M_S_Statues

Hello friends and community!

This week was all about bringing the chessboard to life.

I started by painting all of the black squares using AK Interactive Intense Black. For this step, I used my Artis Opus Series S Size 4 brush, which is one of my favorites because it holds a lot of paint while still maintaining an incredibly fine tip. That combination makes it perfect for painting clean, straight edges on small details like the chessboard.

I have to admit, though, painting this week was a bit of a challenge. With temperatures well above 40°C (104°F) in my workspace, keeping the paint at the right consistency required a little extra patience.

Once all of the black squares were finished, I began adding some subtle aging to the board. Using an Artify Size 5 drybrush together with AK 11119 Cork, I lightly drybrushed the surface to introduce a bit of weathering and make the chessboard feel older and more natural.

After I was happy with the result, I sealed everything with Mr. Super Clear Gloss, followed by Kaleido Color Works Matte Clear Coat to protect the paintwork while restoring the matte finish I was aiming for.

With the board finished, I moved on to the wooden frame. Here I worked with several different shades of brown, gradually building up the color through multiple layers and drybrushing to give the wood more depth, texture, and character.

Finally, I painted the chess pieces in grey and black. At the moment, I’m still not completely sure if this will be their final color scheme. I may decide to repaint them later depending on how they fit with the overall composition once more of the statue comes together. Sometimes it’s better to wait until more elements are finished before making those final artistic decisions.

Overall, I’m really happy to finally see another important part of the base coming together. Every completed section makes the whole project feel one step closer to becoming the final collectible I have in mind.

That’s it for this week’s update!

I’ll see you all next week, and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Peace out!