I was actually pretty satisfied with how the main tree body had end up, and decided that if I needed to sculpt some more, I'd do it in Milliput. So after I mounted the tree onto the base, I sculpted the roots in Milliput. I thought it would make a nice touch to have a few roots grow over the edge of the display base, and have one root overlap onto the model's base. I added some sand and so far so good.
I have always been fumbling with these display bases - mainly getting the sides clean and black. After I painted it black (you always see some stripes and marks), I'd have to add a layer of gloss varnish for effect, and still it just does not cut it. Then I got this epifany. Really simple actually: I have to spray paint it with ordinary gloss spraycan paint!
I figured that it would be easier to do that now, than after painting, where I would have to mask off a fully painted model and risk peeling off paint when removing the masking tape. So, that is done now. And wow, should have thought of that before! Shiny!
After I pinned Kirai onto her base, I noticed how the sculpt was actually crooked: if the front of her dress was to touch the ground nicely, her back would be way too much off of the ground to be logical. And it would be the other way around just the same! So I had to elongate her dress a bit on the backside. Also, I noticed the decapitated head at her feet. It felt a bit odd, I just couldn't explain how, but I felt the composition was off, with that head placed just there. I added some more cloth to the front end of the dress, the bit where the head is lying on, and that did the trick for me. Still have a hard time to explain just what it was.
Well, I'll be slapping some undercoat on Kirai now, while browsing for some good flock, scatter or leaves to put up in the tree at the end. Any good ideas, someone?
