Feedback for a Gnome

[TobiWan]

Hi!

I\'d like to hear some more feedback on one of my Confontration familiars.
I know I could wait and be patient but what the strawberry juice.

I\'d especially like to know if you\'d - too - consider it as less than 7 and why?

- small and numerous pics
- close-ups

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

 

[Chrispy]

Well, I think the problem is is that it looks a bit too glossy. No matter how well you paint, it seems if the figure gets too shiny, people don\'t think much of it. It\'s not you\'r fault, it\'s theirs... I think the mini looks great, and I know how Rackham Familiars can be.

 

[finn17]

The painting is fine...

I really think you have bought out almost everything this sculpt has to offer. The trouble is, it doesn\'t have a lot to offer in the first place. It\'s one of those minis(and there are a lot) that has a \'glass ceiling\' with regard to votes. I would defy almost anyone to get much above 7.5 with this sculpt. But as my esteemed colleague said, \"that\'s not your fault\".:flip:

 

[TobiWan]

Thank you.
While I\'m writing is, the big shot is a pretty 6.1 - although 9 votes doesn\'t say very much.
The only thing which I really hate about this fact is that any half-bottomed (I didn\'t use the other word, so that it can\'t be mistaken as referring to a 4-legged creature of infinite intelligence ) straight out of the box Space Marine with a thumbnail pic, mold lines, highlights as broad as my thumb and a bare base will score higher than that.
I mean the gnome isn\'t an ugly sculpt - it just doesn\'t have Ultramarine iconography and a bolter! :~(

I\'m not painting to get a good score but some things just seem a little ridiculous.

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

 

[finn17]

Tobiwan, you have my sympathy...

The thing is, this site is accessible by anyone, and anyone can vote. So, your average 12 year old has just come home from a few hours indoctrination at \'Camp Games Workshop\' during the school holidays and hits this site instantly voting a 1 on anything non GW, whilst giving a 10 to the sort of appalling crap you just mentioned.

It happens. It\'s unfair, but you can\'t really judge your vote IMO until it has gone over the 100 mark.

 

[TobiWan]

Hey, this really gave me a good lough. :bouncy:
Just like a funny vegetable, to tell The Truth - if you catch my meaning.

Well, my average 12 year old will have empty pockets after Boot Camp GW and you really can\'t demand of him to pay the online costs for taking a close look at something that is non GW!!! lol

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

 

[finn17]

You may be interested to know...

Originally posted by TobiWan
The only thing which I really hate about this fact is that any half-bottomed (I didn\'t use the other word, so that it can\'t be mistaken as referring to a 4-legged creature of infinite intelligence ) straight out of the box Space Marine with a thumbnail pic, mold lines, highlights as broad as my thumb and a bare base will score higher than that.TobiWan

In England we make a clear distinction between arse and ass and only the latter has four legs. This is not a universal distinction however, so you are still scroodlollol

Actually \'half -bottomed\' is probably a far better term as it does remove any ambiguity.:bouncy:

 

[Ovus The Peon]

In my uneducated opinion

First of all, that rock rocks.

Second of all, I don\'t want to criticize too much because I might want to ask you how you did some things on the base.

Third of all, the face is too dark. I have to really concentrate to tell that it is a face. And when I have to concentrate....well, let\'s just say I better be gettin\' paid for it, that\'s all.

 

[TobiWan]

Originally posted by Ovus The Peon
First of all, that rock rocks.

Second of all, I don\'t want to criticize too much because I might want to ask you how you did some things on the base.

Third of all, the face is too dark. I have to really concentrate to tell that it is a face. And when I have to concentrate....well, let\'s just say I better be gettin\' paid for it, that\'s all.

The rock - at least I can do some drybrushing.

Please don\'t restrain yourself from saying what you like - or obviously don\'t like int this case - about the mini. It doesn\'t take me anywhere if I read comments like \"Rul0r! The world is a happy bun! More sugar in my coke!\".

I know that I\'ve a quite dark painting style for faces and this one seems to be no exception but it\'s still recognizable - at least in my opinion. The main problem while painting the face was that this mini is tiny - it isn\'t as easy as painting a Space Marine head, to be back on this line of comparisons again.
If you look at this mini in reality the dark areas don\'t show up too much - the big pic I\'ve posted is really really big (Surprising, isn\'t it ).
To me the face doesn\'t feel wrong because it is naturally shaded by the hood and the stone he carries and to paint the whole area too bright just didn\'t feel right to me in the aspect of light and shadows.

I\'d really like hear another opinion on this matter and especially any further stuff you thought you didn\'t want to see till now.

Ovus - Why didn\'t you ask how I did whatever things you mean on the base?

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

 

[supervike]

Blanchitsu

I believe it does definately have a \'John Blanche\' feel to it.

I like the earthy colors and the overall darkness.

The problem you may have (with the voting) is that people might not realize actually how small it really is. I know you put up the 20mm measure, but I still think people will miss that.

I think it looks very nice, as I am a big fan of Blanche, and like the look. There is a richness and depth of color that a brighter, more defined mini wouldn\'t have. Nice work.

 

[Mengu]

Well, to tell you the truth, when I looked at it first, I was trying to see *where* the gnome was... It was like playing I-spy for a little bit. And eventually I found his face. I\'m not sure what could be done to change that. If your first shot was straight from the front of the miniature, it may help that matter, and then you could provide the two side shots. That might improve the score, because I\'m sure there is people who are like me and for the 2 seconds it takes them to judge the mini, it gets a 5 because they can\'t figure out what it is.

And I agree, regardless of the paint job it is not going to be a super high scoring mini.

ps. Now that I know what it is, I can\'t confuse myself and make the face disappear again, isn\'t that odd...

 

[TobiWan]

Thank you, supervike. The John Blanche style is a pretty tough one because it just doesn\'t feel right to paint nearly white highlights - but in the end it comes out nice.

Mengu, I really can\'t figure out how one actually can\'t find the gnome in the pic. I mean the face is flesh-coloured, so this should be discernable? ???
My first shot were the small pics with a front shot - but a front shot of this mini just isn\'t impressive (or even less impressive than the rest of it).

I really can\'t see the old man\'s face/naked lady confusion effect this mini seems to have on you.

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

 

[Sand Rat]

Originally posted by TobiWan
I really can\'t see the old man\'s face/naked lady confusion effect this mini seems to have on you.
TobiWan

I think that is part of the problem, o TobiWan - you have spent a great deal of time crafting the mini to the point it is at (an 8 in my opinion, for what that is worth) and are looking at it with those eyes. In my opinion, the sculpt is only so-so and only adds to the confusion people here are experiencing, but since you have lived with the piece as it were, you are better aquainted with it and can see all the features the rest of us are confused about.

 

[Nomis]

I\'ve got the (unpainted) mini in front of me and really appreciate the skill you have used here - these familiars are really tiny!

The big problem I have with your paint job is the glossy finish which detracts from the effectiveness of your shading/highlighting. I would really like to see it after a good coat of matt varnish before making any other comment.

 

[finn17]

Steelcult has hit the nail on the head

This is NOT a criticism of your painting skills, but steelcult is absolutely right.

To the naive voter your mini is simply a \'grey thing\' on top of a \'gold thing\'.

That is not a criticism. I am familiar with that familiar and I can see the work that has gone into it.
But, the majority of people wont.

 

[TobiWan]

Ah, well, I can see what you mean. Happens.

Well, about the glossy finish - this is actually GW\'s matte sealer, but I just such a thing for the first time and applied too much at once I think??? Did it become that glossy because I sprayed a whole liquid film on it before it dried?

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

 

[Sand Rat]

Originally posted by TobiWan
Ah, well, I can see what you mean. Happens.

Well, about the glossy finish - this is actually GW\'s matte sealer, but I just such a thing for the first time and applied too much at once I think??? Did it become that glossy because I sprayed a whole liquid film on it before it dried?

Have a nice day,
TobiWan

I would say that it did - try several light layers rather than hosing it down like its on fire.

Course, I use a gloss sealer because everything gets played with.