Happy Easter gents !

I agree with Bernard there David T... Well put indeed.

David LS,
Those spider "things" you posted are called camel spiders. That's probably why you posted them up here. They look nasty, and are "occasionally" fought in little rings... but are not as big as what you posted the photo of. They get to be about the size of a persons hand. This one had better be dead if I were to hold it like this...

This is another version.

Had the spider been sitting next to these it would be a true "Camel" spider...

Great work on the Tiger ! I sincerely love how it is shaping up my friend ...

Wonderful message, David, and one that I'll hold on to. We are all brothers.

Just to prove I actually DO some work on modeling, here's a quick photo of me spending a bit of time on the crew today.

Figures frustrate the hell out of me. I want to do them well and I can see in my head what I want to achieve (I even have a MODICUM of artistic talent). But. But.

My biggest problem is getting paint to properly 'take' to the plastic.

I prepare the figure (soak in soapy water).
I prime the figure.
I have the right paints.

I have good brushes.
I'm patient. Really. Patient.

But it never goes well and I'm always reworking the damned mess that I make.

If anyone has an idea of what I'm doing (or not) - please, as Louis says, I welcome your comments.

David: Definitely a "long" term project. But please tell me when you get started, I will heed the call and message to join you in this voyage. But I don't think I will be around in 120 years. Besides I don't think the world has a 120 years as we know it.

Ah eschatology, my preferred stomping grounds...

The "reset" you speak of, David, is both needed and, I believe, forthcoming, though it carries a price. Jesus called the upheavals (of which I personally believe WWs 1 & 2 figure significantly, especially considering the Shoah in the latter and the (re)birth of Israel, but this is historicism on my part I admit) "the beginning of birth pains," or, as an Orthodox rabbi friend of mine calls them, "the footsteps of the Messiah."

In the mean time, let us ponder the words of the prophet Isaiah:

This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. 10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. 11 O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. 13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. 14 In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. 15 If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you. 16 Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; 17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.” [Isaiah 54]

As for your figurines, my brother, I wonder from the photo what you might be complaining of, and perhaps you'd better lie down on your own couch and have a therapeutic chat with yourself. The lad looks exemplary to me. I commiserate, though: I happen to love figurines (if you'll note, I include them in all my build so far), because they humanize a dehumanizing subject matter. But painting them is always a psychological hurdle. I trust and affirm that you are more than equal to the task.

@David LH: This figurine looks really nice! I know how it feels: Our brain is trained to distill looks on a face, so getting that right is the goal. Whenever there is something not right with the facial expression, it immediately tells. That's a bit the stress of it but practice is the mother of all learning!

@David AT: Thanks for your words, great to have people like you in this community! This Reset, if it is to be bigger than the last World wars is in my view to be expected from natural causes. I am personally very involved with Climate Change even indirectly so professionally integrating renewables with existing power markets. Against its consequences there is no effective defense so prevention is all we can focus on. I hope mankind - in the form of its leadership worldwide - will one day realize spaceship Earth is our only home and that to our children. There is only so much you can do as a citizen with limited resources against a problem having consequences much longer than the lifetime of any administration.

With respect to your very fine painting on this particular figurine (look back on it in a day or two and you'll be delighted, I reckon) , and to the gravity of the conversation, of course (and this magnificent thread currently has 160+ diverse posts on everything from Ungulates to Solfugids, Biblical and literal deluges, your own epiphanies on various modelling disciplines and now world destruction); your man (from a certain angle, in a particular light) looks like he is trying to turn the telly off too! Heroically!

It makes complete sense that your modelling calling will be in expressing yourself through dio's - converting your eloquence to snapshots in plastic will be a challenge you will surely rise to! Looking at posts on iModeler reporting current trends from the various hobby shows, it seems very much that the 'Bloomsian' step from technical ability (which you have in spades) to synthesis and creativity clearly awaits!

Posting number 165...
We still have a little way to go before we get closer to the 500 mark.
The figure painting has to be the hardest part of any build. At least for me. I sincerely appreciate the efforts placed into this as it can be a project in itself. My figures are getting a little better but I still need a lot more practice before I consider mine acceptable.
Yours on the other hand look great David.

How's "Joe" the Camel doing ? I'll bet he's in good company with Lou the dolphin (and his friends).

Excellent work as usual David.

Thanks for the updates.

There's a full scale Ark built up and you can take tours of it. I'm pretty sure that it is located in Kentucky.

One of these days the misses and I will make the trip.