Behind the Scenes: Knight Models The Hulk

Soon to appear more regularly in the Shire Works blog are a series of posts showcasing a behind the scenes look at the work that goes into a miniature; from assembly all the way to its fully painted stage. We begin this series with the Marvel Universe miniature from Knight Models i.e. The Hulk. Even at 1/28th scale this resin model kit is huge, measuring in at roughly 90 mm in width and height. From the resin parts supplied, either a Red, Green or Grey Hulk can be assembled. In this case, the more well known Green Hulk was our choice.

Knight Models The Hulk, separate resin parts prior to assembly

To remove possible coating of release agents, resin parts are washed and left to dry

Be it resin or metal miniatures, it is always advisable to wash the separate parts prior to assembly. This helps to remove 'release agents' that could be coating the miniature, which in turn prevents acrylic paint from adhering properly to the surface. (Note: Release agents are chemicals used to separate the resin/metal miniature from its mould) 

The Hulk assembled with Super Glue after its individual parts have dried

Some putty (green stuff) is used to fill some small gaps found in the miniature

After The Hulk was assembled, some putty, or green stuff, was used to fill noticeable gaps in the miniature. If done correctly, the putty would seem like part of the miniature itself after a layer of primer coat has been applied. (Please check out the previous blog post for a quick tip on priming as this particular stage is not shown for The Hulk). Following the application of a coat of primer, The Hulk's skin is painted up in progressively smoother and lighter greens.  

Hulk Skin Tone Step 1: After priming and a basecoat of dark green

Hulk Skin Tone Step 2: Adding a midtone of olive-like green

Hulk Skin Tone Step 3: Adding highlights (bright greens bordering on yellow) and smoothening out colour transitions

Next was painting of The Hulk's torn-up pants to resemble the texture of denim. This involved using blue and grey acrylic paints as well as a blue wash. Blue paints of varying hues laid down a foundation of the jean's general colour. Meanwhile, the blues mixed with greys were applied in crosshatch-like brush strokes to mimic denim texture as well as applied on the raised folds of the jeans to indicate highlights. For a more detailed look at how The Hulk's pants were painted as denim jeans, please click here.    

The Hulk with his blue denim jeans

Last but not least, details on The Hulk's face, the boulder on his right hand and the base he is standing on was painted to finish up the paint job. Both the boulder and base were painted primarily using dry brushing techniques while the face was delicately painted using very fine Kolinsky Sable brushes which are well suited to highly detailed work. To cap off the entire colour scheme, The Hulk's hair was painted in a very dark shade of green.

The Hulk (Knight Models), completed

For a 360 degrees view of The Hulk, please click on the YouTube video below. Please don't forget to choose the HD quality option for the best view of this Knight Models miniature in its completed form. The Hulk was painted by Shire Works' resident painter Kuan Hua aka FourEyedMonster whose personal blog showcasing his work can be seen on this link.

This wraps up our first post of the brand new series. Do keep a lookout for more in the future as we take turns peeking behind the scenes at miniatures from the Knight Models, Nocturna Models and Ax Faction product lines. If you are interested in any of the three brands stated, please visit the respective products tabs shown in the bar below the banner.

Quick Tips: Priming a metal miniature

Following an earlier blog post on working with metal miniatures - specifically Knight Models Loki - here now is a short piece on what to do with your figure after you have assembled and prepped it. Right after the prepping stage, the model looks rather messy with the glue residues near its joints and the green stuff used to sculpt Loki's foot brace as well as elbow joints. But fret not. Applying a layer of primer coat on (or priming) the miniature will not only remove such eyesores but also allow acrylic paint to stick to it. Acrylic paint does not adhere well to neither metal nor resin hence the need for a thin layer of primer coat.   

The Tamiya Fine Surface Primer (Light Grey) was used to prime the metal Loki

To prime your miniature:
1. Shake the primer aerosol spray can vigorously for about one minute;
2. Hold the can upright about 20 cm away from the miniature;
3. Spray across the miniature in short light bursts;
4. Turn your miniature in between the bursts;
5. Stop spraying once a thin layer of primer coat has covered the miniature; and
6. Leave it to dry - how long depends on the weather so from a few hours to overnight. 

Knight Models Loki, after priming - a closeup view

For safety and proper working conditions:
1. Always spray in a well ventilated area; and
2. Protect the surrounding area from overspray e.g. by using old newspapers.

Knight Models Loki, after priming - front view

Primer coat removes all evidence of prepping

Knight Models Loki, after priming - back view

For a more detailed view of how a primed miniature looks, please click on the YouTube video below. It shows a 360 degree view of the Knight Models Loki after priming.

Once the primer coat has dried, you are now ready to paint the miniature using acrylic paints. For some ongoing miniature painting projects, please check out the blog site of Shire Works' own resident painter => http://foureyed-monster.blogspot.com/

Nocturna Models Battle Chick [Assembled; unpainted]

Part of Nocturna Models' Necrospace line, the Battle Chick is a 70-mm (1:28 scale) resin miniature that is synonymous with the Spanish company's exquisitely detailed figures. 

Nocturna Models Battle Chick, freshly assembled sans a paint job for now

Shown here fully assembled, the Nocturna Models Battle Chick actually comes in nine separate resin parts of varying sizes. Click here to see details of an unboxing of the mini. 

Going forward, progress on her paint job will be posted on Art and Musings of a Miniature Hobbyist which is the personal blog of Shire Works's in-house miniature painter.

The Battle Chick is currently available from Shire Works. For more information, please select the Nocturna Models product tab below the blog banner, click here or on the ad below.

More tips on working with metal miniatures - Assembling Loki from Knight Models

Working with metal miniatures can throw you challenges that seem insurmountable at first. But most of the time, any problems that arise can be easily solved using basic hobby tools such as (a) green putty (otherwise known as the sculptors epoxy putty), (b) a mini hand drill and (c) a pure baking soda-super glue combination that increases bonding strength.  

Knight Models Loki, assembled and ready for priming

Loki comes in both resin (throne) and metal parts (Loki himself). For an unboxing video of the Knight Models Loki and his step brother Thor, please click here.

Individual parts of Loki prior to assembly

In some cases, it's better to create more surface area for the separate parts to bond together with. This can be accomplished by using a mini hobby hand drill. For example, the drill can deepen a hole for the accompanying part to fit better as in Loki's horns to his helmet as well as the three pronged blade to the staff. The drill can also help in creating an indentation (which increases surface area) onto which a small part can be glued on e.g. Loki's ponytail to the back of his head. And for very small parts with equally small surface areas such as the pony tail, a special gluing combination will also help. 

Using a mini hand drill to deepen the hole in which the horns will slot into

Mini hand drill at work again, this time on the tip of Loki's staff

Making an indentation with the drill can also help small parts stick better e.g. Loki's ponytail to his head

On occasion - as it is for Loki - there are a lot of small parts which would be difficult to glue together using just super glue. In such situations, the use of a pure baking soda-super glue combination can result in a stronger bond between the parts. Before reading further, please click here first for more information on how to use this combination safely. The photos below show some examples of the combination in use to create much stronger bonds.

Using a Pure Baking Soda - Super Glue combination for stronger bonds

Using the Pure Baking Soda-Super Glue combo on areas with minimal surface contact for stronger bonds

Super glue and pure baking soda combo creates a strong bond between Loki's pony tail and his helmet

Gluing a piece of plastic sprue to the base to increase stability

With metal miniatures, sometimes you encounter parts leaving small gaps after being glued/joined together. This can be easily corrected using Green Stuff which is an epoxy putty that usually come in two separate stripes of blue and yellow (but not necessarily as a different brand might come in different colours). Use a hobby knife to cut out the required amount, and mix the two separate stripes together and knead until it turns a uniform green. You will then have roughly an hour or more to sculpt the resulting mixture before it hardens.   

Green stuff, or sculptors epoxy putty

As mentioned, Green Stuff is useful for plugging small gaps. It also can be used to sculpt stuff e.g. in Loki's case - an extension of the rocky throne for Loki's foot to rest on (see photo below). Much more detailed information on how to use Green Stuff can be easily accessed online by just Googling for 'Introduction to Green Stuff'.

Sculpting green stuff to resemble a foot rest carved out of rock on the throne

Small gaps in between the arm joints were filled with sculpted green stuff

A different angle of the green stuff used to plug the gaps in between the arm joints

Well, that's it for this brief tutorial on working with metal miniatures. For more on Loki and other 1/28th scale Marvel figures from Knight Models, please click on the ad banner below.

Catch the new Avengers movie and get a hankering for some old school Marvel miniatures

A long holiday weekend is upon us so make sure you take this opportunity to catch the latest Marvel Avengers movies blockbuster The Age of Ultron. In this latest installment, some of our superheroes get new uniform and armour upgrades while others remain fairly unchanged. While the new stuff does look good, you can't beat the 'old school classics'.

To satisfy any carvings of the Marvel uniforms and/or armour of yesteryear, look no further than the Knight Models 1/28th scale Marvel miniatures. Comprising either white metal alloy or high quality resin, the photos shown below are of fully painted miniatures. However, the miniatures on sale in Shire Works are supplied unpainted and will require assembly. 

Captain America (White metal model kit)

Iron Man Special Edition (White metal model kit)

Thor (White metal model kit)

The Hulk with 3 head options (Resin model kit)

Loki (White metal model kit)

For more details and prices on the 1/28th scale miniatures above (and many other superheroes from the Marvel universe), please click on the blog ad banner below.

Work-in-Progress shots [March 2015]

Below are work-in-progress photographs of some of the miniatures available from the Shire Works blogshop. It runs the gamut of all the product lines currently carried by us i.e. Knight Models, Nocturna Models and Ax Faction. All the miniatures are being painted by Shire Works's own in-house painter Kuan Hua aka FourEyedMonster whose personal hobby blog can be accessed through this link => foureyed-monster.blogspot.com. Each composite picture below can be clicked on to reveal a much detailed and larger version for better viewing.

Knight Models The Hulk [1/28th scale], work-in-progress

First up is the Knight Models The Hulk resin miniature with work done mainly on his skin tone and pants. The Hulk's pants painted to simulate a denim texture while work on is skin was the result of many hours of wet blending and layering in order to achieve a relatively smooth transition between the shadows and highlights. A 31-mm paperclip and the smallest coin in the Malaysian currency five sen coin is placed next to it for size comparison. 

Nocturna Models Akelarre Enchantment [1/28th scale], work-in-progress

Next is the Nocturna Models Akelarre Enchantment resin miniature whose paint job is inspired by the Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen. Progress to date has seen her clothes painted in light pastel colours while the dragon perched on her arm is in greenish hues. A lot of work lies ahead including but not limited to her skin tone, clothing accessories as well as more paint-hours to improve the contrast on her lightly coloured clothes.

Ax Faction Zombie Hunter [32-mm scale], work-in-progress

Last but not least is the smallest miniature of the bunch i.e. the Ax Faction Zombie Hunter. Work on his unique base has been completed while work is ongoing on the hunter's skin tone and bottom half of his torso. That leaves his billowing cloak, hair, eyes and weapon (double axe) as the main components yet to be painted. As with the other two work-in-progress miniatures, a paperclip and five sen coin is used to convey a sense of scale. 

Meanwhile, you can click on the blog ads above to reach the respective product line pages for info on stuff available to painters and collectors in Malaysia. If you wish to check out the ordering process to obtain a miniature of your own from Shire Works, please click here.