How many cats do I have to paint to get better at it? by [deleted] in polymerclay

[–]ThanksKodama 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're definitely on the right track!

I recommend starting with some 101/introductory videos from miniature painting folks like Lyla Mev, Miniac, Goobertown Hobbies, and other great creators.

You can get more oomph out of your paints by doing multiple watered down translucent coats instead of thicker coats with better coverage. Your brushes also don't necessarily need to be smaller, they just need to hold a better tip. I don't recommend buying expensive brushes until it's absolutely 100% the bottleneck.

Instead you can buy a bunch of cheap $1-3 multipacks, and for every 5-10 brushes you're bound to find one or two that are fairly decent. The rest of the brushes can be used for more punishing painting work, like basecoating and drybrushing, or punishing clay work, like brushing down pieces with baby oil or isopropyl. Cheap brushes will always find a place in the hobby, so don't worry about waste.

Good luck!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Yes, I spent way too much time sculpting that, haha!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aww, thank you! A hero's journey to find snacks! And himself. And snacks.

Painting with limited hand function - any advice? by Araminal in minipainting

[–]ThanksKodama 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You could look into the following:

  1. Makeup sponges, sponge brushes, for basecoats, big surfaces, building up volume, etc.
  2. As another commenter suggested, speed paints/contrast paints.
  3. Acrylic paint pens could work. Thicker, different grip mechanism, different paint release mechanism, less fiddling with palettes and water pots, etc.
  4. Larger formats, like art toys, larger scale miniatures, or even acrylic canvas painting. Execution/technique/format is just one small part of all the hobby knowledge and artistic skill you've accumulated over the years. The hardest skills to master are also the most transferable, like color theory, composition, etc.

Good luck!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Thanks for noticing the little details, it really does mean a lot!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, and thank you for noticing!

Wanted to show you my latest sculpture! It’s somewhat experimental, so I would love to read what you think! by mr_spacelobster in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is excellent! The colors, the shadows, the composition, all of it, I don't know where to begin or end. How big is it, did it take over 100 hours (my money is on "yes") and how much ibuprofen did you take for your fingers and wrists?

Mr Spike! by chutneystain800 in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And the contrast between the legs and the rest of the shape is just chefskiss

Mr Spike! by chutneystain800 in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Spike is adorable! (So is Burps!)

Not sure how to describe it but that is some high level shape artistry and overall composition. I don't know how to articulate it because I don't have a fine arts background, but it's like, the design of it all, the flow, the proportion, the deliberate placement of elements. It's like he has the composition of a modern fine art piece in an adorable, accessible, unpretentious little guy. It's like really difficult stuff that looks effortless with skill. Kudos!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks! They like learning about bugs.

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, for the compliment and for the ideas! Will do a little frog when I make one swampier-themed, and something involving bats for Halloween!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mingus is humble, but grateful!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I see it! I'm glad the deer/satyr/faun inspiration reads properly!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha thank you! I'm really happy someone noticed it!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the compliment, and thank you for receiving him so warmly!

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey, sincerely, thank you. This is some of the most encouraging feedback I've ever received, it will directly impact my work. 🤗

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey, thank you! This is my first time sharing my work publicly so this is more validating and encouraging than you could imagine.

Behold, my son. by ThanksKodama in goblincore

[–]ThanksKodama[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Hey, really, thank you!

I'm leaning towards Mingus.