Warning! This post is rated PG-13...

First thing first - Happy Memorial Day! Take a moment out of your day today to give thanks to all those that have died to give us our freedom - and a special thank you to our armed forces.

Alright - this post is rated PG-13 because it shows Deliah Blue...well....sporting a thong - that's right - I sculpted my first 3.75" scale thong LOL!

Why? - It's Deliah Blue...and she's a Zeltron...you don't think she wouldn't be wearing one? Check your headgear man!...LOL! Seriously, this sculpt is meant to appear sexy...and that requires a bit more attention to certain "aspects".

First being the hair - Deliah has a full head of hair - not flat or straight...I had complaints about giving my custom Mara Jade (seen below) big hair but where they had a resonable argument with Mara, Deliah is a different story...though I still like Mara's hairdo.



Next would be breasts - many sculptors/artists seem to go a bit crazy with size or proportion - sometimes making them too large and overwhelming to the rest of the sculpt. I had that problem (among others) with my first female custom, Kahleen Hentz from Star Wars Republic (seen below). Rule of thumb - when working in this scale, be conservative at first and add when needed - they don't need to look like someone strapped the Goodyear blimp to her cheast LOL! By the way - Kahleen is one of those being redone...



Finally - the overall form (curvature), making the sculpt as feminine as possible while retaining articulation...which in my opinion is the most difficult to accomplish working in this scale. I think the problem is found most where the legs meet the hips and buttock. Depending on the amount of articulation you wish to retain in the sculpt effects your accuracy to the form - for example...Marvel Legends females - Horrific sculpts but ultra articulated. The opposite for Mcfarlane females - Beautiful, but non-articulated chunks of plastic labeled "action figures".

Wasn't meaning to give a lesson on female sculpting - I'm still learning with each new project I take on....but let's get back to Deliah's work in progress....



Sorry - Had some fun with the purple lipstick brush :)

Concentrating on the upper and lower torso right now - I am sculpting over a GIJoe movie Baroness skeleton. The back isn't complete which is why it hasn't been photographed. I plan on a couple additional head sculpts - one with her hair pinned back and one wearing a bandanna. I am also planning (already in the works) on creating two additional body sculpts of Blue...haven't decided which outfits she will be sporting but that can come later. This sculpt will be sporting her more traditional attire as seen in the first fews issues of Legacy.

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Next we got another rockin' Legacy gal - Morrigan Corde...Imperial agent and mother to Cade Skywalker.

Again, I am sculpting over a dremeled down skeleton of the movie Baroness - and the sculpt is almost complete :) Morrigan is sculpted as she is featured in the early issues of Legacy (issues 9 and 10).

I decided to do some paint applications to completed head sculpts that were sitting around waiting for bodies (sounds creepy) - sometimes I will paint a finished head sculpt first before completing the body - for some reason this helps me with the accuracy of the remaining sculpt.

Morrigan will have an array of weapons to choose from- I also plan on creating her other persona, Nyna Calixte.

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So I said I was painting some completed head sculpts...below are a few more completed over the past week.

Embo is coming around - working on the upper body right now - the upper armor will be segmented (hopefully) to allow the figure to move arms higher than shoulder level. The eyes were a challenge but thanks to a very small haired brush and a magnifier, I was able to make a color sequence of red, orange, yellow and white to give the eyes a glowing look.



The republic shock troopers are still being sculpted but the head sculpts are being painted - the first completed one shown below. The visor comes from the Kubrick Metal Gear Raiden figure - cut down, reshaped and back painted with clear orange in several layers. It is removable which was the best alternative to gluing the visor and risk having it break off later down the road. Each face paint will be different - even though they share the same facial sculpt.



Mika is on the road to completion as well - with her body about 60% finished and her head sculpt painted and good to go! The trick was to break free from the traditional female color schemes and do something completely alien - I think she came out pretty good :) I hope the rest of her follows in turn - this piece canbe one of my more interesting figures when completed!



Finally Jedi Master K'Kruhk is nearing completion! About 10% of the body sculpt is all that remains before I begin painting this massive figure - the headsculpt is finished....look closely and you may see my reflection in his eyes...thanks to a couple layers of clear gloss. The figure stands at a wopping 5.5" head to foot.



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I have a completed sculpt to report!

My first in a series of Yuuzhan Vong warriors is finished!! The figure stands at
4.75" tall, similar to the size of the Hasbro Vong from the comic pack. Its style is derieved from the artwork of Colin Wilson. I hope to begin painting the figure very soon - he will include the amphistaff.





Not far behind from being completed is my second Vong in the series....Commander Tsalok. Again from the Star Wars comic series Invasion and again inspired by the artwork of Colin Wilson. Working on the massive legs right now - his size is about 5.5". He will have a second head sculpt still in the works...





Expect a small flurry of finished pieces this summer - first beginning in June with Dass Jennir and H2 from Dark Times....



I appreciate all the comments and suggestions you may have - please, as always, e-mail me or post a comment.

For more photos of these pieces, check out my photostream on FLICKR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sith_fire30/

Thanks to all those that have become a fan of my Facebook page! Please click on the banner to the right if you'd like to join in!

Thanks again for your interest guys! - Short work week!!! Talk to ya soon!

sith_fire30

Sith_fire 30 Creations on Facebook....

Hey guys!

Look to the right of the page and you will see (or supposed to see) a Facebook link to my new page that will feature a bit more of the day to day when working in the custom hobby - just now posted some paint progression shots that you may find interesting :)

If you have a facebook account, please visit and become a fan!...and suggest to your friends....and so one and so on LOL!

Just trying to get network up and working - anyone have any suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks again guys - More updates this week!

Have a great evening!

Happy Birthday Empire Strikes Back!

Just a quick post to give my birthday wishes to a film that inspired me at such a young age to make a career in the arts! Happy Birthday Empire Strikes back!

By the way - this guy that made the fan trailer did a great job in my opinion :)

Finally a completed piece! Darth Maleval

Just a quick post to introduce my latest finished piece - Darth Maleval from the Dark Horse comic series Star Wars Legacy.






















Maleval was actually completed over a month or two ago but I began a series of new projects and never got around to shooting the completed piece till last week. Sorry for the wait and I appreciate all the comments and suggestions you may have - please, as always, e-mail me or post a comment.

For more photos of the Darth Maleval, check out my photostream on FLICKR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sith_fire30/

Later this month I plan on introducing you to some new projects from the original trilogy, as well as perhaps some new "non-star wars" updates.....Metal Gear anyone?

EMBO and his hat.....

This guy rocks....period.

EMBO - Bounty Hunter

If you don't know who I'm talking about and you claim to be a Star Wars fan?... shame - get yourself to youtube or wookipedia and look up EMBO - the coolest bounty hunter since Boba Fett in my humble opinion.

Naturally I had to do a sculpt LOL! I'm not sure if Hasbro will produce a figure but no matter - My sculpt will feature a "live" interpretation of Embo...breaking away from the stylized, animated look of The Clone Wars and giving him a more life-like appearance.

Embo's hat...I have this clear plastic cap I held onto from what I believe was a yogurt container...thinking it may come in handy one day. It's a perfect size and a great surface to sculpt on - The helmet you see in the images isn't complete, I still need to add a little more "weight" and a bit more detail - but thank goodness I held onto that plastic cap! Made my work so much easier!





The hat contains a tab which will fit down onto the head - allowing it to remain in place.

The head is a complete sculpt - I will make about three seperate versions, each with different expressions...mainly in the eyes.





With the eyes, I took the tip of a graphics pencil and waitied for the FIXIT to begin hardening before I made the impressions. Much of the detail added to my work is applied in the third hour of curing - when the FIXIT is still impressionable, but not soft enough to loose form.





Had to split the upper torso in order to widen the shoulders. I wish I took pictures...because not only did I widen the shoulders, I turned them in a bit. This helps with ability to overlap the arms - like when holding a rifle - the arms no longer fight with the girth of the chest. Again , I wish I took pictures - mental note for next time.



MANDALORAIN TWI'LEK

I'm nearing completion of my Twi'lek Mandalorian - FINALLY - But after rethinking the figure, I decided to resculpt the entire torso, neck, upper shoulders and helmet...while adding an updated ammo belt and shoulder armor.

How old is this piece...going on 2 years? Will I ever get it done? LOL!

Actually yes - very soon.

Below are a couple UPDATED shots of the Twi'lek Mandalorian from the Farpoint chapter of Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic. If you need a refresher of how he looked before, check out my previous blog entries or my Flickr photostream.

I will be adding additionl ammo packs, as well as a bladed weapon and holster.

He will have several pairs of lekku that can connect to the helmet and be interchangeable.

I will also sculpt his head without the helmet...though I am still trying to build a concept on what he may look like.

Mon Calamari Bounty Hunter

I'm really diggin' this guy - This Mon Calamari sculpt originated from a concept sketch from the source book to Star Wars Galaxies - originally considered a "Tech Specialist", this Mon Cal has found his way into the shadows of scum and villainy to become an unamed bounty hunter.

One problem I have with Mon Cal concepts is the appearance of human feet and hands...sorry, Mon Calamari don't have such things. So I've taken a bit of creative license and decided to resculpt the boots and upper legs to fit the Mon Cal's fins...they are a bit wider and longer but not clown feet - got to be carefull with that.

The lower leg armor is a bit wider and will have ammo pouches attached. The boots aren't complete - still have a bit of segmentation to go but I'm happy how they've turned out so far.

The head sculpt is complete and casted - the original has been safetly put away. I plan on creating a few Mon Cal warriors from the Dark Horse comic series Star Wars Legacy using a similar head sculpt without the helmet.

Legacy Jedi

A couple more characters are approaching completion soon - Jedi Wolf Sazen and Jedi Shado Vao from the Dark Horse comic series Star Wars : Legacy.

***On a side note*** - When I say completion, I mean that the sculpting phase is completed - I still have to paint the darn things LOL!

Back to Wolf and Shado...

Wolf will have an alternate head sculpt with his hair pinned back.

Shado will have three different head sculpts - one with lekku behind back (pictured), one with the lekku draped over the shoulders and one with the lekku flowing free as in an action pose.

I plan on doing a second sculpt of Wolf as seen in later issues sporting a flight suit and an artificial arm...

Alright - now I'm embarrassed...I promised you a finished figure - I know, I know - No worries...he's coming in the next day or so!

Finally Darth Maleval will rise!!!

I look forward to your questions and comments!! I will post any answers here or
via e-mail.

For more photos of the above creations (many more), check out my photostream on FLICKR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sith_fire30/

Till later!

sith_fire30

Hunters, Pirates and Mandos...OH MY!!!

From the shadows of the Mos Eisley Cantina to the pages of comic books, the Star Wars underworld sports some facinating characters. I've began work on a series of figures which I find most interesting...Bounty Hunters, Smugglers and Pirates. If you're at all educated in expanded universe lore, you'll find plenty of scum and villainy to choose from! LOL!

We've all heard of Boba, Bossk, IG-88 etc...

How about Furlag?....Check him out on star wars wiki. I believe I introduced you to the early stages of this sculpt with my last posting...well, suffice to say I've been busy :) Check out the update...





The arms and legs are unnaturally long and lanky and he's a bit taller than your usual 1:18 figure - I will take some scale shots when completed. Still have to complete his utility belts and various other details. Some images showed Furlag sporting a bandolier which I will include as an accessory. He is completely articulated and a solid build - very happy how this guy is turning out.





I hope to improve on Hasbro's take with Aurra Sing....Below is the first glimpse of a very early (and very creepy) WIP shot....kinda remingds me of the skinny alien from Close Encounters...





So you see how I basically begin a piece - I build the skeleton, then begin to add on one piece at a time...in Aurra's case, I intend on shortening and articulating the forearms. I'll then begin to sculpt from the neck down while working on the head seperately. Aurra will represent a real world sculpt, not animated - I think Hasbro will have a great version in the Clone Wars animated style.

Speaking of the The Clone Wars, it brings me to my next piece...and it is unusual for me get so excited about a new character that I get right into working on a sculpt...I am speaking of the Kyuzo Bounty Hunter, Embo. Below is the completed skeleton -again, Embo will be representing a real world sculpt, not that of the animated version - so expect him to be a tad bit "thicker" in the legs and arms, and a bit around the waist...but not much.





The skeleton (a mix-match of 6 different figures) is taller than that of the usual 1:18 scale - lanky, with a long upper torso and neck. The figure will feature basic articulation - I will attempt to introduce soft goods...I haven't decided yet...but I found a shell for the hat!! It may be a tad large but I will scale it down before details are added. Very excited to begin work on him!

A final Bounty Hunter update is that of Mika, a Farghul hunter from the Rupublic comic series. I completed the facial sculpt and some of the upper body - still have some details to finalize before moving to the lower body. She is going to be a challenge to paint!





Alright - Pirates/Smugglers....unfortuately I have only one to show you right now. I hope to get some more working in the next couple months.

Here is a 90% complete sculpt of Lumbra from the comic series Dark Times. I lack the ammo belt and holster - and a few other details. The figure has basic articulation but for the first time, no ankle joints...I hope to possibly go back in and facilitate the additional articulation. Why didn't I do this before you ask? Because at the time I felt no need for it with this character - but after the fact....bad decision. LOL!





The shoulder armor is strapped - which allows the plates to rest freely on the shoulders without being glued or sculpted onto the frame. Similar to what I am doing with the New Republic Shocktroopers...





I promise more pirates/smugglers to come!!! I have my eye on a few speeder bike pirates as well as some of Talon Carrde's friends!

You can't be speaking of Bounty Hunters and Pirates without throwing in a few Mandalorians right? I've got a couple that are nearing completion....the first being a Twi'lek Neo-Crusader Mandalorian from the pages of Dark Horse's Knights of the Old Republic.





Now the helmet has been resculpted several times - the first one was too small....the second, too large....this one is just right. If you think it still looks large, please consider the Twi'lek's cranium size and lekku that will protrude from the sides of the helmet... I think once the shoulder armor is attached and the additional accessories have been added, the helmet will fit in nicely. His boots need sculpting, and I may lower his "utility" belt a bit along with his crotch plate LOL!

I will include an alternate head without his helmet...so I will be taking on a little creative license. This guy has been a WIP for a long time and it is time to wrap him up - more updates coming soon and hopefully he will have company...





How about the ultimate mando....Mandalore the Ultimate! I began working on him around the time I completed Rholan - His sculpt represents a mix of different takes on the character by different artists, but mostly from Dustin Weaver's vision...





I'm still working on the upper body armor - the shoulder armor is complete (not shown) and will attached to the upper arms through the material I wish to use for his robes. The second photo shows some additional abdominal armor as well as a crotch plate. His waist can move freely but the wrap around armor will remain stationary attached to his hips. His rifle will be attached to a ring just below this new armor - that weapon is currently being worked on. I am currently working on the forearm armor which will be seen in future updates. He's taller than my other mandalorians which is to be expected.

Alright - How about we throw a woman into the mix! Below are some updated images of my Morrigan Corde sculpt from the Star Wars Legacy comic series.





I'm basing my sculpt on the artwork of Colin Wilson.

The trick with sculpting Morrigan is to create a middle aged woman (she is Cade's mom by the way) who shows her age a bit but still looks strong and sexy...and she must appear to be ready to kick ass at a moments notice LOL! So far I feel the sculpt is working out fine - she is strongly articulated, and holds balance well. I may thin out her upper thighs just a touch but other than that she's movin' right along...I am planning on sculpting her alter ego, Nyna Calixte to compliment the set.





Deliah Blue is coming along but not much to show....I am struggling to decide which outfit I should feature her in. Her original is a sure bet but so many others to choose from. The original sculpt was scrapped a few months ago...the one that used the microman body. She looked "strange" - the jointed arms and legs look natural for this characer. So this time around I am using a GI Joe frame - no complains so far. The head sculpt is almost complete - I plan on adding hair draped over the shoulders as well as som additional strands draping the forhead over the eyes...I may produce a couple more versions of the character sporting the different attires but for right now there is only one Blue...





Finally an update on my New Republic Shocktroopers....These guys are a challenge but I am close to completing two out of the four troopers - the below shots show the additional packs and ammo accessories I will be including with each - and each will be unique! Each will have a semi-working visor and multiple alternate head sculpts. Weapons will vary as well...








So again a post with NO FINISHED PIECES...believe me, I know! I need to get on the ball and finish some of these guys right? Next post - PROMISE! LOL!

Please, I appreciate your questions and comments - don't hesitate. I will post any answers to questions here or via e-mail.

Till then Take care and check out my photostream on FLICKR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sith_fire30/

I will have a bunch of "old school" customs I will be posting soon. :)

sith_fire30