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

Needing To Find A Balance....

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Where It All Begins....

I've been asked many times what are the base figures I use for my sculpts - the "skeletons" I use to sculpt on. Below are some images of some of my upcoming customs, very early WIP figures - some of which a character has not yet been determined...kinda looks like a madman's mannequin shop doesn't it. The images represent the early stages of my creative process...obtaining the correct skeletal structure for the charatcer I am attempting to create. As far as which existing figures I choose, I don't have specifics, but some favorites come to mind...

For females, I am currently using the GIJOE movie figures of Scarlett and the Baroness. Both figures are well made and the plastics are much stroger and more dense than that of the Star Wars and Marvel series figures...especially around the arms and shoulders where I like to dremel down as thin as possible. If you consider the entire figure being resculpted, I need to have a strong structure to hold the FIXIT and allow the skeleton to take the stress of the articulated movement...a softer plastic would give, making the FIXIT surface stressed and easily cracked over time.

For male figures, again the GIJOE movie figures tend to make the best skeletal frames - although the one thing I don'tlike about the GIJOE figures are the lack of ball jointed knees. Not a problem though - I will sometimes remove the JOE legs just above the knee and add ball jointed lower legs from an existing figure - When working with male figures, Evolutions Darth Bane has great legs!! LOL!

Another item I am finding usefull is the hip articulation used on the VOTC Luke and Medical Frigate Luke Skywalker. As you can see with my custom above, I have carfully removed the hip portion of the VOTC Luke and have added it to the skeletal frame. I will soon dremel down the original details before sculpting.

So now you know a bit of what goes into the early stages of the figures I create - it's probably the least fun stage of the custom process...which is why I sometimes take a full day just preping figures...multiple ones, just to have ready and get the dremeling out of the way (and clean up the massive mess if leaves behind).

Now for the fun part - sculpting!! Which is what I'm doing creating yet another Vong soldier seen below. Taken from the pages of Star Wars Invasion - these Vong soldiers guard the waters of Artorias in the midst of vongforming.

More pics will be available soon on my photostream, http://www.flickr.com/photos/sith_fire30/ so check in from time to time for updates :)

I will be sure not to let so much time pass till my next update - Take care till later!

Final post for 2009 - What's in store for the New Year!

Happy Holidays guys! Hope you all have a blessed New Year!

Completed my second space suit custom...and even though it isn't 100% accurate from the comic depiction, I am satisfied that I got close :) Sometimes accuracy isn't everything...and that says a lot coming from me, Mr. Detail. LOL!

This is a custom of the character Jarael from the KOTOR comic series produced by Dark Horse. This version features the character in one of the many space suits found in the comic series...the canopy is from a bubblegum capsule with some sculpt work placed over portions. The helmet is removable, as well as the enviro pack and head...seen in the below images. I am in the process of finishing Zayne Carrick's space suit which will join Jarael in a diorama I'm also working on.







I had some fun with photoshop, creating a starfield in which the custom appears to be shot in. The debris you see on the rim of the glass canopy is intentional - wanted to show that this suit is aged, used and possible unkept over the years...similar to the tech style Star Wars is famous for.




More pics of Jarael's space suit can be found on my photostream,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sith_fire30/

as well as my custom Aayla Secura, shown below...I you haven't seen these yet, I hope you enjoy :)










Now a couple teaser images....first is Jedi Sian Jeisel from Star Wars Republic - Her sculpt is complete, but need to find time to paint her. More updates in early 2010.




Below is a sculpt I am working on of a character in the Star Wars Invasion series by Dark Horse - the New Republic Shock Troops that assist Jedi Master Luke Skywalker when confronting the Vong armies. I will be creating 4 of these troopers - each with a unique weapon and hopefully switch out armor (for battle damage). Each will have a positional visor as seen in the comic. Much more to come!

By the way, I will be featured in my first ever customizing interview on Yakface.com early in the new year - I will let you know more details when posted. Also will be attending Celebration V in Orlando so I hope to see you there!

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments! See ya next year!!!!

Dayton

sith_fire30

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hey guys - Wishing you all the best for the new year! An update is only days away so thanks for your patience and continued interest in my work. Enjoy the Holidays!!

Dayton
sith_fire30