Check out the Geo Gallery Click the Pic Below

Geometric Designs accepts Paypal at phoenix2@uplink.net or you can order by credit card by calling 570-457-2691.  Shipping is an additional charge based on weight and calculated at the time of purchase.

Fuzzy Logic:

Geometric's Wolf Man Bust

There is no doubt that the most famous werewolf of all is Lon Chaney's Wolf Man from the 1941 Universal film of the same name.  His character is very sympathetic overall and makes a great pop culture metaphor for a number of things, most poignantly our own inner monsters that we struggle to maintain.

But the film endures also because it is simply entertaining and it is no wonder this Geo Wolf Man bust is among the most popular Geo kits ever.  To date this is still one of the finest renditions of the man whose thorny path transformed him into a monster by night and I think it makes a great starter kit because you can get great results with simple techniques and simple paints and brushes.  So, lets put a leash on this puppy.

The first thing you want to do with any kit is to wash it with dishwashing soap and scrub out any dirt, dust or oils left over from the casting process.  Then you need to take a hobby knife to the kit and trim out the excess resin (called "flash") and smooth out any lines or ridges that need attention with the knife and/or some fine grit sand paper.

This kit was really, really clean, so let's just concentrate on painting, shall we?

Okay, first I put a coat of primer on the kit.  You can use regular old auto primer on it, but lately I have turned to FW Inks Cool Gray, which is easy to find on the internet and is in a lot of art supply stores.  It is a nice light gray and easier to spray into the cracks.  I spray it in through an Iwata HP-B at about 10 psi, which is a pretty low output, but it helps control the ink, which is light and easy to spray.

Now, to the right, you can see the first layer of paint.  For the shirt, I used Badger's Forest Green and for the face, Badger Freak Flex brand Rose Flesh.  The hair is done with a combination of FW Inks Sepia and Raw Umber.  If you use light applications, you could do this with a light touch and decent brushes without an airbrush.

At this point, you really want to seal it to protect the base coat.  A couple of coats of Testor's Dulcote will do the job nicely.

The next step is dry brushing.  Basically, drybrushing is a technique used to bring out the highlights of a kit.  Generally speaking, you choose a color at least one shade lighter than the base coat and often quite a bit higher.  Then, dip the brush in the paint but only enough to put paint at the very edges.  A flat brush is best for this.  Then, use a rag to pull off the excess paint . . . and do this a few times.  Then, lightly pull the brush across the surface.  A small amount of paint will strike the upper details, but leave the color beneath.

For this kit, I used Apple Barrel Terra Cotta.  This is just a regular old craft paint you can get in any craft store like Michaels.  The shirt is done with a layer of Leaf Green, again from Apple Barrel, in the same manner.

You will also note that I have put a base coat of white in the eyes and teeth areas using a small "liner" brush.  I think it was a 00 size, but I must confess, I did not write it down.  And the nose was done with a brush application of FW Inks Sepia.  I think the inclination is to use black, but I think dark brown is more in line with what makes sense . . . I mean, makes sense for a Wolf Man.

The next phase is all about toning down the kit.  If you look at the pictures above, you'll see that they are rather "hot," with the colors jumping out at you.  So . . . what to do?

Basically, there are two ways to tone down a kit, and often I use both on the same kit.  One is to apply an "oil wash," but for this kit I don't need anything more than transparent paints.  You can get a lot of cool basic transparents from Createx, again found at Michael's and other chain stores.

For the hair and face, I use Createx Light Brown Transparent, which adds depth to the contours and at the same time tames the wild hairs, so to speak. 

Around the teeth, you will notice some yellowing.  That is a combination of Americana Buttermilk (again a craft paint) dry brushed over the teeth, then a brush coat of Lifetone Amber Oxide-a favorite of mine to be sure.

At this point, you will want to apply another coat Testor's Dulcote to preserve the work.  And honestly, at this point we are more than half way done . . . though the eyes still await.

The eyes are really small . . . maybe 2 millimeters in height . . . so it takes a small brush and a steady hand, and maybe more than one try.  However, the technique is simple.  Basically you want concentric circles, starting with a black circle to represent the outer ring of the iris and then a white circle within as a base coat for the next layer of paint.

Now, just as a little note, I decided not to center the iris in the cornea.  I think it gives the kit more character to have the Wolf Man looking sideways.  In the films, he is often glancing furiously from one side of the set to the other, so I liked the idea that he was looking at something off to the side that he might want to take a bite out of.

Anyway, you can see in the picture to the right that I have basically dotted in the two circles and when that dries, it is ready to receive the next layer.  Using Badger Freak Flex Asphyxia Blue very lightly, I fill in the circle.  Then, using Model Master Hellblau (cool name, eh?), I put in a layer of light bluish gray, as seen below.  With a toothpick, I put a tiny drop of black in as a pupil (below left).

The final stage (below left) is to put a thin wash of transparent red in the eyes around the edges and coat them, the mouth and the lips with a glossy sealer like Future Floor Wax (below right).

Now when I first did this kit, there was no base available through Geo yet.  However, now you can get a cool one for just $15.  And if you buy the new kit, the base comes with it automatically.  You can check out the new base below.

 

And that is all there is to it!  This is a great kit and easy to do overall and is a great way to get some practice in on small eyes.  If you are in the mood to howl at the moon, head over to the Geo busts page.

If you want some advice or would just rather have one done up for you, let me know at editor@creaturescape.com and we can work something out . . . he might look good in red, ya know?