Goo-goo(gly) eyes
Googly eyes on YouTube video thumbnails: it's a trope that's overused on pop culture and social commentary hot-takes; often accompanied by copius tears and exclamation marks. And this isn't just my opinion, it's one that was recently shared by none other than Richard Meyer, who's cropped up here before. And that reminded me of something…
Martin Kovac is an armour modeller from Slovakia, with a YouTube channel called Night Shift. Like a lot of armour modellers, he's resisted populating his models with figures. Successful figure painting is perceived as elusive by many modellers; an art form perfected only by a super-talented elite.
But he's managed to dispel that myth, most recently by using techniques similar to those favoured by games figure painters: black base/primer; zenithal highlights; and glazes. I think even I could do that…kinda…(ish).
His first attempt, using more traditional military figure painting techniques, however, was heralded by a googly-eyed thumbnail. It made me laugh, anyway—the thumbnail, that is, not the painted figure, which attained a standard that I'd be delighted to achieve myself.
8/10, must try harder.
Like Kovac, Louis Rossmann has applied the trope in a new and amusing way. But, also like Kovac, he's let himself down in the execution.
True googly eyes point in different directions, innit? (blink)