Okamakiri
Комментарии
34 20 September 2020, 22:13

Thanks. Today I replaced the overscale barbs on the arms with steel needles and rose thorns, looking much pointier. My pet mantis has molted to a more brownish color and continues gobbling up midges.
25 September 2020, 15:08

The arms are now almost finished. Just the tibias will have to be carefully barbed. It's mostly the tips of the rose thorns. The real mantis is watching with interest, rather to check where I'm keeping its next prey.
26 September 2020, 22:39

Wow, this is an interesting build. Great idea with the spikes as they look much more realistic.
27 September 2020, 00:37

Thanks! I added the spikes on the tibiae and the front feet.
27 September 2020, 22:22

Thanks, Mike! Now the antannas and other appendages are detailed. This is made by repeatedly rolling a knife over a thread.
30 September 2020, 22:50

Thanks, Nathan! For Oliver I have included a few pictures where it is hunting a locust. Yesterday it has finally molted to a full-grown mantis. Today I wanted to try to trace the kit wings on a piece of transparent plastic. That's better for the thickness, but now I lost the veins.
7 November 2020, 01:34

The wings are replicated on a sheet of pvc, with Vallejo Gloss to recreate the veins.
13 November 2020, 22:37

Jesus, smash that thing before it bites your head off!! Fabulous work if this is a scale model and not a real creepy insect
14 November 2020, 05:55

At last I got the courage to take a hammer and anvil and forge some stainless steel tibiae for the Okamakiri. This was necessary because they are to be made a lot skinnier tahn in the kit. I was not able to weld the feet to it, but I could cut a groove and just use CA to add a thread; The feet will be done in another update.
27 June 2022, 22:58

Thanks, guys! I just made the extremities of the hind limbs, called tarsi. I shoved a thin piece of brass tube over the wire and fixed the kit feet to this. Then some thorns were glued to it. I saw an Okamakiri in the WME contest, just can't find the picture I made from it.
4 July 2022, 22:21

Welcome, Michael. Yesterday, the mantis had its joints filled with Green Stuff. I found a branch fot it to sit on.
8 July 2022, 23:32

Usually this paint is for Kawasaki engines. Now it's for this little buddy. You can follow the paint steps during the session. I got some interesting overspray on the wings, maybe I should keep it.
10 July 2022, 22:44

Some light brown is now added to the edges. It finally has the look of an exoskeleton now.
15 July 2022, 21:50

Thanks for the attention, guys. I finally put myself to it and started masking the kit wings. Then I moved all the tape to the scratched wings, that are much thinner but cut to the same shape. Now the painting can continue.
10 October 2022, 22:47

It took a few days to mask, but now the wings are ready and painted. I used Green Stuff Color-Shift paint. For the transparent part of the wings Toxic Purple was misted on. The eyes of the animal got a bit of Emerald Green. It has just the wanted effect, I will be buying more of this stuff if I can think of a new purpose.
16 October 2022, 00:27

Those wings look absolutely fabulous! Very well done. Masking was well worth it.
16 October 2022, 06:56

The mantis was sitting still until today it was flying out. A Vallejo wash and a matt varnish were applied on the green parts. A mirror was placed under a paper cover on the base and then the branch with the animal was fixed to it. The Okamakiri will participate to the KMK contest. Bugs be warned.
18 May 2023, 18:08

What a unique subject. I love the thorns that you added. The wings are stunning too. Beautiful work.
19 May 2023, 03:37
Album info
The Fujimi kit with some improvements to make it look even more real.