Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Project Concepting: Engineer on Mechanical Pegasus

And so begins a new series in the blog, showcasing just how I get ideas from my head, into reality.  I thought it would be interesting to show the concept-to-completion process with my projects this year.

I don't play Empire…heck I barely have played two games of Warhammer Fantasy in my life, for that matter.  In fact, I am only just now gathering concepts for my Ogres forces that I'd like to play, for next year!  However, with all that said, I have always loved the Empire Engineer on Mechanical Mount figure.  Through some outside inspirations, and the fact that I was able to get the model for cheap, I've decided to make this one of my competition pieces this year.

"But wait, Tim,  that's a Mechanical Horse he's riding, not a Pegasus…"

I know, I know.  That's where the "concepting" comes in.  Look below...

This is typically how I start a conversion project.  I will grab an image off the interwebz, in this case straight from the GW site itself, and begin sketching out ideas.  I used to print the images out, about a half dozen at a time to try different thoughts and ideas, and then compare them to each other.  With my recent discovery of a severe dust allergy I have, I've taken to sketching out these ideas on my iPad.  

That, and it's just plain fun to do it on the iPad.  Maybe it will help justify the cost of the newer model this year to my wife…maybe…hopefully…probably not…moving on.

After I've sketched out enough versions, be they 2 or 20, to get a good idea of how I want the piece to look, I begin to make a shopping list of materials that I might need to accomplish the project.  This includes other kits and bitz I want to consider using aside from the core figure.  Here's the list I came up with:

Engineer on Mechanical Mount
Plastic General Kit
Cheap Watches to take apart for Gears
Brass rod
Plastic rod
Plastic tube
Plasticard sheets
Strip styrene

Not too long of a grocery list, after all.  Keep in mind, this is just a list of possible needs for this project.  Not all may be used, and some may be added.  

Keep an eye out for more articles similar to this one for a variety of projects this year.  I always say that I grow more as a hobbyist and an artist with feedback from outside sources, so why not share the starting points of my ideas more, eh?

- Tim

6 comments:

  1. Loving it! Very much looking forward to seeing this progress : )

    Cheers
    Dave

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  2. http://www.hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=steampunk-parts-25g~hfcogs25&category=accessories~steampunk-stuff

    Waaaaaaaaaaaay easier than trying to salvage parts out of watches. I only wish I had bought two or three more bags.

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  3. Very cool idea, Tim! I think the third pic with the sliding plates forming the majority of the wings is the right way to go. Looking forward to seeing it come together!

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  4. Dave - Really appreciate it, thank you! Especially coming from such an Empire Enthusiast, and insane converter, as yourself. :)

    Fiend - ooooo.... oh.. oh I'm sorry. I just had to stop the drooling. consider that ordered, and thank you!!

    Mordian - Really? the one with the wing plates and feathers only bordering the wing? Hmm... I wasn't leaning that way myself, but you're making me go back and re-evaluate that. See, this is why I stress that I love feedback. Thanks :)

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  5. Interesting and novel idea. Haven't seen much of this model since it was first released. You might be on to something with this as it will definitely drastically improve the basic figure. Looking forward to see how this pans out.

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  6. Tim, it's the noob here. What about a cross bread between the two. Where the plates are not as big or that some of the feathers maybe larger. Like it melds from a plate like an accordian into actual feathers. Maybe much more of a progression / transition from plate at base to full feather at tips.

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