# Site General > Off-topic Cafe > Creative Corner >  Tried something a little different, paint

## Valvaren

A few weeks ago I had picked up some acrylic paint with the hopes of using it to make small and intricate details on pieces. Not waiting to ruin a piece on my first shot I just made up a blank ball python and painted it. I was hooked, painting is super fun and allows for much more fluid markings and lets so much more detail through then just the clay.

Check them out and I would love your thoughts on my newer work compared to my older stuff.

*First Painted Piece, Normal ball python*


*LOVE the head detail on this one* 


*The paint allows for much more fluidity so I finally tried a bumblebee, this guy has pink in his heat pits and everything!*


*And finally its been so long since I did a Carpet so I made up this little Jaguar who has quite the mean look about him, love this one too.*



Thank you so much for looking  :Very Happy: !

----------

_Alicia_ (07-12-2014),_DNACurtusK_ (06-17-2014),dr del (06-16-2014),MarkS (06-16-2014),_Mr Oni_ (06-18-2014),_Pyrate81_ (10-07-2014),Sammiebob (10-03-2014),sezmra (08-01-2014),_Wapadi_ (06-19-2014)

----------


## NH93

Oh my goodness! Those are INCREDIBLE. Ahhh!!!
 :Very Happy: 
I would definitely love to buy one of those... you don't happen to be taking the long trip to Toronto for the 2014 CRBE by chance? If you were I bet you could set up a booth and sell out of those within the first hour of the first day.

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you very much NH93  :Embarassed:   :Very Happy: ,  I'll pm you. I wont be making it to CRBE this year but i'm seriously thinking about trying for next year, perhaps I should start looking into that a bit more closely  :Very Happy: . Thank you again, I'm really glad you like my work, it means a lot.

----------

NH93 (06-16-2014)

----------


## Stewart_Reptiles

Love the San francisco garter snake  :Good Job:

----------


## AlexisFitzy

These are some gorgeous pieces!  :Very Happy:  I'd love to have one of everything. They look amazing and so detailed and realistic. Great job. I'll have to find where you are so I can get some. I need some more accessories. You can never have too many 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Darkbird

Im not into that sort of thing, but those look great, and I can guarantee my wife would buy one or two.

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you Deborah, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite creations  :Very Happy: !

Thank you very much AlexisFitzy  :Very Happy:  I'll send you a pm!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-16-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you DarkBird! I don't just do jewelry, i've been trying to get back into making my lightswitch covers as well, hope to have a few of those up soon, i've been trying to practice so I can paint the cover itself with a realistic background.

----------


## AlexisFitzy

> Thank you very much AlexisFitzy  I'll send you a pm!


Yay thanks so much  :Very Happy:  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Pythonfriend

really awesome  :Smile: 

but how is this paint different from the paint you used earlier? or did you earlier only use different versions of the material with inherently different color?

maybe a good source for how to be more detailed would be all that games workshop stuff...  warhammer 40k and the like...

just for fun, a random image, the whole thing is less than 2 centimeters in height, less than 2/3 of an inch:




and this is not even near the top. when you really want to go detailed, the fan websites for games workshop painting and warhammer 40.000 painting have the top resources and knowledge base for miniature painting. some of them take it to the extreme. there are these knights on horseback, in total maybe 4 centimeters high, which carry a banner that is maybe 6 millimeters by 5 millimeters, and they put a painting on the banner. 

if you want to take the detail level of painting to a new level, this is where you should look for further information.

EDIT: oh, and...  sculptors of miniatures that can sculpt at this detail level and this incredibly small size exist in the same communities.

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you PythonFriend for the information, I've only started painting, that Jaguar Carpet was only my 5 painting attempt so i'm still learning how to use the paints in general. I'll look into those workshops but I find sometimes its easier for me to learn from piece to piece, i'm bad at learning when its not hands on haha but I appreciate the info  :Very Happy:  There is some amazing talent out there, i don't know if I could ever make something like that and that tiny to boot!

All of the pieces i've posted before this thread weren't painted, all the details on them were done with colored polymer clays, this gaboon for instant was done with 7 layers of different colors clays, it was 6+ hours of work.



 I got into the painting because I had thought about using the paint for super tiny details as it would be easier to add really tiny flecks of colors say like on a GTP rather then having to go through and do it all by hand with the clay. I made up the normal as a practice to see how the paint would work so that I wouldn't end up ruining one of my clay pieces and ended up really liking the painting. I still plan on doing both completely clay pieces while offering the painted pieces as well as doing a mix of both mediums. They both have a lot of offer and I plan on sticking with both mediums.

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-16-2014),Pythonfriend (06-17-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Tried an albino Blood, the color was something I could never really get with clay being an orangy/pinky red mix but paint I think got the job done :

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-17-2014)

----------


## Pythonfriend

WOW, im speechless, i didnt realize that you did the gaboon with different colors of the polymer clay, that makes it even more awesome!

when you first posted it i misunderstood and believed you used 7 layers of paint. you really have an awesome technique there  :Smile: 

one little note: its not a workshop, "games workshop" is the company that produces and sells the miniatures, made from tin or plastic. they produce these tabletop games, like warhammer 40000 and the lord of the rings tabletop game. and they are all sold unpainted, but people want to play with beautifully painted miniatures. there are monthly magazines with painting instructions, there are professionals that auction their painted miniatures online. they even have competitions where every participant gets some new and special figure, and the community then votes on who did the best paintjob. and in the "games workshop" stores, you typically have a few people sitting around painting their minatures, while others play the tabletop games, they also have some nicely painted figures on display in each store. they also sell the paint and the incredibly fine brushes and the tools you need for microsculpting and everything.

its a really big community, and the miniature painting and teaching each other how to do it is a big part of it, you can find video tutorials and books and magazines and online forums. a good friend of mine is quite a fan and has a nice collection of miniatures that he painted himself, i think he does the miniature painting for a few hours each week and has been doing it for over 10 years now, so his skill level is really high.

a quick search revealed this tutorial:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGy_QO9K8nw  im not suggesting you actually watch it, its 40 minutes, but you can skip to the end and look at the end result, and skip around in the video a bit to see the different brushes and techniques she uses.

often they use paint just like you would expect, you put it on with a brush and where it sticks you get the color. but they also use inks, before they dry they will flow into crevaces and away from smooth surfaces. not any ink will function like this and turn waterproof afterwards, its a very specialized type of inks. so if you have a scaly texture and use a green ink, the crevaces between the scales get a very dark green while the tops of the scales get a very bright green. and the opposite of that is dry brushing, they use the regular paint with a special brush when the paint is almost dried out. it only sticks to the areas that stand out, so with a scaly texture, it would only go on top of the scales and not between them. so when you give one of these experts a scaly surface texture, they would use a foundation color, then an ink, and then dry brush it, and make it look really scaly and 3-dimensional without painting any individual scale. they also have ways to make really metallic and shiny surfaces, not just in silver and gold but in all colors, and they can make it look semi-transparent. basically a real pro could do a brasilian ranbow boa with the iridescence, except that the iridescence wont move.

dont forget that after you are done, you have to give the whole thing a transparent coating, so that the paint doesnt flake off too easily and lasts long, even when you touch it. there is a special product for it, its completely invisible when used correctly, i dont remember what its called, but its quite important to get this right, otherwise your masterpiece might look really scratched up just after a day of wearing it. thats actually a huge benefit of your technique of using different colors of clay, im sure your paintjobs are extremely durable this way. 

i like the idea of combining different techniques. for example, you could do a normal BP and use your technique to put in the pattern, then make the surface smooth, then add a scaly structure to the surface, and then bake it to make it hard. and then use a light brown ink over the whole thing, so that the scales really come out and the structure becomes visible. there are no limits, you could really take this all the way to a photorealistic look if you figure out the right techniques.

----------


## xFenrir

WOW!!!  :Surprised:  They're gorgeous!!

Any chance you ship to the US?  :Very Happy:

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you very much xFenrir  :Very Happy:  I do ship to the states  :Very Happy:  i'll send you a pm.

Another little ball python pendant I made up for a commission, I love how the painting let me get that nice little fade on the sides from grey to white that the real critter has

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-19-2014),NH93 (06-18-2014),Sammiebob (10-03-2014)

----------


## Mr Oni

Damn fine talent. Great looking stuff

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you very much Mr Oni  :Very Happy:  I hope to keep pushing my limits and making more awesome stuff  :Very Happy:

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-18-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Little hypo burmese python pendant and a desert phase cal king

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-19-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Made up a little Desert Pinstripe, I love how clean and bright they are! :

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-21-2014),Sammiebob (10-03-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Decided to try and painted up a little reticulated python. Ended up picking an Albino Sun Citron Tiger, hope you all like him :

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (06-23-2014)

----------


## Charlottesmom1966

Those are friggin' AWESOME!!!  :Bowdown:  

I used to do monkeys in polymer clay, but I adore your snakes!

----------


## Valvaren

Sorry Clarlottesmom1966 for the late reply, I would love to see pictures of the monkeys you used to make if you have any! And thank you for the kind words!

Sorry for the slow posting, had quite a few commissions come up so things have been busy. Just a few of the commissions i've made since my last post : 

First off Beau the Pinstripe and Sydney the Snow Corn I did up for a member here ( I hope she doesn't mind that I posted them  :Sad:   )






A Cribo I did for a member on another forum 



And Enchi Clown I made up after seeing The Reptile Report feature a picture of one bred by Casey Lazik



Random little Parrot I made up 



Commission of Chedder the Viper Boa



And finally my first tegu piece which the commissioner wanted made out of solid clay so this little guy isn't painted but like my older work is layered colored clays,

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (07-02-2014),NH93 (07-12-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Few Other commissions done, thank you very much for looking  :Very Happy: !

----------


## NH93

Love my Sydney and Beau!!!!  :Very Happy:

----------

Valvaren (08-01-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Really late reply but thank you NH93, Beau is still one of my favorite pieces i've made!


Just some newer work over the last few weeks

----------


## Valvaren

Few more pieces I did the last few days. I was in the mood for a bit more on the colorful side and I could use a few more lizard pieces in my shop as well. Thus I made up this little Brazilian Rainbow Boa and Peacock Day Gecko (I love his feet).






Thanks for looking  :Very Happy: !

----------


## Montypython696

Wow you are so talented. Those look amazing.!

----------


## Valvaren

> Wow you are so talented. Those look amazing.!


Thank you very much Montypython696  :Very Happy: !

----------


## Valvaren

Just a few more colorful pieces, a Bredli Python, Green Anaconda, and an Extreme Hypo Honduran Milk.

----------


## Valvaren

The last week i've made what I consider to be my two best pieces to date. I've been really trying to focus on heads, I've always felt that was a weak point of mine. I'm extremely happy with both of these, more then I can say and I can't wait to keep working on my heads and see just how good I can make them!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (08-19-2014),Sammiebob (10-03-2014),_Sirensong26_ (10-03-2014)

----------


## AlexisFitzy

Wow these are amazing!! ^^^ I love the detail you put on the heads it looks great  :Very Happy:  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you  :Very Happy: ! I'm really glad you like the head detail!! I'm really hoping to keep the same level up with my other pieces!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (08-19-2014)

----------


## AlexisFitzy

> Thank you ! I'm really glad you like the head detail!! I'm really hoping to keep the same level up with my other pieces!


Haha I just didn't think they could get any better because they already are so fantastic and then BAM! There it is lol just went to the next level if amazing 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## NetalianSoda

Amazing work! Looking forward to owning one myself one day! :Very Happy:

----------


## Valvaren

> Haha I just didn't think they could get any better because they already are so fantastic and then BAM! There it is lol just went to the next level if amazing 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 :Embarassed:  Thank you so much for the kind words AlexisFitzy, I am really glad you like the new pieces and that the detail makes that much difference! I hope to be able to continue the trend with others pieces. Thanks again  :Very Happy: !


@NetalianSoda : Thank you  :Very Happy:  I look forward to making you something in the future!!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (08-19-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Figured I was due to make a BCI, this little one looks even better in person!!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (08-20-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Just some newer stuff

Another commissioned GTP 


 



Hognose are really really popular haha


New and improved Reticulated python

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (09-03-2014),Sammiebob (10-03-2014)

----------


## AlexisFitzy

Wow these are amazing!! I love them all but the retic & hoggy are my favorite  :Smile:  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## oskyle1567

Love that retic awesome

----------


## gaiaeagle

I would be interested in finding out how much for a Gaboon pendent. I think your work is amazing.

----------


## Valvaren

AlexisFitzy - Thank you very much  :Very Happy: ! The hoggy was very popular, I honestly cannot keep them in stock! I really enjoyed doing the retic but they are always fun, I think a purple or white phase albino is next on my list.

oskyle1567 - Thank you  :Very Happy: ! I am quite happy with my improvement since my last painted retic, they really are one of my favorites to paint!

gaiaeagle  - I'll pm you some info on the gaboon  :Very Happy:  and thank you i'm really glad you like my work!!

----------


## Valvaren

Few more newer pieces including my first ever Tarantula that I am super super happy with! I see more Ts in my future for sure!!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (09-30-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Just some more new pieces.

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (09-30-2014),_Alicia_ (09-30-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

It was about time I tried some young Green Tree python neonates :

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (10-03-2014),_Rob_ (10-06-2014),Sammiebob (10-03-2014)

----------


## Sammiebob

I thought the gtp's were real!!! That's amazing!

----------

Valvaren (10-06-2014)

----------


## SnowShredder

These are so cool!!! Wow! You do an amazing job

----------

Valvaren (10-06-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

*Sammiebob* - Haha! Awesome, thank you so much i'm really glad you 
liked them!

*SnowShredder* - Thank you very much! I'm hoping to experiment with some
other color varieties of GTPs soon.

----------


## Rob

So cool! Great stuff

----------

Valvaren (10-07-2014)

----------


## Valvaren

Thank you very much Rob!

----------


## Valvaren

Just some newer stuff, including my first cobra and crested gecko!

----------

_AlexisFitzy_ (10-13-2014),NetalianSoda (10-13-2014),Pansnake (10-14-2014)

----------

