discovers a lost dinosaur.
I was originally going to leave off the shield, but decided to use it as part of the base.
The shield starts with the brass boss using a similar series of colors as the standard. The rest of the shield was coated with a mix of Black and Walnut (Shield1), and the rim was edged with Burnt Sienna.
Most of the shield patterns seem to be war scenes, buildings, or large figures. I chose the easy road and went for monuments. They were outlined in a medium gray (Shield2) (Photo 19B). I finished off with some light gray highlights (Shield3), two small plaques from Brass and Tomato Spice, and a highlight to the rim with a mix of Burnt Sienna, Cinnamon, and AC Flesh (Shield4) - as seen in Photo 18C.
I recently found two-inch fender washers at Lowe's (Home Depot maxes out at 1.5"), and decided to do a more scenic base. I've also been experimenting with cork as a base material (I know... I'm behind the rest of the world on this). In Photo 19A you can see the washer and a disk of cork I cut from a 1/16"-thick coaster. I nibbled a rough edge onto this disk, and epoxied it onto the washer. 19B also shows a disk cut from 3/16" cork that's courser in texture (from yet another coaster).
I took the 3/16" thick disk, and gave it a beveled edge by pinching the edge and tearing up. You can see the results in Photo 20B.
This disk, as well as another chunk, are glued together, and little bits of GW gravel scattered along the edge. Once the glue is dry, the base is given a coat of primer and then given a basecoat of Raw Sienna and White (Base1) (Photo 21A).
Next, a wash of Peat Moss Ink (Base2) is shown in Photo 21B. As this is a large figure, I wanted to convey a little more texture to the base than drybrushing usually provides. I decided to try using a small piece of sponge to dab on two mixes of Antique White and Raw Sienna (Base3 & 4). I like how this came out, though the photos don't do it justice. I finished off with edging the washer in Black.
Final Touches
I added clumps of Hudson & Allen tall grass and a few clumps of static grass (a 4:1 mix of winter and fall grass) to the base. The figure was glued together with 5-minute epoxy and placed on the base.
The straps on the standard were bent slightly, to make it look like they are in motion as the Signifer braces for the next barbarian onslaught. The Signifer has dropped his shield where it lies nestled in the grass.
This figure has really grown on me, and is now my favorite. There is a certain dynamic nature to it that I missed on first viewing. I especially like the sculpting on the sport helmet, which I think stands up well against many 54mm military miniatures.
In closing, I would like to again thank Alpha and TMP for this opportunity. I've learned a lot about painting, a lot about digital photography, and a lot about the period. Thanks to my worthy competitors, whose efforts have taught me and pushed me harder. And a final thanks to all those who voted, or considered voting, for me.