First Commission: Arachnarok

I recently took on my first commission painting job.

The model was the Arachnarok and it was asked that it match some black / grey spiders in an existing army.

Since we got like 7 inches of snow Friday night, and my neighbor sno-blowed my driveway I used this past weekend to complete this project.

 After clipping and cleaning, I prepped the model for priming.  I knew I was going to use the airbrush quite a bit so I kept the model mostly disassembled to make this easy.  (*I've put one of these together before and once the legs are on there are lots of places you just can't get to...)  I also put a pin in each of the legs with a bit of paper with a number so I would know where each leg goes.  I covered the number with a bit of scotch tape before priming.

I've not used my airbrush a lot so I was really looking forward to the practice.  I fought the thing quite a bit and the paint was bubbling indicating a leak.  After watching some videos I realized I wasn't using the wrench to tighten back down the nozzle cap.   Problem solved! 

This project gave me a great deal of practice with the airbrush which I desperately needed.  I didn't master it by any means but I got both more comfortable with it and a glimpse of what can be achieved.

 

One of the challenges I was facing was how to let the legs dry without having to hold them.  The pins I had added, some binder clips, two watchtowers and a brass rod solved that issue.

I later ran into a similar situation when I airbrushed the basecoat on the goblin crew.  I definitely need to come up with a more permanent drying 'rack' since I typically paint models off of the base.

 I had a ton of fun painting this model.  I learned quite a bit in the process.  I was very pleased with how the model turned out.  I ended up painting it to a higher standard than was requested but I told the client that's how it would go.  I wasn't certain what to charge, I have a better feel for it now, so this first client ended up getting a great deal.  I'm happy to report he was very pleased with the pics I sent him and I will get him the model soonish (He's local so I don't have to ship it - whew).

I think the big secret is to paint fast.  I don't do that fast yet and spent a lot of my time fighting technical difficulties, working through a cluttered workspace, taking pics & posting them etc...  I don't see myself being a full time commission painter but I do see taking some more commissions off and on as the mood hits.

I really just want to keep hobbying more as time allows.  Keeps me busy and since I'm controlling what I eat, the TV is the devil (I always choose poorly if I sit & watch the idiot box). 

 Thanks for Looking!

Cheers,
Domus