Starbug prize for competition!
The Blue Dwarf Novella Competition finally has a prize! A Blue Dwarf Starbug, modelled in modelling clay. This trophy will be sent through the post to the winner who writes the best BD short story and submits it before April 20th 2009.
Here's how I created the Starbug:
By David Ball
The materials
I start with a pack of green FIMO.
Actually this isn't FIMO, it's cheap FIMO. I wanted the proper stuff because I've used that before and know it's awesome, but the craft shop in Derby i went to only had this.
The colour is perfect for a Starbug though!
Starbugs are easy shapes to make because all the bits are round!
So I started by rolling lots of green balls. The stuff is quite sticky so it sticks together pretty well at first, but the shape i'm making is long and can't support it's own weight - especially on Starbug's tiny little legs. The legs will have to wait until last.
I was worried that the Starbug wouldn't all stay together, and some bits of it are quite thin.
So I bought some cheap wire from the garden centre and pushed it through to make a basic skeleton.
I wrap thin folds of the modelling clay around wire for the legs. They still aren't strong enough to support the weight of the entire model though. The wire is pushed into the main body of the Starbug.
Modelling
Tada! A nicely crafted Starbug!
I use the blunt end of a craft knife to score soem panelling and details into the Starbug's hull. This adds texture to a very plain surface otherwise and hopefully distracts you from it's uneven shape and fingerprints!
it's a bit soft though at the moment, so I need to bake it in the oven for it to go rock solid.
DISASTER STRIKES!!
The Starbug fell apart in the oven. Even adding the support wires didn't hold it together.
Most of the component parts make a clean break, but one leg is totally wonky, but it's too late to push it back into shape now as it's almost fully cooked! I decide to let it finish cooking and cool down before attempting to fix any pieces now.
I start to glue the Starbug parts together again using the strongest superglue I can find. I go a bit over-zealous on the glue though and my hands get stuck to it.
Then I stick my fingers together.
The parts seem to stick together fully though, and it seems to be attached firmly to the sturdy base.
Next, I used a wash of Game Workshop's "Devlan Mud" all over the Starbug. This paint is made for small plastic and metal miniatures, but I assume it'll be the same.
It doesnt quite spread exactly how I want it to however. The modelling clay is probably more porous and it gets stained a shade of brown all over. it adds to the effect though, the Starbug now looks dirty - like it's been travelling through space for years!
The Starbug was too clean and green before so the wash of brown which sits nicely in the cracks I created, to highlight them and give it an overall "weathered" look. It's pooled around the Starbug's landing "feet" but doesnt look too bad.
The cracks look best from the top.
The wash didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped, it dried in patches on the back. But at least it gives it a "mucky" look! Each dark patch could be a battle scar, or a near-miss from an asteroid.