NEW EMAIL FOR SHANE FOULKES CRETACEOUS CREATIONS STUDIO

[RKM]

Hi folks, do any of you remember Shanes old 1/18 scale Torosaurus? I bought mine through Link n' Pin years ago before they went bust.
heres some pix of it It's not finished yet as I painted it by hand with acrylics and artists pastels, I decided to leave it as it is for now until I get myself an airbrush and learn how to use it, since I reckon I could get more subtle variations in the patterning with an airbrush.
Does anyone have any reccomendations about wich airbrush model I should get? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I don't want to spoil any of my new models.

Oops can't figure out how to attach pics! I really do belong back in the Mesozoic  maybe the resolution is too high I'll try again...

[RKM]

Hi folks, do any of you remember Shanes old 1/18 scale Torosaurus? I bought mine through Link n' Pin years ago before they went bust.
heres some pix of it It's not finished yet as I painted it by hand with acrylics and artists pastels, I decided to leave it as it is for now until I get myself an airbrush and learn how to use it, since I reckon I could get more subtle variations in the patterning with an airbrush.
Does anyone have any reccomendations about wich airbrush model I should get? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I don't want to spoil any of my new models.

Oops can't figure out how to attach pics! I really do belong back in the Mesozoic  maybe the resolution is too high I'll try again...

resized, fingers crossed

[attachment msg=12757][/attachment]

[0onarcissisto0]

Hey RKM,

Not sure if this post should be in this thread, but anyhow, this was a question I had once asked myself as well until I finally found an airbrush (AB) that satisfied all my artistic needs. I am currently using the Iwata HP-CS  Eclipse (100-130 USD price range).

The four most common airbrush brands that I see are Iwata, Badger, Paasche and Aztek (by Testors). I started out with an Aztek plastic airbrush kit (included a Testors Blue Mini Airbrush compresser). Despite being plastic, it was actually quite decent, but I didn't know anything about airbrushes back then and so I neglected the most important rule "ALWAYS keep your airbrush clean!!!" With a lot of the Iwata airbrushes, it is very easy to dismantle the whole device and so cleaning is very simple. I don't have any experience with Badger and Paasche airbrushes though.

Once you really get into looking at different airbrushes, you'll notice that there are different types of paint feeding methods: gravity feed, siphon feed and side feed. Siphon feed allows larger amounts of paint seeing that you can attach a large bottle of paint on the bottom of your AB. Gravity feed requires the least amount of pressure for paint flow and is great for more detailed work. This is often the recommended type for beginners, but even for seasoned artists in general.

You'll also start reading about single action and double action ABs. Single action means that the AB's trigger only controls the air flow. Double action allows control over air and paint flow. I believe it is the same mechanism for all double-action brushes, but for the Iwata HP-CS Eclipse, pressing down on the trigger controls air flow and the forward-back motion of the trigger controls paint flow. I would recommend going straight for a double-action AB. It's not that hard to pick up and so even a beginner can learn quite quickly.

You'll eventually have to look into various types of air compressors as well, but that's a whole other story lol.

You might wanna check out theclubhouse1.net for more tips and tricks with ABs.

So I guess my 3 recommendations are the following:

1) Double-action
2) Gravity-feed
3) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS clean your airbrush if you're going to let it rest for more than say 15-30 min. It sounds like a lot of trouble now, but trust me, it's worth it and with time, you will learn to plan your color applications a little better so that you don't have to keep changing paint and cleaning your airbrush.

Anyway, maybe the moderators could move this little section in a different thread just so that this thread can really focus on Shane's wonderful pieces.

PM me if ever you have other questions, RKM. I would be glad to help. I remember how frustrating it was initially to find the right airbrush for myself.

[0onarcissisto0]

Holy cow!!! That's beautiful, RKM!! And you only used pastels and regular brushes? Clearly, I am in the presence of no beginner lol

[RKM]

Wow thanks for all that advice that's all very helpfull. Thanks for the compliments but when it comes to airbrushes I am a total beginner lol
about it being in a different thread yes i can see that but I thought as it featured one of shanes amazing sculpts it would be ok to post it here plus as you may have guessed I'm not the most tech savvy person in the world  I figured we are at least in the dinosaur art section.
Just had another thought I hope Shane doesn't mind pix of his older works going on here?

[postsaurischian]

   Hey, what a beauty! Congratulations!

[caspakian]

I have one of these myself, unpainted. Your paint job looks pretty amazing the way it is. I wish I could paint like that. Any chance of giving some details of your methods?

[0onarcissisto0]

Yes, agreed with above. I would love to know how you did the mottling effect with a regular brush!!??

[s.foulkes]

Wow Russell that paint work is awesome you will have no problem learning the airbrush and to add to Jebs suggestions on  the airbrush he listed, he is dead on, follow his advise as i too started out with that same airbrush and i cant believe how much better i can paint now that i combine the hand brush work and airbrsh together. Of course i graduated up a few notches and now i own a Infinity ,what a jem to me its the Farrari of Airbrushes. it runs in the 230 range with gravity feed and comes with 2 size cups. here are some samples to show how washes ,stains, and drybrushing work with airbrushing. great combo.sorry if the photo is not sharp.

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[RKM]

Thanks for all the great advice guys, Will all come in useful!
About painting with a regular brush to get that mottled effect, it's very time consuming to paint sculpts this way another reason for wanting an airbrush.

Basically what i did was to paint the entire animal with the pale beige colour that you can see on its underside and lower legs ( wich by the way I havent started working on the legs yet) then I went over the base coat with a very thin layer of a greenish brown mix trying to establish the patterns, then it was a case of applying a series of darker glazes and some light dry brushing, this way the mottling effect seems to take care of itself, sometimes when a dark glaze went on I would wipe the paint from the raised areas so the  paint sat in the recesses was left untouched. Every time i added anew glaze I varied the colour slightly sometimes going toward red sometimes even blue but i dont mean that literally i just mean that I modified th colours very slightly into different areas of the colour wheel, but all the colours used could be described as abrownish olive. The paints I used were Golden fluid acrylic and FW acrylic ink.

My use of artist pastels is most noticeable on the parietal frill what i did was to paint in the patterns iwanted slightly darker than what i eventually wanted as i knew from previous jobs that once the pastel goes on it lightens everything.

I took the pastel sticks i wannted, in this case white and a yellowish colour and with a craft knife shaved off enough to do the job I found that they almost instantly became a powder but with a stiff bristle brush I beat the 2 colour mix together until I had a fne dust then all I did was working very quickly just dabbing it onto the frill with the same stiff bristle brush before wiping it from the raised areas leaing the pale dusty yellow in the recesses the pastel has its own binder and i never used any other kind of fixative I think I did this about 3 years ago and even with dusting the pastel has held in place and looks the same as it did on the day it went on.

I must say though I found painting with a regular brush in 3 dimensions very hard and time consuming also very difficult to get thin even layers of paint on and perhaps most difficult of all was that the paint would dry on the surface before it could be manipulated and blended! anyway I hope this answers your questions, and the moral of the story is.... get an airbrush lol

Shane It's interestint that you chose to post pix of your latest Spinosaurus as I made a complete mess of mine, I have your first 1/18 version. I had always intended to correct the mess I made on it as soon as I became proficient with an airbrush, but when I saw your new Spinosaurus I think i decided that at some point I would add that to my collection and use the old guy to practice on once i get the airbrush. 

[RKM]

Wow Russell that paint work is awesome you will have no problem learning the airbrush and to add to Jebs suggestions on  the airbrush he listed, he is dead on, follow his advise as i too started out with that same airbrush and i cant believe how much better i can paint now that i combine the hand brush work and airbrsh together. Of course i graduated up a few notches and now i own a Infinity ,what a jem to me its the Farrari of Airbrushes. it runs in the 230 range with gravity feed and comes with 2 size cups. here are some samples to show how washes ,stains, and drybrushing work with airbrushing. great combo.sorry if the photo is not sharp.

I think these pix of the Spino demonstrate exactly the kind of effect I was trying to achieve and they do convince me that an airbrush is the way to go! I love the subtle fade out on the claws.

[0onarcissisto0]

Fantastic, RKM! Thank you for the detailed instructions. As I figured the key really seems to be the very gradual change in colors to produce a nice blend. Would you mind if I PM'd you at some point with questions? I really want to be more proficient with a regular brush. And man, I've always wanted to get my hands on Shane's 1st version of the Spinosaurus. You wouldn't happen to still have one lying around, would you, Shane?

[s.foulkes]

No sorry pal. something else to keep in mind that you can jsut purchase the head and neck of one of my kits too to practince on and then if you like you can order the whole thing one day. ITs kinda cool to have a trophy style mount too. food for thought. and its much cheaper.

[RKM]

Fantastic, RKM! Thank you for the detailed instructions. As I figured the key really seems to be the very gradual change in colors to produce a nice blend. Would you mind if I PM'd you at some point with questions? I really want to be more proficient with a regular brush. And man, I've always wanted to get my hands on Shane's 1st version of the Spinosaurus. You wouldn't happen to still have one lying around, would you, Shane?

yes Jeb feel free to ask anything you like, my name is Russell. I may ask you questions about airbrushes and things from time to time.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Had posted both in the thread and sent an email attempting to get in line or reserve a spot on the list for a Psittacosaurus once one can be offered and such Shane. You had mentioned the method for short quantity items was first come , first served, so I was trying to hold my hand up and be counted, thanks

[s.foulkes]

Dont worry you are on my list (the good one) to get a copy you wont miss out ,it WILL be standing in your living room i  promise! Oh and on a side note here are a few behind the scenes news as to whats coming down the line.Baryonyx in 1/15th,  1/15th Elasmosaurus at 36.5 " long! 1/30th Amargasaurus, 1/30th Triceratops, 1/15th Paraceratherium 25 limited castings only, 1/15th Albertosaur vs. Hypacrosaur and of course the life size Psittaco and Velociraptor too. also have some commish work down the road like a Liopleurodon in 1/30th, Cave bear Arctodus attacking early human in 1/12th scale,and others ...............but who cares about all that!

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Dont worry you are on my list (the good one) to get a copy you wont miss out ,it WILL be standing in your living room i  promise! 1/30th Amargasaurus,

Alright Shane thanks, just wanted to make sure I was on the list and had not been overlooked, thanks.Definitely interested in that dinosaur. I also am quietly watching for the Amargasaur of course, given that is my chosen dinosaur and all.  Thanks and best wishes .

[Himmapaan]

I'm looking forward to the Amargasaurus and Triceratops too. And they're at 1/30 to boot; a friendly scale for me, for whom space is at such a premium.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I'm looking forward to the Amargasaurus and Triceratops too. And they're at 1/30 to boot; a friendly scale for me, for whom space is at such a premium.

Lol Himmapan, I solved that for myself, I just do without furniture, clothes, television, etc. The dinosaurs own the place, I just do maid service here.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I'm looking forward to the Amargasaurus and Triceratops too. And they're at 1/30 to boot; a friendly scale for me, for whom space is at such a premium.

Lol Himmapan, I solved that for myself, I just do without furniture, clothes, television, etc. The dinosaurs own the place, I just do maid service here.

lol that will certainly free up some space..and who needs all that anyway when you have DINOSAURS !?

Dont worry you are on my list (the good one) to get a copy you wont miss out ,it WILL be standing in your living room i  promise! Oh and on a side note here are a few behind the scenes news as to whats coming down the line.Baryonyx in 1/15th,  1/15th Elasmosaurus at 36.5 " long! 1/30th Amargasaurus, 1/30th Triceratops, 1/15th Paraceratherium 25 limited castings only, 1/15th Albertosaur vs. Hypacrosaur and of course the life size Psittaco and Velociraptor too. also have some commish work down the road like a Liopleurodon in 1/30th, Cave bear Arctodus attacking early human in 1/12th scale,and others ...............but who cares about all that!

Lot's of good stuff there ! Love the 1/15 scale as well..   Can't wait to see Baryonyx, Elasmosaurus and Velociraptor of course .

This is first I 'm hearing of the 1/15 Albertosaur VS Hypacrosaurus..sounds awesome ! 

What of the 1/15 Quetzalcoatlus , 1/15 Olorotitan, and the possible 1/15 Carcharodontosaurus ?