Funrise Custom

So this weekend, I've had a vertigo episode that makes using anything with a screen a little sickening. All my creative work is digital (writing and painting), and of course so is looking at little plastic animals online! So I had to find a different outlet over the last few days to distract myself from real life, as you do. Much inspired by the incredible skill on this forum of so many artists, I thought I'd give a little simple custom a go.  

This is Funrise's Lipizzaner. It's one of my favorite of their models. Of course, they are not even close to the best horse sculpts out there, but as I have said many times before, they are especially endearing to me despite (or because) of that. I "customized" him first when I was very young, I have no idea when, into this:
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Absolutely ready for a new look. And the end result wasn't terrible! He definitely looks amateur and rough, and the only sealant I had was VERY glossy.   I knew how I would tackle him in two dimensions, but I was really befuddled by the third dimension, as always. I'm never sure how to handle shadows and highlights on something that casts shadows and catches highlights . . . But it was a nice project to keep my hands busy and give a slightly better make-over to one of my childhood experiments.

There were several major drawbacks besides my skill level! I have terrible lighting in my living space, for one. For another, I always struggle with painting a sculpture because I get fingerprints all over it. No doubt there is a better way, but I didn't have it. And weirdest of all, the crackling surface of the model showed through the paint. He definitely doesn't have that illusion of life like so many customs here - you can tell for sure he is a toy, and a hand painted one at that. But a learning experience.   I have an even greater appreciation for the painters here!

His name is Oliver! No particular breed intended, certainly not a Lipizzan. I apologize for photo quality, I am also not a skilled photographer and don't have any good places to take them.  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Here he is with the nicer version of his former self
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It is good that you could find some distraction. It seems things are not being easy for you these days. Whatever it is, I just hope you recover your joy soon.
I am not the best person to give suggestions but luckily some of the good artists on forum can give you a few tips. It looks just beautiful to me, it is a fact it is glossy but if it is the glossiness that gives that touch to the tail, the result is fantastic!
It surely doesn't look as toyish as your previous atempt, it was a good idea to save a picture of it, it is part of your love story with Funrise.

He is gorgeous, you did a nice job as a child, but I quite like his new look. :) You breathed new life into an old friend!
P.S. I hope your vertigo is doing better, thats no fun!

Oliver is quite lovely actually!
Wow, vertigo really sucks (or blows as the case may be) Hope they can figure out what's causing it for you and give you some real help. You've done doubly great on Oliver if you've been having vertigi; when it hits me I'm unable to function or even open my eyes at all.

Thanks, everyone! For all the well wishes, too. It is nice to have this space to be in, where kind people with similar interests are hanging out. :) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], ugh, that's extremely miserable!! I'm thankful most episodes are much milder than that, and this one was just a few days.

You all are very kind to little Oliver, haha! He is certainly an improvement, at least. I am not even sure what Little Jill had in mind with those markings, exactly. I would gladly take any tips from other customizers, of course. I have very much to learn, especially about getting white markings to look nice. That proved exactly as hard as I should have expected, since white is always difficult to get smooth.

Gosh, I'm so sorry about the vertigo, I really hope it gets better, I'll be thinking about you and hoping that it does!
This repaint is the perfect distraction, how beautiful! I adore those rich browns and reds, the result really was wonderful and I actually love the gloss, it reminds me a lot of Breyer models! The little white markings complement it really well too, I'd love to see any more that you do!

He looks so nice, really well-chosen shades of paint hich work well together and give him a really warm, rich look. And although he's your first attempt and was an experiment to work on from, I can already see the beginning of a distinct style, one which will only get better with experience.

Jill wrote:

I knew how I would tackle him in two dimensions, but I was really befuddled by the third dimension, as always. I'm never sure how to handle shadows and highlights on something that casts shadows and catches highlights

This here is what makes your paintwork stand out already, I think. Cos I don't do shadows and highlights, I paint the horse colour as-is with the light and dark being strictly where the light and dark hairs would be on the horse's coat, and let the contours of the model and the lighting do all the work. So you're already painting at a more considered level than someone who's been painting models for 15 years, and this is why I see such potential in your style with an example of just one!

Jill wrote:

For another, I always struggle with painting a sculpture because I get fingerprints all over it. No doubt there is a better way, but I didn't have it.

What paints are you using? Mine dry so quickly thatwhen I've added a layer on the front end of the horse and moved on to the middle, the first part is dry and can be handled before I've reached the bum end and need to hold it somewhere else - it's seconds at most.
A lot of people use the tail as a handle and hold the model there all the way through, painting the tail in last, maybe that's a tip worth passing on even though I don't use it myself

Jill wrote:

I have very much to learn, especially about getting white markings to look nice. That proved exactly as hard as I should have expected, since white is always difficult to get smooth

Lots of very thin layers is my usual method, expect to do maybe eight or ten layers of paint smudged really thin in small circles rather than stroked on, rather than trying to get it to cover the colour underneath by going thicker. Again, a tip other people swear by is diluting the paint, but I hate that and would rather use an older pot of paint which is getting a bit stodgy and sticky, so it's totally a matter of personal preference ('the consistency of milk' is the phrase I must've heard a hundred times, but always disagree with - just offering it incase it works for you and I'm an odd one out, hahah )

They both turned out so pretty, I don't think the glossy coat is a bad thing, in my opinion it adds to the look, as it combines well with the blunt sculpts, making them look like beautiful ceramic sculptures.

Thank you all so much! These kinds words really do mean a lot, and from such talented custom artists.

George wrote:

This here is what makes your paintwork stand out already, I think. Cos I don't do shadows and highlights, I paint the horse colour as-is with the light and dark being strictly where the light and dark hairs would be on the horse's coat, and let the contours of the model and the lighting do all the work. So you're already painting at a more considered level than someone who's been painting models for 15 years, and this is why I see such potential in your style with an example of just one!

Well, thank you, it's encouraging that you see promise in it. Your approach makes the most sense for painting in three dimensions, because if I paint the highlights, then what happens when the light falls somewhere else? I have some more beaten up Funrise horse doubles to experiment on someday.

Quote :

What paints are you using? Mine dry so quickly thatwhen I've added a layer on the front end of the horse and moved on to the middle, the first part is dry and can be handled before I've reached the bum end and need to hold it somewhere else - it's seconds at most.
A lot of people use the tail as a handle and hold the model there all the way through, painting the tail in last, maybe that's a tip worth passing on even though I don't use it myself

I just use standard acrylics, the sort you'd get for a painting. Not craft paint or anything, that probably dries faster? For some reason, this was SO tacky even after drying fully over night, and when I held him, it would come off on my fingers. Maybe it's the Funrise plastic working some dark magic.

Quote :

Lots of very thin layers is my usual method, expect to do maybe eight or ten layers of paint smudged really thin in small circles rather than stroked on, rather than trying to get it to cover the colour underneath by going thicker. Again, a tip other people swear by is diluting the paint, but I hate that and would rather use an older pot of paint which is getting a bit stodgy and sticky, so it's totally a matter of personal preference ('the consistency of milk' is the phrase I must've heard a hundred times, but always disagree with - just offering it incase it works for you and I'm an odd one out, hahah )

I can't imagine working with paint the consistency of milk, especially on a non flat surface. Wouldn't it just run off?? I like your approach better, I can understand the physics of that, haha. The patience, well. That'll take some training. I am not a very patient artist, in general. Thank you for all the tips!! I hope to put them to use someday. :) The next time I need a screen break, perhaps.

It's a lovely repaint! I love the rich colors you gave him. And this shade of chestnut is just so nice

Thank you, Ana! Liver chestnut is one of my favorites.

Jill wrote:

I just use standard acrylics, the sort you'd get for a painting. Not craft paint or anything, that probably dries faster? For some reason, this was SO tacky even after drying fully over night, and when I held him, it would come off on my fingers.

Hmm, I think this might be the problem!
I've had various different brands of acrylics over the years, but almost all of them have been craft paint - just because we had a couple of craft shops in my nearest towns, but no art supply shops, so I experimented with the brands I could get hold of locally before I settled on what was best for me. All the craft-type brands in bottles or pots dry very fast, whether cheap and terrible or excellent expensive model paints.

Someone gave me one of those pound-shop/dollar-store packs of artists acrylics in tubes last year, and although I didn't try them for custom repaints, I used them when I made up fake wood for the cardboard henhouse project I posted a while ago. They left a very sticky finish, despite being left to dry for an hour before slicing into 'planks' - enough that I could pick up the cut pieces just by pressing my finger against the paint, the whole thing stayed sticky til the next day when I was taking pictures, and is STILL faintly tacky to touch some weeks later.