So I have discovered that I cannot wait until three days before the end of the month and then reasonably expect to have a completed project for that month. Gee, it's almost like a month-long project takes a month to do, or something. Who knew? With that said, I actually might have gotten it done were it not for the assorted technical difficulties I was experiencing with my airbrush. They say it's a poor worker who blames his tools, but it's also the sign of a poor craftsman to expect to do a good job with inadequate tools. Lately, every time I break out the airbrush, it refuses to cooperate for some unspecified reason. I never know quite what that reason actually is. Do I not have enough spray propellant? Is the nozzle clogged? Is there not enough paint in the jar? Am I holding it wrong? Is it a day that ends in "y"? I can never be sure of the precise problem. At this point I've chalked it up to "sometimes the damn thing works and sometimes it doesn't." But, here's a sneak preview of what I've been working on this weekend. They're not quite where I want them to be, but they're getting close. (If you recognize them, congratulations. You might be a fan of Final Fantasy IV.) In the meantime, I need new paints, a new airbrush, and maybe a new hobby. Something that doesn't cause this much frustration and anguish. Like domesticating an alligator, perhaps, or learning to juggle chainsaws.
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So, longtime visitors to the site will notice that I took a long break, for the better part of a year. I'm going to steal a line from Douglas Adams and claim that I was spending a year dead for tax reasons. That's not at all accurate, but it's funnier than the truth, which is that I was depressed and didn't feel like working on anything. (I'm honestly surprised my model paints hadn't all dried up in the interim.) However, I'm trying to ease back into things, and despite the utter misery that was 2021, I'm still committed to finishing up the monsters of Final Fantasy IV. At this point, I'm roughly halfway there! My first projects for 2022 were a comparatively easy pair of creatures to bring to life, namely the Armadilo [sic] and the Ironback. It's nice to finally add something new to the display shelf! I've still been gobbling up tiny plastic animals and decades-old action figures and things on eBay, with the intent of turning them all into projects some day. So, with any luck you'll see something new here next month. However, if 2021 taught me anything, it's that you absolutely cannot predict the future. Guess we'll see in March! I was working on a pair of much bigger and more elaborate projects, but while I was waiting for some paint to show up in the mail, I spent a couple of days working on these guys instead! The bad guys in Final Fantasy IV seem to be divided roughly into two groups. There are the absolutely bizarre, otherworldly creatures whose origins are open to debate... maybe they were trapped inside the Earth until Golbez released them, or maybe they were all living on the Moon, or maybe Zemus created them himself. It's hard to say. Then there are the normal, run-of-the-mill animals who have seemingly turned psychotic. Eagles, alligators, turtles, etc. who were once mild-mannered beasts until somebody decided to crank their aggression-o-meter up to 11. I think the EvilShel and FangShel probably fit into this category. They're clams, for crying out loud. How do they fight? How do they attack you? Do they wait until you're not paying attention and then grab you with their tongues? I'm not sure I understand it. And I'm not sure I want to. The August update is coming very shortly, and it features a couple of very elaborate projects... perhaps the most ambitious Final Fantasy IV monsters I've attempted thus far! It took me a while to get my Final Fantasy IV Chocobos finished up. I was waiting on some new white paint to show up in the mail. (I mix white paint into pretty much every color. No white paint, and I can't do a damn thing.) So, I've got a version of the yellow Chocobo, the white Chocobo, and (of course) the ever-elusive black Chocobo (spoiler alert: it's really more blue than black). Going forward, I've got toys ready to modify into the MacGiant and RedGiant, and I also picked out some toys to turn into the various food-based monsters (Jelly, Cream, Pudding, etc.) Not exactly sure which ones will be next, so I guess we'll both be surprised! As long as you're reading this, have you ever noticed a toy that made you think, "Wow, that looks exactly like a monster from Final Fantasy IV"? Yeah, I know. It probably happens every single day. Anyway, if you want to, go ahead and click the Contact link and let me know about it. Maybe it's totally different from what I'm planning, but maybe it's a fantastic idea that I'll totally steal. You never know! I just finished a miniature action figure version of the TinyMage, one of the roving monsters from Final Fantasy IV. Unlike a lot of the monsters in the game, whose game sprites were recycled for use as other creatures, the TinyMage is entirely unique within the game, so I only had to put together one of these. I'm working on some Chocobos right now, but I need more paint (you'd be surprised how much white paint I go through; I mix it with everything). Can't find single bottles of Testor's brand acrylic paints anywhere these days (enamel paints are much easier to find) so I just ordered some on eBay. As soon as it shows up I'll get back to work on them. (It was over 100 degrees yesterday. Hope the paint doesn't evaporate in my mailbox!) |
DAVID GRAHAM EDWARDS
Illustrator, writer, painter, sculptor, collector of toys and cats, observer of things. Categories
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