take down monsters on the charge with its poison javelins.

I had a number of these "Skrox" units, which I called my foot cavalry.  They moved almost as rapidly as some heavy cavalry.

The regular small units would each have a little surprise inside... some kind of skink chief with a sneaky weapon, etc.

It was Baby Babo's job to drop down comets from the heavens.  I would often choose to re-roll the entry of the comet, so that its delay increased its power!

There are a few articles on the blog which shows some WIP images of Baby Babo, along with dozens more on the various skink units.  Check out some of the battle reports to see them in action!!!

A Rumble in the Jungle

As I compile more of the large format Hangar 18 backdrops, I am offered more and more opportunities for these types of "glory" shots, as I like to call them.

I have a new 16 x 23 green/grey backdrop, and I have been itching to have it for a while.  The brown/grey misty backdrop has been great for Wild West Exodus, but it is too desert or wasteland in appearance for a jungle setting.  Also, that backdrop didn't match the hills I had created.

You can see what a nice blend this new backdrop is!!  Perfect!

The next color I need to secure is more of a misty concrete blend that will work for sci-fi shots, or even Zombie invasions!

For now, it is the reign of Saurus and skink!!

This unit always made me very sad.  As most of you who know how I roll dice, you would not be shocked to hear that they went 'stupid' on me five turns in a row in a single game.  A bit like falling down the stairs juggling chainsaws while trying to prevent a nuclear fission cascade while also baking a cake.  And setting fire to a winning lottery ticket.

In any case, it was fun to set up a few of these shots at long last.  Once I secure the greyish backdrop and finish off one key piece of terrain, I will be able to do more 40k style glory shots!

I'm also going to shoot images of the Engines of the Gods, the Temple Guard unit, and the Carnosaur on the new backdrop individually.  There are a few new Lizard monsters under way which will also be very nice in this Hangar 18 backdrop.

Stay tuned, as I show some massed amounts of skinks on the next series of images!  And be sure to check out Hangar 18 photo backdrops...

Turning over a new leaf

On this Reaper figure, I thought I would test out yet another new foliage that I purchased from Hangar 18.  In fact, it was a combination of the 'new', and the 'old', which is my Mica flake leaf technique that you have seen me employ in the past.

I was hoping to combine these two items on the big Scale 75 elf ranger diorama.  The majority of the 'leaves' will be bulked in with the Vallejo Mica Flake Gel.

This leaf and grass combination will provide the more 3D texture over the top of some of those Mica Flake piles.  It was fairly easy to match the colors.

She's also here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/321839236637?

Here we have the two together.  You can peruse the basing section of the blog to find a number of posts showing the use of the Mica Flake gel.

Cutting through the skies

Before I took the pictures of the Razorwing on the brown/gray backdrop, I wondered if the warm colors would be too close in hue to the reds and orange of the vehicle.

Fortunately, there was a enough cooler gray colors to present a tiny bit of subtle contrast.  The diffused lights and darks also reflected the nature of the freehand, which would brighten and fade across the surface of the Razorwing.

I forgot how much fun I had on the mosaic tile base!  Most of the other ones that I made for the army were very small.  Here's a link to some of those images:

http://wappellious.blogspot.com/2013/04/miniaturized-version-of-mosaic-tiles.html

More views from above... every time I see this view, I am reminded to just how broad the surface of the wings was!!

One last time... then on to the raider!

Now this is fun to see!

The promised group shots of the Venoms!  I was really itching to see these!

I could not believe how everything fit so comfortably on the Hangar 18 backdrop.

I know I have never had a chance to see everything together like this.

Then I threw in the objective markers...

And then did a "ground level" shot, which was impossible before, since my other backdrops could not cover something as tall as the Archon's venom.

So, I thought, would there be room for the passengers as well?

Sure enough!!!

A little closer.

On the other side.

One more shot... much more to come!!