“Three Fin’s & One Done’in!” (Advent Challenge)

Advent challenge time again, and this time I’ve got one (or rather three) of the more, shall we say unusual things to “pop out” of one of the boxes on my calendar, in the shape of these “Shark fins” (feel free to start humming the Jaws music now 😁).

No18 Skeleton Pirate with knives

No21 Shark Fins (3)

Some pretty simple stuff to paint up to be honest, so let’s get on with it shall we. As usual once the figures were cleaned up with a sharp knife, and cleaned up again this time with a bowl of soapy water and an old toothbrush, I cut down the integral base on the Pirate before mounting him on a two pence piece and building it back up again with some filer. Then they were given a coat of matt black with a “rattle can” and touched up with a brush.

My “scurvy dog” was started by me dry-brushing all his “boney” bits with chocolate brown, then with coffee and finally cream. More coffee and cream was used on his trousers and headband, though this time as an undercoat and highlight, over these I added stripes of Navy blue highlighted with royal blue. When it came to his waistcoat/jacket I was at somewhat a loss as to what colour to paint it, in the end I just went with my old faithful of chocolate brown highlighted with leather brown, as I already had them out for his boots. I works OK but I still think I should perhaps have added more of a “pop” of colour there. Talking of colour I tackled the sash tied about his waist and the neckerchief at his throat next, plum with lilac highlights taking care of these. That just left the knives he’s brandishing, a dry-brush of chainmail along the blades, bronze on the hilts, and then chestnut and orange “rust spots” completed the “left rotting in some cave on a desert island” look. A coat of Quickshade, strong tone, followed by the finishing of his base in my usual fashion, was topped off with the obligatory spray coat of matt varnish, and he was done, simple stuff.

Now if the Pirate was simple, the shark fins were positively remedial! It was really just a case of mixing some dark grey, with about a third of the amount of chocolate brown and this was VERY heavily dry-brushed about the fins followed by another dry-brushing (heavy but slightly less so that the last) of just dark grey, then yet another of mid grey with just a touch of dark grey added, and that was that! They too were then given the same coat of Quickshade, but once dry I painted the bases first in ocean blue, then with a dry-brush of porcelain blue, followed by another dry-brushing of light blue and finally added some highlights of white. These then went out for the spray coat of matt varnish, but as the sea isn’t “matt” and I don’t keep any “gloss varnish” about (why would I?), I painted the water over with some PVA wood glue, to add a little “shine”.

So there we are, another months figures done and just a quick post this time, so till next time.

Cheers Roger.

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