I finally finished my Styrofoam ball Beholder Prototype -- after seven years… Real life really cramps my hobby fun.
Photo1 Face on.
Photo2 From slightly below, an upshot, showing a bit of the mouth carved into it.
Photo3 Comparison photo showing a 28mm D&D pre-painted miniature, to give an idea of its size and scale.
I took fuzzy brown, pipe cleaners, glued googly eyes from Michaels Craft Stores to the ends, stuck them into the ball's surface, to create 10 eye stalks. I found colored pupil, googly eyes, at Michaels, as well -- I used these for the central, large eye.
I applied Hot Glue to the surface, to create the raised, divisions segmenting the body into different portions. I painted the Hot Glue portions black, the body surface an orangish-color. I applied Royal Walnut Minwax Polyshades urethane stain over the whole body, to seal, stain, and wash it.
I Hot Glued a wooden dowel to a 50mm MDF square base, using the same Hot Glue to attach the ball to the top of the dowel.
I used a Hot Wire Wand to cut out a mouth into the surface of the ball. I painted the inside of the mouth red. I skipped the teeth, as to me, these are often overdone, and distracting from the rest of the model.
If I do add teeth to the models (I have around 10 of them, in process), I will use the sharpened ends of toothpicks, but I will keep them very short, to keep them subtle.
The base is textured by painting Wood Glue onto its surface, then swirling it in a mixture of 2-3 green colors of sand, with model RR ballast mixed in, as rocks.
Will it win any contests? No…
Was it fun to make? YES!
To be honest, it reminds me of a Sesame Street Muppet.
"Kermit, The Frog, here… AAAaaaggghhh--"
ZAP!
"Mmm… Frog legs!"
It makes me laugh, frequently. I suspect it will make others laugh, as well. It is decidedly based on 1e AD&D, and that is by design. I love the 1e version the most. The 1e Monster Manual drawing is comical, to me, and I think I captured at least some of that humor in my models. Cheers!
