Grazcruzk Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Has anyone ever tried to actually model the energy field of a power weapon? I've always wanted to try with greenstuff but it always just looks like fire. Granted my greenstuffing abilities are not the greatest. I've also tried thin paper with a small amount of glue to keep it in place and that is also mreh. So tonight it occurred to me to try cotton. I scrambled for something "WIP" to try it out on and this is what I came up with. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2349.jpg Plain white cotton from a cotton ball held on by a few dabs of glue, lit with the LED from my magnifying headset. I think I might do some more and maybe even have a go at getting blue yarn and seeing if that can get the same effect. Anyways, if I come up with anything else I'll post it here. I honestly was unsure of where to post this that is why I say I scrambled for something that is WIP to try it on. ~Graz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itasiah Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 VERY INTRESTING , YOUR PROJECT IS INSPIRING, THANK YOU FOR SHARING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warsmith Aznable Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 It looks neat with the lighting effect, but how does it look under regular lighting while sitting on the table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circus Nurgling Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 HOLY :tu:! Maybe dye the cotton blue first? Very small amount of dye? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAR Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Sweet I have an army of GK that this may be done to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Indeed, it does look a little duller in normal lighting when compared to the shot with the LED on it. The first thing my brother said when I showed him was "You gotta make it blue somehow." and I agree. I don't think it would hold up well with paint. maybe a blue shade but I think I'm better off getting some blue yarn and pulling fibers out of it. The only problem I see with that is it may not have the same randomness that the cotton has. Either way I'm excited to try more. My anxiety has me up tonight, maybe I'll try out some blue shade and get another picture up before morning. Cheers, fellows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Here are a few more shots under more regular lighting with some blue shade dabbed onto it. It looks more like a haze now.. which isn't really a bad thing, just different. I think light blue yarn fibers is the next experiment. I'll get on it whenever I have the chance to get into town again. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/IMG_2379.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/IMG_2380.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itasiah Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I believe if you use the vinilic glue + blue washes you shold reach great effects. personally i use this technique for snow bases, but it can be applied for other. keep trying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J!MM!L!C!OUS Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 The problem with this is going to be maintenance. Blatently the cotton wool is going to get damaged and fall off during games or transport :tu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhg033 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 i wonder if something like nylon fishing line or plastic fibre optic cable strands, with suitable bending, kinks etc would do the same? be a bit more duarble if you could set it in shape somehow. could then be painted with some washes and spot highltights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Aye, the durability could be a problem. I think I went a bit overboard last night, this is probably one of those times when less is more. I'll keep at it with different materials and if I make anymore progress I'll be sure to update. ~Graz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circus Nurgling Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Maybe drizzle ca glue over the cotton to stiffen it, and throw some blue dye on there, maybe with marker, (so it's still translucent) and very sparingly highlight light blue/white? Even without all that, it would make a really cool display piece if you had an led or 3 appropriately placed on the base/stand, if only for a single model or two. Would look really cool around hammers and fists as well. Or a Librarian's eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 I agree, I like the way it looks even unlit. I have some chaos TDA in the works so I'll be doing lightning claws and chainfists as well the sorc's force weapon for my call of chaos entry. As it is I'll be using the same technique unless I can get some other mats together to try something else. I'll do more with glue for sure. The little bit that I did try was a pain as the cotton just stuck the nozzle and kind of turned into a mess. -.- Not going to let that deter me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexCrute Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Extraordinary effect! Now to make it durable... er, good luck with that.... It could be used as is on models there the power weapon is sheltered to prevent anything contacting the cotton. But even then it mightn't last long. If an LED could be mounted inside the base - or inside the model itself - shining through onto the fluff from a strategically drilled hole (eyes!), this could be used to great effect on display pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HellChyld Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 after seeing this I liked the idea. I tried dabbing the cotten in a very thinned blue ink mixed with water for mixed results. the blue only went into some of the cotton. might give it a try and see if that gives you the results you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhetoricus Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Good work bro! If you succeed in making it fairly robust i'd say you're onto a winner here. Ive done something similar with my Cheif Librarian Franz Grenzstein, but with copper wire. Ive tried to make it look like the lightning is arcing onto his force sword and im really happy with the effect. Hope you find this useful? maybe you could try combing the two techniques? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circus Nurgling Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I agree, I like the way it looks even unlit. I have some chaos TDA in the works so I'll be doing lightning claws and chainfists as well the sorc's force weapon for my call of chaos entry. As it is I'll be using the same technique unless I can get some other mats together to try something else. I'll do more with glue for sure. The little bit that I did try was a pain as the cotton just stuck the nozzle and kind of turned into a mess. -.- Not going to let that deter me though. Instead of using the glue bottle, pour a pea-sized amount of glue out into something like a bottle-cap or an upside down base. Dab into the glue with a needle or piece of wire, and work with that to strategically work the glue onto/into the cotton. Have another needle/wire handy to work the stuck cotton off, or a pair of nose-hair scissors to snip it off (What? If you don't have a pair you're going to need them eventually anyway...). If you're careful, I'm sure you could minimize the amount that gets stuck together, as long as you keep a drop on the needle and placing that on the cotton (and letting it soak into itself via capillary action) as opposed to coating the needle and rubbing it onto the cotton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 I agree, I like the way it looks even unlit. I have some chaos TDA in the works so I'll be doing lightning claws and chainfists as well the sorc's force weapon for my call of chaos entry. As it is I'll be using the same technique unless I can get some other mats together to try something else. I'll do more with glue for sure. The little bit that I did try was a pain as the cotton just stuck the nozzle and kind of turned into a mess. -.- Not going to let that deter me though. Instead of using the glue bottle, pour a pea-sized amount of glue out into something like a bottle-cap or an upside down base. Dab into the glue with a needle or piece of wire, and work with that to strategically work the glue onto/into the cotton. Have another needle/wire handy to work the stuck cotton off, or a pair of nose-hair scissors to snip it off (What? If you don't have a pair you're going to need them eventually anyway...). If you're careful, I'm sure you could minimize the amount that gets stuck together, as long as you keep a drop on the needle and placing that on the cotton (and letting it soak into itself via capillary action) as opposed to coating the needle and rubbing it onto the cotton. Thanks for the great advice! I'll have a go at this today probably. I managed to strip down some old speaker wire and get really thin copper wire but I just couldn't get it to look the way I wanted it to. I tried combining the wire and the cotton as well (thanks for the idea Rhet!) but I was still unhappy with my work. Maybe it's too early and my hands aren't working properly yet. I was going to post some pictures but honestly it looks worse the closer you get so I'll spare you guys and myself. :) Needle dabbing it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhetoricus Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Post the pics anyway, and maybe we can see a way to improve upon the idea? I found the trick was not to consciously try and shape the wire. Just screw it up and mash it about randomly (use way more than you need) then you can identify cool patterns that have formed in it and snip away the rest. Also less is definitely more with this approach. Wherever you end up with this I applaud your creativity and wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Happy modelling. :) EDIT: I did shape little forks in the ends of the wire by folding it back on itself and creating little Y shapes, hope that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 Alright since you asked, heh. This is what I came up with by mashing up the wire, pulling it semi straight, mashing it more, pulling it again several times and then using tiny amounts of glue for the cotton. On second look it isn't so bad. I need to get a better light for taking pictures, my desk lamp has somehow gone missing. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2399.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2397.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhetoricus Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I think you've almost got i, I really do. There are parts of that, that are perfect. It just looks (to me) ever so slightly 'busy' in certain areas. My photography/photo shop skills are shockingly bad so I cant show you exactly where I mean on your pic Nevertheless cracking work bud, keep at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 A friend of mine suggested trying spray adhesive to stiffen up the cotton so I gave that a shot over the top of the copper wire/cotton but I effed it up on accident with the slip of a finger, mashing it all together into a blob of glue and cotton. On my next try I sprayed a very slight mist of adhesive onto the blade and dabbed the cotton ball on it. I was left with long trails of cotton so I gently blew on them while rotating the piece so the tails blew up against the adhesive and kind of wrapped around the blade as I went. The end result is very busy. More of an energy field than a few arcs coming off the blade. Here are a few shots. back lit http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2408.jpg front lit http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2409.jpg I am quite fond of this method as well as the wire/cotton method. I'm not sure which I like better, both probably need more practice either way. Maybe I'll end up using one type for force weapons and the other for power. Its crazy what a big difference the light source can make. I might try some more but I'm running out of different ways to go about it with the materials I have on hand. I still want to try it with blue yarn as well as seeing what works the best on something like a hammer or a fist. ~Graz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circus Nurgling Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Alright since you asked, heh. This is what I came up with by mashing up the wire, pulling it semi straight, mashing it more, pulling it again several times and then using tiny amounts of glue for the cotton. On second look it isn't so bad. I need to get a better light for taking pictures, my desk lamp has somehow gone missing. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2399.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2397.jpg This one looks pretty good man. Wire + cotton seems like a good mix, and it has the added bonus of being able to glue the cotton strands to the wire separately before you glue them to the sword, so you don't end up having to scrape off glue+cotton from your power weapons. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/loki114/warhammer%20stuff/chaos%20marines/IMG_2409.jpg This one looks like a fuzzy sword (sorry). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazcruzk Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 Haha! I was waiting for someone to say that. It does look like a fuzzy sword under most light. I still kinda like it but I totally see that. I think I'll stick with wire/cotton and just work on getting that down better. It isn't too bad on a blade because you can just run the length but with a maul/hammer/axe/other then what? Wreath it? I tried that a few times on a maul and it was kind of mreh. Time for more practice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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