I can't find any of my painted minis for Battlefleet Gothic so this unpainted ship was pressed into early duty for these test pictures. I plan on making use of the various scales available for 40k-based games through the Specialist range and this is my first attempt at representing something that is supposed to be in space. The background seen in these photos was provided by my painting station and a plastic ball my daughter plays with so I'm confident it will look better with a proper backdrop and props.
They all work for me.
ReplyDeleteThe only suggestion I can think to make is that you find the biggest balls possible for planets, to give the best impression the ship is close and the planet is huge. That should also free you from needing most of the ball in shot and help avoid the shadow.
I'd be interested to see whether you could use 40K and Epic models together to suggest a fragment of a larger battle, or have a spaceship floating in the sky behind a scene, just like in the old John Blanche paintings.
That's an awesome idea, thank you! I hadn't considered mixing the differently scaled miniatures within the same photo but that would be so cool to see if I could do it well. I would really like to have a spaceship looming above the main action. John Blanche did have the craziest approach, it's amazing to think how much influence he's had on our hobby.
ReplyDeleteThank you also for the recommendation regarding these spaceship photos and my stand-in planet. That is too funny about the planet's shadow, I suppose I need better lighting than just my little painting lamp. Hmm, bigger planets and better lights... sounds like a good plan to me.
Perhaps however what you are seeing is in fact a warp-shadow or some other such 40k gobbledygook that let's me explain anything seemingly out of the ordinary. Yeah, that's the ticket. It's not caused by sloppy photography but is instead a psychically generated warp shadow which is only visible to heretics tainted by Chaos. I believe the Inquisition would like to have a word with you, Porky.... :)
Thanks again for the help, Porky, I really appreciate hearing from you. Take care, friend!
I can hear classical music whilst looking at those photos. Very nice :)
ReplyDeleteRegarding the planets,may I suggest that you go to an art shop where they sell polistyrene balls in various sizes and maybe cover it in polyfiller or something else. Then dry brush it, but not before pierced it with a pin to make it stand in midair. http://www.greatart.co.uk/WHITEPOLYSTYRENEBALLS-polystyrene-balls.htm
That might help you with your Odyssey...
Porky's big ball idea sounds much better!
ReplyDeleteI'm terribly sorry it has taken me so long to respond, Bartender. I'm embarrassed that I just got caught up and forgot to come back here, I apologize and want to let you know I really do appreciate receiving feedback from you.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing these ideas with me, I believe I will try out the polystyrene balls as you suggest. I was thinking of those when I first decided to take these pictures, I remember doing something similar a very long time ago for a school project about the Solar System. It would be funny to return to those craft skills I worked on back then. :) As I said in my response to Porky, I will try out his suggestion as well. At this point I am just happy to be experimenting and trying out different things.
Thanks again for all the ideas and advice you have passed on to me, it's great having such creative minds available to help me out. Thank you, Bartender!!