1:72 Zombie Pirates of the Caribbean

A distorted outline works better than a horrific face

At a size of two and a half centimeters an undead figure cannot frighten through the detail of the face, because at an ordinary distance that shrinks to a light dot. The effect therefore has to be provided by the skeleton of the movement: one shoulder dropped lower than the other, the head tilted to the side, one leg dragged behind the body, the arms at an unnatural angle. The more the silhouette departs from symmetry, the more strongly the eye reads the figure as undead, even if it were painted in a single color.

The pirates as a second layer

The second half of the subject is entirely different: sailors' dress, scarves, boots with a high cuff and the weapons that were carried on deck. These elements keep the scene in a concrete world and prevent it from turning into a generic heap of monsters. It therefore pays to paint the clothing honestly and plausibly and to leave the fantasy side to the color of the skin and to the stance.

• A greenish or grayish skin works better than a saturated green, which slips into caricature
• Bring out the torn edges of the clothing with a dark line, otherwise they are lost at a distance
• Rust on the blades and the buckles will add age to the whole group
• A damp sheen on the wood of the deck will support the impression that the figures have climbed out of the water

The group stands out most where there is something to contrast with. A calm setting, a flat deck or a smooth beach will emphasize the figures; crowded terrain, on the other hand, swallows them and all that is left of their twisted shapes is a jumble.

Lighting the finished group is usually the last thing a modeler thinks of, and it is precisely here that it decides. A sharp light from one side will deepen the shadows in the eye sockets and under the ribs, whereas even illumination wipes all the unease away.