rkennerley Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 That is some great work with the log I can't wait to see what you do with the birds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 very nice progressing there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 This is looking so good!!! Well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Looking very good there Jorgen. Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Fantastic job, Jorgen. That looks just brilliant, and so realistic. My take on the bases is that they're sort of like "sectioned" models -- it's not a short bit of twig balancing on a stone, but a longer one resting on it, that has been sectioned to remove the extraneous bits (that's how I justified it to myself, anyway!). One word of warning... it's really easy to knock leaves off as you are working on the model or transporting it! bestest, M. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Like you I felt the base was unrealistic for the very same reasons so chose to use the log alone. Matthew's philisophical explination works well though so perhaps I'll revisit this one and use the flowers somehow to add a little colour. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Wonderful stuff. I bought my mrs one of these bird kits I think it's a robin. Very nice to see these made up. Something different. I suppose you don't have to worry about shape issues, technical drawings, panel lines etc lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Many thanks for all the kind praise guys! I've been looking at the base over the last few days and I'm really happy with how it turned out now. Today I printed a gallery of Bullfinch photos that have now replaced the fire wood and stone on my workbench as inspiration. I'm getting a little more comfortable with how I will start the paintwork. A little more that is... Fantastic job, Jorgen. That looks just brilliant, and so realistic. My take on the bases is that they're sort of like "sectioned" models -- it's not a short bit of twig balancing on a stone, but a longer one resting on it, that has been sectioned to remove the extraneous bits (that's how I justified it to myself, anyway!). One word of warning... it's really easy to knock leaves off as you are working on the model or transporting it! bestest, M. Thanks Matthew. I agree completely with your section thoughts, and that's how I always try to see my bases. I had no problem with that regarding the stone this time; as in the model we see what is above the horizontal section line through the stone. What got problematic for me is that the log has sculpted cuts in both ends representing sawing and breaking, instead of plain ends representing the "section cuts" in the scenery. On the other hand I guess I would have complained about the lack of detail in the cuts if it had been moulded that way... Anyway I've come to terms with the base now; what we see is indeed this little section with the birds cut out from its world, and we don't really know what happens outside it. More important though is that I can see it is a relaxing build and an interesting paint challenge. Handling the finished model looks frightening indeed. Will be interesting take it to a show, probably need some custom made packaging like my figures. Like you I felt the base was unrealistic for the very same reasons so chose to use the log alone. Matthew's philisophical explination works well though so perhaps I'll revisit this one and use the flowers somehow to add a little colour. I think Matthew thoughts is the way to see it. The flowers worked better that I dared hope, even if there are limitations given the parts nature. We'll see how this base turns out when the birds are finished, there is a chance that the base could look cluttered and detract from the birds themselves. Time will tell. Wonderful stuff. I bought my mrs one of these bird kits I think it's a robin. Very nice to see these made up.Something different. I suppose you don't have to worry about shape issues, technical drawings, panel lines etc lol Haha, well, at least the drawing references and the like could be avoided. But soon there were other reference thoughts replacing it all, so I'm not sure my modelling life got any easier. But it certainly got more varied, I really like the build. Indeed there is a pair of Robins too, I have them in my stash and they will no doubt also make a nice build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thats realy nice Jorgen, if the birdies ll end half as good as the beautiful base, it ll be already awesome! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Lovely work Jorgen I built the Bullfinches as a child, and have picked up the kit and the Blue Tits as well subsequently. I'll be interested to see how you tackle the paint work. That said I don't think I've seen a real Bullfinch since the late 70's when I lived in the countryside! I have also though with some little tweaks, to bill and head shape and different paint job, other members of the finch family could be done.... cheers T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thanks Troy. I think the Blue Tits are the most attractive of the three Airfix pairs released, partly as one of them have the wings spread and they also have lovely colours, and they are tough little birds who are not so afreid. We have lot's of them eating in our garden (an old country side farm) all the time. The Bullfinches are much more rare, we usually see only a couple of them in the winter if it's quite cold, then they come to eat, but this year we haven't seen one. They are probably around here somewhere, but they are much more shy. It's an interesting thought to make other birds from these kits, I'm sure many could be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks Troy. I think the Blue Tits are the most attractive of the three Airfix pairs released, partly as one of them have the wings spread and they also have lovely colours, and they are tough little birds who are not so afreid. We have lot's of them eating in our garden (an old country side farm) all the time. The Bullfinches are much more rare, we usually see only a couple of them in the winter if it's quite cold, then they come to eat, but this year we haven't seen one. They are probably around here somewhere, but they are much more shy. It's an interesting thought to make other birds from these kits, I'm sure many could be done. The Blue Tits could easily be the basis of some very interesting models http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paridae With the exception of the three monotypic genera Sylviparus, Melanochlora and Pseudopodoces, the tits are extremely similar in appearance, and have been described as "one of the most conservative avian families in terms of general morphology" For example the Blue Tit with a new paint job becomes an Azure Tit, it's Eastern counterpart. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_Tit I think I might have to do that one myself if I ever get round to it... while hunting about, I found there is a Southern species as well Yellow Breasted Tit http://www.flickr.com/photos/francesco_veronesi/9017388295/in/photostream/ But a bit of searching I'm sure would turn up some other interesting ones, I'm used to the ones in my European Bird Guide, and it's only with this thread i had a look on wiki about the entire family. given Alex Gordon's milliputing skills on his Kingfisher build, perhaps he's like a crack at this one Crested Tit, Found in Scotland, and a quick check of a distribution map, Sweden as well. one that could be done with a Bullfinch, and would look very different, the Two Barred Crossbill, which I think is seen in Sweden, the commoner Red Crossbill is bit bigger....that beak would be interesting to do! Yes, it is does cross over, used for extracting seeds from pine cones! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-barred_Crossbill This thread has also led me astray with Hobbylinkjapan.... I got a Little Owl and Woodpecker for just over £ 12 post paid! cheers T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 I still haven't painted... but after looking at the printed photos almost daily I mixed up some paint tonight that I think will work as the base coats of red. I wanted to use the same base in the mix for both the male and female to sort of keep them together. Not sure if that's the right way, but I will start with these and see what happens. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Looks to me like you have photos of an adult and juvenile male bird there. The female has a brown breast that extends further behind the leg and up in front of the wing with a green back rather than the blue of the male. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Looks to me like you have photos of an adult and juvenile male bird there. The female has a brown breast that extends further behind the leg and up in front of the wing with a green back rather than the blue of the male. Hmm, that might be the case of course. It was clearly labeled a female where I found it, which means nothing as it was on some private photo blog page. I'll have to check the other photos I printed out and compare. Not sure if there any differences between the sub sub species? I think we have Pyrrhula pyrrhula pyrrhula in Sweden while theey are Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata in UK, according to Wikipedia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The lower picture is an adult though isn't it? The juveniles don't have the black cap. Maybe it's in low-vis camoflague? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 To me the two pictures looks like the adult males and females we see in Sweden when they are making short visits at our feeding place during the winter, but I'm not 100% sure, nor do I have knowledge about birds outside givning them food and enjoying their precense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Afraid I'm only going with personal experience of Scottish species and even that's going back to a time when I lived out in the countryside where we were surounded by them. These days all I see are sparrows and starlings so I'll happily bow out to those with greater understanding of the subject but didn't want to see you start painting then have to re-do any of the colours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 I'm really happy you brought the issue up as I don't have any real knowledge myself, so I may very well pick the wrong reference pictures and regret colour choices later. We only see a few Bullfinches every the winter, this year none I think, so my memory is not to be trusted. I would be most happy to get tips on good pictures online of adult males vs. females. I will also ask one my young nephews, who is very much into bird spotting, to point me to some good references. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/bullfinch/ http://www.natureconservationimaging.com/Pages/nature_conservation_imaging_woodland_hedgerow_birds.htm How about those as a start? Apologies, the last thing I want to start is rivet-counting of authentic finch shades. The one of the male and female together shows the female as being rather like a male but with the colours muted, I've always thought that they do still have the pink hue. But I just know that you are going to make a fantastic job of this! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 I have at least made a start now. Using my previous mixes I first gave them both a base coat, then followed that by introducing some variations, mixing in red or pink for the male and light brown or green for the female. It doesn't stand out much here, I may increase it later. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Gordon Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Looking good so far,it's a complex job getting them to look just right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Thanks Alex. Yes, I think this might be tricky. We'll see where it goes. Done a little bit more. Next will be some dry brushing of the wings before removing the masking. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 And yet a bit more done. It's difficult to reach a good compromise as they hold their slightly too short wings a bit too low, and also the various layers of feathers are not really corresponding well to the references I see... Oh well, I'll paint away a bit more... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_davros Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Very impressive results on the finches Jörgen, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished kit. Cheers, Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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