DEPARTMENTS

Monday, October 27, 2008

Aerofauna Sightings

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For a long time now, I have been wanting to make some aerial life forms for our Aeronef games but have never really jumped into it, until now. While collecting supplies for the construction of the nest huts for my Parrot Men, I ended up with several fake eggs that are too big to use for the Parrot Men (thought might make good 28mm dino eggs). After having initially set them aside, I later took a second look and realized that they looked like some sort of giant floating gas bag creatures.

Taking some putty and extra wire to make a trailing tendril and some fin-like flanges. I then drilled a few holes and made some quick wire flight bases. The end result is a collection of bulbous creatures with squiggly tails out the back. Unfortunately, as you can see that also bear a very unflattering resemblance to giant flying sperm. Ah well, they are still cool looking.

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The larger creature pictured above was made out of a small deco squash. Using the same technique as used on the smaller creatures above, I made the trailing wire look a bit more organic, added a flange to the base. I wanted this creature to be a bit more menacing, however. If the smaller ones were analogous to porpoises then this was going to be like a giant squid.

Drilling several holes on the front of the squash, I then bent up several pieces of wires of a mostly uniform length so that they looked alive. I glued them into place inside the holes and applied a layer of putty around the area to reinforce that weak material where the holes had been drilled. Whatever the squash was made out of was very brittle once compromised and I found the holes basically tore out once I started trying to fit the tentacles. The tentacles were then arranged in a swept back manner to show the creature was in motion. I then based up my giant floating predator on a quickly made wire flight base.

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This passive floater was done using the same techniques as the others but this time I was able to integrate the wire that came attached to the deco squash into the tendril mass suspended below it. I then added sprigs of fake berries arounf the bottom of the main body. This added a nice effect, even after the spray paint melted the berries (always check to make sure what sort of material your components are made of!).

I plan to do more creatures and will post them as I get them finished but I hope you have enjoyed the first glimpse into the majestic beasts that inhabit the skies of our Aeronef campaign world of Terra Secundus.

Watch the skies,

-Eli

10 comments:

  1. Brilliant - I will copying these for my own Aeronef game, just brilliant.

    I had looked at usiing the GW Chaos Screamers, but at £18.00 for three this is just stupid!

    Thanks

    Tony

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  2. Thank you for your kind words, Tony. It really was a flash in the pan idea that paid off. Aren't those the best?

    The screamers are nice, but you can accomplish the same effect with cheap plastic rays and some clever modelling.

    -Eli

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  3. Serendipity, my good man, serendipity!

    An excellent notion, and they look smashing, if a bit, erm... phallic? Perhaps not the precise word I am searching for, but you catch my menaing I am sure.

    Still, top notch stuff, Mr. Arndt!

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  4. I can't take the blame for the basic shapes. That for you and the almighty to sort out.

    The inspiration for their design actually falls to a book I read in my younger days where the author and illustrator had speculated what like would have to be like to exist on the various planets in our solar system. For Jupiter they had envisioned these massive gravity-defying gas bags that floated in the upper atmosphered.

    Mine are like that but they are actually antigravitic. I am planning on doing some more structured aerofauna using various aqua-form plastic toys (sharks, whales, dolphins, rays, etc).

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  5. Hi Eli

    I've finished the first Aeronef Fauna - a canal stinger.

    Built from a wooden airfreshener apple, broom bristles and some wire. It was great fun - thank you for the inspiration - I'lll try to get photos uploaded before the weekend.

    It is amazing how your simple creatures have pushed me to start looking at ever-day objects and what they would look like if converted in to flying gas bags!

    Once again - thank you

    Tony

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  6. Thank you for your kind words, Tony. Having seen your work, they mean a lot.

    I should also take this moment to retur nthe thanks for having done something very similar for me. The varied sources for your Flash Gordon project really helped me open up my eyes to other potential sources for miniatures.

    Can't wait to see you fauna.

    -Eli

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  7. Eli

    Your comment about a floating raft type creature has got me thinking;

    What about using a scouring pad- these are usually green, but I have seen white and blue varieties. Tear the square pad in to a more organic shape and pull it apart into a less uniform shape.Then ad life-forms in to the surface of the pad - I was thinking more eggs or small plastic balls. To gove the structure some strength - you could add florist wire tendrils from the balls and inter-woven with the pad surface.

    The creature could be up to 6inches x 6inches and if you were able to get the white scouring pads - it would be so much easier to paint.

    What do you think?

    Option two - is to use snow covering material - like the white fillers you get inside warm-weather clothing, but this would be less stable.

    Tony

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  8. Tony,

    That scouring pad idea sounds like it will do the trick nicely. I hade been using clusters of tiny balls for the whole thing but it really just ended up looking like a cluster of tiny balls and not a creature.

    Thanks for the idea,

    -Eli

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  9. Brilliant stuff Eli- very nice. All very inspiring - thanks!

    I'll post a link to my blog

    Yours in a white wine sauce,
    Tas

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  10. Thank you very much. I do occasionally still get some VSF stuff out there. Hope to have more coming out.

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