Phoenix Phollies

This is the Milkmaid.

It's hot in the barn as she
gets ready for work. The
shadows and highlights you
see are not entirely due to
the lighting but are painted
into all my figures.

She is a 120mm pewter figure
which I mounted on a piece of
walnut. Looks like it needs a
little oiling. The hay is chopped
up pieces of dried grass.
One of the hardest things in
figure painting is doing the hair.
Blondes are not yellow nor are
brunettes black. There are many
shades, shadows and highlights.
Remember you can't paint
individual strands but you have to
have locks to be realistic.

Here's a little historical footnote:
before vaccination against
chickenpox and smallpox was
discovered milkmaids were known
for their perfect complexion whereas
most people had scarred faces. Why
was unknown.
The reason is that they were
naturally vaccinated against the
diseases because of their close
association with cows.
Turns out vaccines were later made
from infected cow serum.

Another bit of detailing you might not have thought about is translucence. Note how the breasts and
nipples show through the fabric, yet you can still see the white of the blouse. Fun isn't it?

Phoenix Phollies also has a series of
60mm figures called Atlantis. This figure
is mounted on a landscaped piece of
walnut. The water and the rocks are
sculpted using Durham's Water Putty.

"... and if I refuse?".
From the Atlantis series.

The walls and sink area are
Durham's Water Putty on foam
core. Note how the stones are
different colors and sizes. The
dishes are Phoenix details but
the scraps of food are Fimo.
The wall decorations are bits
of costume jewelry.

This is the School Marm. She reminds me of my 12th grade teacher.

Note the play of light in
the hair which makes it
more realistic than a
plain color would.
Notice also the subtle
tan lines in front and
yum, back.

NOW you can go ahead
and concentrate on her
tan lines, it's legitimate.

The cane got lost
somehow and I replaced
it with a bit of wire
before I took the
pictures, that's why it
doesn't match the rest.

Nylons are not solid,
they let flesh color
show through.

NO, CONCENTRATE
ON THE STOCKINGS.

This is done by
mixing the original
flesh color with a
light brown to darken
it. Also note the still
darker top seam.
They look real don't
they?

NO, I MEAN THE
NYLONS ! Sheesh.