“Rudd Starslider” Space Smuggler

by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Steampunk, Uncategorized

This weeks figure is a Reaper model which goes by the name of “Rudd Starslider” a professional Space Smuggler.  A nice little figure and one I have had hanging around for quite a while.  Like a few of us it seems, I am trying to clear some of my ever growing backlog of figures which I bought but since neglected.

Although I have done a couple of little dioramas of late I am still missing the drive and inspiration for something which really takes my fancy.  In some ways it is a good thing.  As I have not lost the desire to paint I have decided to use the time to get some single figures done.  So far so good but in truth I have barely made a dent.

TIM

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30 thoughts on ““Rudd Starslider” Space Smuggler”

  2. nice model dave but a little subdued me feels, i want bright and lively and im not getting it, maybe we all need a break, i am away next week in lincoln for a few days, cant wait..

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  4. This is a nice sculpt and you did well painting it, as it looks like the cloth isn’t too detailed/has much relief, if you know that I mean. I do agree with Steve that a little more color would be great or maybe some of the colors are a bit too similar to each other. One other thought is that for a mini like this, you might try layering the highlights and shadows instead of using a wash for the shadows which doesn’t look as smooth/realistic. It does take a bit more time than using a wash but I use it all the time and it is one of my favorite painting techniques. Of course, if you were going for speed here then I wouldn’t bother with layering 🙂 Either way, its always great to see what you’re working on and I look forward to seeing what you tackle next!

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    1. My approach tends to vary from figure to figure, the mood I am in and whether or not I can discipline myself for the final 10% before looking to move on. I have been focusing too much lately on the lead pile and trying, very much in vain, to clear some of it. Without realising it speed has become the order of the day with a greater use of just washes. I think the time has come for a different approach. The lead pile isn’t proving motivating, more of a chore really.

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      1. I like to vary between something where I’m painting my absolutely best and other minis (usually for gaming) where I’m trying to paint something that looks nice but I still am somewhat fast in how I paint it but everyone varies as I’m sure you know.

        With that said, I hope you don’t feel like this mini is a failure. He most certainly is not and many people would be happy to have something painted to this standard! I just saw an opportunity for some constructive criticism as I can tell you use washes for shadows on many projects and I think if you want to take the time to learn layering, you’ll really improve your final results when you want to use it. I also fully recognize that many painters value speed and would not really want to commit to learning a new technique so hopefully I was sensitive to that as well. I’m happy to talk more about layering if you want to learn more about it but at the same time, everybody is on their own journey and should do what makes them happiest. I’ve always sought feedback from others to try and learn and improve (which is not easy to find sometimes) but I know many people just want to keep it simple and relaxing so I hope I didn’t encroach on those feelings!

        With all that said, if your lead pile is making you feel like you have to constantly paint things fast or make progress on reducing it, I would definitely recommend taking a step back from it. I had the same problem with all of the painting I was doing for LOTR and gaming. I felt like I only had time to paint minis for that game and I had to do it quickly because there was always more to paint to play and I couldn’t get them done fast enough. It finally burnt me out and I realized that I couldn’t keep doing that to myself because I was sapping my hobby enjoyment away. I hope you haven’t reached that point but I’d say give it some thought and focus on painting exactly what you want at the pace you want at any given time. That should ensure you’re having as much fun as possible and it wouldn’t surprise me if you like the results you’re getting painting wise even more too 🙂 I hope this helps and no matter what you do, you’ll have support from me as your work is always interesting and fun to see! 🙂

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      2. No problem at all. Like most people in this blog group I am both happy to share and receive. We all have room for improvement and with so many ideas and skills out there it would be foolish not to do so. I can and do occasionally do layering but when I choose to up the game for a mini paint job I generally prefer to use oils. It is where I started many years ago and when it comes to blending there is, albeit in my opinion, nothing better. That said putting a tutorial out there would be a good idea I reckon.

        Working through the lead pile has been a conscious decision while I wait for my enthusiasm to return to doing another diorama. That day will arrive shortly as I have had a few ideas of late which I am really looking forward to. I’m also selling a lot of single figures at the moment and have a few commissions to complete to so picking up a mini from my pile in between is about as much as I can do for now. That will all even itself out soon and then things will get back on track and I can concentrate more fully on my stuff. This might all sound like a complaint but in actual fact I am rather enjoying it as it has placed a new spin on things for now.

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      3. Very glad to hear it! 🙂 I’ve never done much with oils but I now some better painters than I who struggle with them so full credit to you for using them. I’m coming at this from an acrylics background and indeed, I was assuming that is what you were using. Another technique to investigate is wet-blending if you want to get some good shadows and highlights but do fairly quickly. I don’t use it a lot but it is a very good technique to have at your disposal. I’d recommend the following video (you can skip past the first minute of talking) and while the results he shows in the video are just okay, he is a highly skilled painter and the techniques he describes are solid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NawdAObG2M4. He’s basically explaining how to glaze in the shadows which can basically be reversed for highlights. It will be a little slow at first but once you get confident with it, you can speed up the process quite a bit. I hope this helps and happy to answer any questions or talk further about it once you’ve had a chance to give it a go!

        Also, glad to hear your lead pile isn’t burdensome 🙂 With that TableTop World cottage coming your way, you’ll have at least one exciting thing to work on soon, I’d say!

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      4. When I started out acrylics weren’t much in existence so it was all about oil paints. In the same way that layering and wet blending are techniques so is the use of oils. A lot of people don’t get on with them but for many things I find them still superior. The paint doesn’t run and because it dries slower (not as slowly as some people think if you know what you are doing) you can put another colour next to it and blend to make a seemless transition. In the same way highlights and shadows can be blended too. I’m comfortable with layering and wet blending, although I am no expert on either, but prefrer washes unless I am doing something a bit more special and then out come the oils. I tend then to use acrylics as an under coat and then oils where I want them on top. The acrylic absorbs some of the oil and makes it dry quicker but slow enough to comfortably blend. The two links below are examples of this. The first came second at last years Nationals in Telford and the second is intended for this year if the event takes place. Appreciate the link and I will check it out, I’m always keen to see how people do things. 😊

        https://theimperfectmodeller.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/easy-boy-54mm-cowboy-circa-1865/

        https://theimperfectmodeller.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/rooster-cogburn-54mm-andrea-miniature-september-neglected-challenge/

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      5. That’s interesting. I’m only familiar and used to acrylics. I have used some enamel paints before I got into miniatures on model cars but I know almost nothing about getting good results with oils. Layering and wet blending are challenging with acrylics and their fast dry time but if you find some good medium and have a wet palette then it isn’t too hard to overcome. That video might be a bit too beginner-centric for you but the ideas are hopefully helpful.

        Both of the miniatures you linked me to are lovely and I can see why they did well. Come to think of it, I can see why you chose some of the colors you did on this latest model as I can see some similarities in their tone. If you don’t mind me asking, what paint brand or brands do you generally use? The shades in your work are quite different than what most people use. For example, I use Games Workshop’s paints and I can generally recognize their paint colors in other painter’s work but I can tell you’re using something different from them 🙂

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      6. I watched the video and I liked the guys style but he didn’t offer anything new to what I have seen several times before. That said it looks like he has plenty of other videos to watch which could be interesting so I will take a look at some of those later. The one comment he did make which I agreed with is you find your own style. At the end of the day there are no real rights and wrongs just different ways of achieving an end result. What matters the most is that you like the results you have produced. On a personal level I know some of what I do falls short of my best but more often than not that is a reflection of a lost interest in the figure. Time versus effort versus interest usually determines the quality of my work.

        As for the paints I use. For acrylics I mostly use vallejo but for faces I now use Lifecolor. Washes I use Citadel and my oil paints are Winsor and Newton.

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      7. There are much more detailed videos on blending and glazing (some that are over an hour long) if you really want to go deep on it and put a lot of time into a miniature but I suspect that you don’t want to go that far (and quite frankly, I rarely do too so I wouldn’t blame anyone for that). Having your own style is definitely important and I think your choice of colors is part of yours.
        Its hard to explain but you generally pick unique shades of brown in the things I’ve seen you paint. Thanks for sharing your paint brands of choice as well! 🙂

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  10. Nice, straightforward paint job well executed – not much more I can say! Sorry to hear you’ve made a small dent in the lead pile, sounds like it should be easy enough to top that up again though – and, if you’re committed and willing to put in the effort, perhaps even grow the unpainted pile a little further!

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    1. I think we all try to kid ourselves from time to time that we will make a dent in our stash but deep down (just below the surface really) we know we are just going to buy more and more of all those lovely figures which the kind ladies and gentleman sculpt for us. 🤗

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