> [!summary] At a glance > **Status:** Active > **Primary focus:** clean lines, small details, clear resin > **Sculptor:** Bulkamancer ## Overview This active Eve project focuses on clean lines, small details, and working with clear resin. ## Build Notes ### Reference Photos [[a3f757f917b2a3b21ad762c90780fe9d_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240820071836.png]] ![[a3f757f917b2a3b21ad762c90780fe9d_MD5.jpeg]] [[de5d7c966a374f644ccda1fe5ce8748b_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240820071856.png]] ![[de5d7c966a374f644ccda1fe5ce8748b_MD5.jpeg]] [[160326d615246e840aaee6829be3efc6_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240820071914.png]] ![[160326d615246e840aaee6829be3efc6_MD5.jpeg]] [[08391e340f93c3a7cd21cfce5852dd2f_MD5.jpg|Open: GLjm9OUW4AAawT9.jpg]] ![[08391e340f93c3a7cd21cfce5852dd2f_MD5.jpg]] [[3b2c8a6774f172aefb058d0fb5f3e713_MD5.jpeg|Open: Pasted image 20240820072108.png]] ![[3b2c8a6774f172aefb058d0fb5f3e713_MD5.jpeg]] ### Printing The pre-supported files from Bulkamancer printed pretty well. I only had some small issues with the front hair and head so I will reprint. A couple small pieces of hair are missing - it may have happened when I removed supports, unsure. Easy reprints though. - [x] Reprint Eve's head and front hair #hobbies/models 📅 2024-08-07 ✅ 2024-08-08 The parts fit surprisingly well together. Better than most e2046 kits I've ordered, and better than the couple other 3D print jobs I've done such as [[Kerrigan Queen Of Blades]]. - [x] Take photos after Eve print completed, before priming #hobbies/models 📅 2024-08-11 ✅ 2024-08-08 The print job was lighter than I thought it would be. I didn't look into it beforehand but it's definitely hollowed out. I kind of prefer a heavier figure (perhaps because I'm used to the weight of e2046 resin kits), but it's fine and should use less resin this way. One last note - for this print it came with essentially a pre-supported "majority" body (excluding accessories, hands, head, base) and a split file. I opted to print the larger single one because I had some concerns around the seamlines on the suit around the hips. It did work out, but it was a long print job and ultimately the seamlines may not have been bad (the STL did seem cut in good spots). One downside I didn't realize though was post-curing. It was a bit hard and I didn't use my station because the single part wouldn't fit well in the curing station as is. Next time I may try split files unless I notice the model creator doesn't do a good job cutting the files. ### Clear Resins Bulkamancer launched an August 2024 painting competition and there were a few other contestants doing Eve. I noticed several / all of the others were using clear resin's more, particularly for her cape. I may try to reprint that in a clear resin for experience. - [x] Reprint cape in clear resin (maybe two or three copies for practice) #hobbies/models 📅 2024-09-01 ✅ 2024-09-02 ### Masking I'm really hating myself for some decisions on this kit, that I never really suffered from before. I used blu tack (well, mostly pink) to do a lot of the masking. I've certainly used it in the past and don't recall it being such a pain to remove, but maybe I used it in smaller amounts here and there after doing tape just to hit curves. On this kit, I used the tack first and used a fair amount. **It has been such a pain to get off** - much more so than I remember. It is sticky and gummy. I eventually got it all off, but I probably spent a couple hours removing tack. I think next time I will use tack in much smaller quantities, and I think I'll go back to try liquid mask and other alternatives. I'm afraid of tack now. This is also forcing me to write [[Masking Strategies]] for my future self. ### Painting For the darker green, I started with alclad black, then candy silver base, and followed up with transparent green (Aclad as well). The finish came out pretty good - airbrushed of course. Rather than go through and try and mask/tape off all the lines to do the next color/layer (the slightly grayer green tones on side of legs), I decided to brush them instead. I was planning on using Barbatos Rex enamel that I had on hand for it, which I've brushed before. The brushing turned out ok (I think), but it's no airbrush finish. I've contemplated going back over it with an airbrush, but that means masking and right now I'm afraid of it (from the previous masking of different areas for white/hair). Instead, I did many layers/rounds with a brush trying to get it covered as well as possible. I brushed the whites on upper torso. For the skin, I did go back and mask then airbrush the skin. After the fact I feel it is a little too light. I used the vallejo light skin base, but I think it is probably better meant to be used as highlights on the skin and use one of the other darker vallejo skin tones for the base, unless you want a really pale kit (was not my intention here, but it's hard to tell until you unmask and then you hate to remask and redo). Painting the text on the side of the legs was something I was hoping to focus on - it's pretty small print but slightly raised on the model. It wasn't as hard as I thought. Some details were lost, but using a very light touch with a brush that wasn't overloaded made it pretty easy to cover in slightly larger sweeps. ### Cape Originally I printed the cape in a white resin like the rest of the kit. However, as the Bulkamancer 2024 contest launched and I saw some people using clear parts for it, I decided I needed to try that as well. I had never used clear resin so it was a good chance (and probably better for this part). I printed 3 capes in ultra clear resin so I could have plenty to practice with. Out of the three, one broke early on after printing and I glued it back together, so that gave a slight flaw to it. With clears I had watched one video that recommended not post-curing because it turns them yellow, although I have always post-cured and don't like the idea of skipping that step. I post-cured two (for a short time) and left one as is - there wasn't actually much noticeable difference. In my opinion this seems to be the way to go - just post cure a short time to try and avoid too much yellowing, but do something. The capes had ultra fine details on them when printed - little stars or whatever from the design of Eve. However, they were too small / not raised enough that it would've been really hard to paint and look well. They probably would've just looked like ugly dots if I had tried, so I skipped. I heard good clear gloss coats on clear resin make it really clear - this is very true and probably the number 1 tip. After printing (and slight post cure), do several gloss coats. It magically makes it more clear. For the top coats, I did - alclad transparent green - this one worked well and remained transparent. It was the same used on the dark green legs (without the black/candy coat base) - alclad hot metal violet - I really liked this one as well. It also remained transparent (maybe moreso than the green) - heavily thinned barbados rex gold metallic (name?) - this was not a transparent color but I thought thinned down enough maybe it would be a see through goldish cape. It ended up being too opaque so it either wasn't thinned enough, or maybe using thinned opaque paints is not a good enough trick for clear resin parts. ### Touching Up Aclad Transparent Green > [!todo] > I need to test this a bit more, over a candy base. Can I brush black / candy / green and get a close enough match to the AB? I touched up some parts without doing the full 3 layers so far and it kind of blends in, but isn't quite as dark of a green ## Lessons Learned - **Bulkamancer quality:** The STLs are pre-supported very well, easy to remove supports with little marks on kits. The parts fit very well together as well. Next time try the cut model variants to make it easier to use curing station and likely easier to paint unless there are extremely noticeable issues with the cut lines. On this kit originally I thought it would be easier to paint as one part without seams, but after printing I am beginning to question that. #lesson/printing ## Related Notes - [[Model Metadata and Tags]]