I initially had some trouble locating the main characters I wanted to use for the Shadow Empire. LoPan and the yeren were particularly bothersome. That was until I was made aware of 'The Demons' set from North Star Military Figures (thanks Colin!) for a Fistful of Kung Fu. This was a set that solved all my problems and gave me a few extras to boot. So armed, I could field some of the main villains from Big Trouble in Little China.
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| Hey baby. |
The Yeren, or Chinese wild man, is a kind of demon/orangutan/gorilla/hobo combo. He's a curious wee fella with his sloth-like claws and too-wide mouth, and he adds some much needed colour to the army. I kept the colours pretty close to the movie character, though it took me a couple of attempts before I was happy with the face.
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| Check out his monkey buns. |
That then gives me two of LoPan's retinue done with four more to go. Next up will be a triumvirate of demons, Ching Dai's enforcers. Before that though, I'm taking a short detour for something Heroquesty and something a little seasonal.
There's just the right amount of malevolence in this guy like in his movie counterpart.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
Thanks Mr Assless, he was an enjoyable fellow to paint as he was quite a departure from what I've been doing of late.
DeleteImpressive and wonderful job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil!
DeleteApart from the great paint job, the base is a ripper! Really sets him off :)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot. He sat better on the 30mm base, so I used the extra space to add some tasty bits.
DeleteYou are really going all in on this project, and it's great! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly! I do tend to vanish down the rabbit hole when I find a project I like.
DeleteI'm glad you do. It's makes for interesting reading. ;)
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ReplyDeleteSometimes its best to avoid the "official" colour scheme. Other times its better to embrace the reference and go right on the nose.
That is great, immediately recognisable to any fan of the movie.
If I walked past the army at a convention, it would be the yeren that would make the reference click with me I expect.
Im very excited about seeing Lo Pan painted. Will you go for the glowing eyes and mouth look? Could be tricky, but if it was the glow just as its beginning then it might work better perhaps.
Im rambling. Famntastic work.
Thanks very much, anything that can make someone cop what the theme is without being told is a good thing!
DeleteFor LoPan, his mouth is covered by his arm on the mini, but the eyes could still be made to glow. I may go for that in fact, it would emphasize what features you can see nicely.