Just a quick update:
- I tried out the HS/helmet on an HT body. The helmet, although proportionate looked too small. That along with the repairs needed to recover the damaged piece lead me to start over. This time paying more attention to scale rather than proportion. So far, so good.
- Started the body armor. I am using a couple of new materials for this piece. 1. Automotive bondo - this provides me with a low-cost styrene based material.
2. Tamiya 2 part epoxy resin. I really love this stuff. It dries very hard and pretty fast (full set in about 4 hours). First time using this and very pleased with the results.
That's all for now - pics coming soon.
-iz
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Halo Reach in 1/6 update 07/28/2010
quick update on the bucket - minor setback last night. the two vents on the side of the helmet broke off. Basically, I didn't mix the resin correctly so it didn't set/dry throughout. In my attempt to remove it, the two 'panel' pieces came loose and eventually fell off. The rest of the helmet is OK though. (phew)
So now, I am going to cast the piece in casting plaster and continue to work on it. This should give me a more solid base for which to work on without spending much for a resin cast.
then it's off to the races!
-iz
So now, I am going to cast the piece in casting plaster and continue to work on it. This should give me a more solid base for which to work on without spending much for a resin cast.
then it's off to the races!
-iz
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Halo Reach in 1/6 Part 1 - The not-so beginning
Disclaimer: "I am in no way affiliated with Bungie or its affiliates. The following is "fan-art" and is in no way intended for resell without prior approval from Bungie and its affiliates."
As promised boys and girls, the first photos of my custom Halo Reach Marine Soldier.
As you can see by the reference pics, there are some variances in design. One may wonder which one I plan on building. But because of these variances, however subtle, provides a measure of creative license for me, the builder.
As I mentioned in the previous post, there are some details I like more than others. And not one design incorporates all of these elements on its own. So rather than adhere to one design or the other, I am taking more a free-for-all approach and hope for the best.
Material used so far:
- Super Sculpy
- Magic Sculpt (two-part resin)
- Base head (HS) from a Hot Toys true-type body
- Styrene
- 2-part epoxy
My initial thought was to make a base helmet from Sculpy and (carefully) remove it from the base HS and then finish it with Magic Sculpt.
The first attempt did not go so well as the sculpy cracked and eventually broke.
Second attempt was to use Styrene and pull it over the HS once it was warmed.
This worked OK but did not provide a good, sturdy base from which to build on. It was flimsy and somewhat warped.
You may be wondering why not just sculpt the helmet without the HS and hollow it out later. Two reasons: 1. getting the helmet sized just right would have been a challenge and may have ended up with sizing issues long after it was too late to change anything. 2. I wanted the helmet to have a very snug fit as it shows in the reference pics. Anything other than a 'perfect' fit would not have been acceptable to me.
So now, the third and hopefully last attempt: sculpt directly on the HS and cast it once it's done.
There have been some challenges with this too. Namely, ruining the HS. But since it will be repainted anyway, I am not as concerned about it as I was in the beginning.
Since I want the finished helmet to be removable, I will roto-cast the entire piece and simply cut away the HS parts. This should yield the fit I want and enable the helmet to come off/on whenever the soldier wants. :)
So without further ado, the pictures.
Don't forget to check back often for updates.
Cheers!
-iz
As promised boys and girls, the first photos of my custom Halo Reach Marine Soldier.
As you can see by the reference pics, there are some variances in design. One may wonder which one I plan on building. But because of these variances, however subtle, provides a measure of creative license for me, the builder.
As I mentioned in the previous post, there are some details I like more than others. And not one design incorporates all of these elements on its own. So rather than adhere to one design or the other, I am taking more a free-for-all approach and hope for the best.
Material used so far:
- Super Sculpy
- Magic Sculpt (two-part resin)
- Base head (HS) from a Hot Toys true-type body
- Styrene
- 2-part epoxy
My initial thought was to make a base helmet from Sculpy and (carefully) remove it from the base HS and then finish it with Magic Sculpt.
The first attempt did not go so well as the sculpy cracked and eventually broke.
Second attempt was to use Styrene and pull it over the HS once it was warmed.
This worked OK but did not provide a good, sturdy base from which to build on. It was flimsy and somewhat warped.
You may be wondering why not just sculpt the helmet without the HS and hollow it out later. Two reasons: 1. getting the helmet sized just right would have been a challenge and may have ended up with sizing issues long after it was too late to change anything. 2. I wanted the helmet to have a very snug fit as it shows in the reference pics. Anything other than a 'perfect' fit would not have been acceptable to me.
So now, the third and hopefully last attempt: sculpt directly on the HS and cast it once it's done.
There have been some challenges with this too. Namely, ruining the HS. But since it will be repainted anyway, I am not as concerned about it as I was in the beginning.
Since I want the finished helmet to be removable, I will roto-cast the entire piece and simply cut away the HS parts. This should yield the fit I want and enable the helmet to come off/on whenever the soldier wants. :)
So without further ado, the pictures.
Don't forget to check back often for updates.
Cheers!
-iz
Friday, July 23, 2010
Halo Reach in 1/6
Ok. So I admit to some apprehension I had when I first heard of the latest and final chapter in the Halo series of games.
Much to my chagrin, I played ODST to the end. Wow - this was a terrible game.
But that's not what this blog is about.
Halo Reach, from what I have seen from new character design to the promise of the innovative, breath taking Forge world, this game looks like it will set a new standard for all games going forward much in the way the first Halo game did. Bungie has done well to re-engage my appetite for their eye-candy.
But again, this is not what this blog is about.
It's about toys.
Collectibles.
And not the overpriced, low quality McFarlane mini-figures.
There is a silent movement of sorts among the collector's circle to life-like 1/6 scale dolls. Or "mandolls" for those who prefer.
These collectors have discerning tastes when it comes to dollar for quality and will spend a small fortune on the best head sculpts, gear, body types or 1/6 clothing. Not to mention the cost of some of the realistic weaponry. It is not uncommon to spend 50-100 (US) on a nude body without a head. Yet these are not the 12 inch G.I. Joe's of yesteryear. They are not Barbie, Hasbro, Mattel or any other large corporations distribution of mass-market media. In fact, it would be fair to categorize most of these companies as 'boutique' manufacturers since they generally produce these in small/limited runs (Qty): Hot Toys, BBI, Sideshow, DML, TSU and the number of even smaller companies that seem to appear out of nowhere and fade into obscurity as fast as they arrived.
So of these boutiques, who's picking up the Halo Reach license?
We can only speculate, hope and pray at this point. Given the latest successful run of Hot Toys (Iron Man, T2), it would be a no-brainier to have this company pick up the license.
Can you imagine this guy in all his 1/6 glory?!?!
Asking if this would be cool is like asking if a bear sh*ts in the woods.
So until one of our favorite companies picks up the license, I have started my own custom 1/6 Halo Reach Marine soldier: a prelude to a full armor Spartan which is what I really want to do. (Pictures to come soon)
I have all but finished the helmet and have been planning on how I would attack the body armor.
In my research for this project, I have found there are (at least) three distinct designs of the helmet. (Again, pictures to come soon)
My interpretation will most likely be a hybrid of all three since there are elements of each one I liked and wanted to include.
Or maybe I will just make a generic helmet with modification parts I can swap out at will.
More to come so stay tuned.
Much to my chagrin, I played ODST to the end. Wow - this was a terrible game.
But that's not what this blog is about.
Halo Reach, from what I have seen from new character design to the promise of the innovative, breath taking Forge world, this game looks like it will set a new standard for all games going forward much in the way the first Halo game did. Bungie has done well to re-engage my appetite for their eye-candy.
But again, this is not what this blog is about.
It's about toys.
Collectibles.
And not the overpriced, low quality McFarlane mini-figures.
There is a silent movement of sorts among the collector's circle to life-like 1/6 scale dolls. Or "mandolls" for those who prefer.
These collectors have discerning tastes when it comes to dollar for quality and will spend a small fortune on the best head sculpts, gear, body types or 1/6 clothing. Not to mention the cost of some of the realistic weaponry. It is not uncommon to spend 50-100 (US) on a nude body without a head. Yet these are not the 12 inch G.I. Joe's of yesteryear. They are not Barbie, Hasbro, Mattel or any other large corporations distribution of mass-market media. In fact, it would be fair to categorize most of these companies as 'boutique' manufacturers since they generally produce these in small/limited runs (Qty): Hot Toys, BBI, Sideshow, DML, TSU and the number of even smaller companies that seem to appear out of nowhere and fade into obscurity as fast as they arrived.
So of these boutiques, who's picking up the Halo Reach license?
We can only speculate, hope and pray at this point. Given the latest successful run of Hot Toys (Iron Man, T2), it would be a no-brainier to have this company pick up the license.
Can you imagine this guy in all his 1/6 glory?!?!
Asking if this would be cool is like asking if a bear sh*ts in the woods.
So until one of our favorite companies picks up the license, I have started my own custom 1/6 Halo Reach Marine soldier: a prelude to a full armor Spartan which is what I really want to do. (Pictures to come soon)
I have all but finished the helmet and have been planning on how I would attack the body armor.
In my research for this project, I have found there are (at least) three distinct designs of the helmet. (Again, pictures to come soon)
My interpretation will most likely be a hybrid of all three since there are elements of each one I liked and wanted to include.
Or maybe I will just make a generic helmet with modification parts I can swap out at will.
More to come so stay tuned.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
New Kerberos blog - finally!
It has been a quest to find information on the Kerberos line of merchandise since I first dropped into the 1/6 scale hobby. Actually, I had no idea that Kerberos went beyond mere model kits/action figures/Anime, but alas - I am awe inspired with the choices available to satisfy ones deep desire to own a piece of Anime history! Of course, there is a catch (as there always is) - you cannot readily find these items. And until now, some of us never knew they existed.
Enter the brand-spanking-new Kerberos blog.
A remote acquaintance from the OSW forum has strewn together what I hope and expect to be an exhaustive, authoritative list of Kerberos merchandise. Readers familiar with the comic/anime (I am not one of them but I have some of the 1/6 scale 'action figures') can attest to the rarity of such collectibles and the scarcity of information available on the web in one, comprehensive web site. Or blog in this case. But this begs the question: What took so long?
I mean there are plenty of Kerberos fanboys out there I am certain - most of which I will assume are tech-savvy. Never the less, we are glad our friend Jaztermareal has taken to lighting the torch of the elusive and sometimes hard-to-find and always much-needed information of one of our favorite lines of science fiction and fantasy.
Thanks Jaz - we will be watching you. :)
Enter the brand-spanking-new Kerberos blog.
A remote acquaintance from the OSW forum has strewn together what I hope and expect to be an exhaustive, authoritative list of Kerberos merchandise. Readers familiar with the comic/anime (I am not one of them but I have some of the 1/6 scale 'action figures') can attest to the rarity of such collectibles and the scarcity of information available on the web in one, comprehensive web site. Or blog in this case. But this begs the question: What took so long?
I mean there are plenty of Kerberos fanboys out there I am certain - most of which I will assume are tech-savvy. Never the less, we are glad our friend Jaztermareal has taken to lighting the torch of the elusive and sometimes hard-to-find and always much-needed information of one of our favorite lines of science fiction and fantasy.
Thanks Jaz - we will be watching you. :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
About Art and Craft
What is it. An interpretive craft? A developed skill? A spiritual gift handed down from - enlightened being of your choice?
I don't know. But we tend to struggle with the definition of what makes art Art and not a craft.
Take for example the act of custom/scratch building a model kit or figure. First it is imperative to define what is a custom, what is a bash and what is scratch building.
First:
Custom - As its name implies, the definition of the custom project includes the act of taking pieces and making them different in some fashion. For example: a piece can be considered custom if any one part or more are repainted, re-sculpted, modified in some way as to not be considered stock or out of the box.
Bash - A bash is simply a collection of pieces from two or more models/figures, compiled to make another piece. Not much to talk about here.
Scratch build - Pretty straight forward here: a scratch build is something made from raw materials. Can be machined, by hand, using molds, etc. The objective here is to have the majority of the piece made from 'scratch'. A scratch build can include some pieces 'out of the box' and still be considered a scratch build. For example. I am working on an astronaut helmet that is not available in the retail market. I started with a clear, quarter-round piece of clear acrylic for the face shield. Beyond that, the rest of the helmet is sculpted by hand. This can still be considered a scratch build because although the clear piece was already made, I used it for something other than it's original purpose.
So of these definitions, is one more likely than the other to be considered art and why? If at the end of your project, you have something you made, something that did not exist prior to the start of your project, than could that not be considered art?
Why do we care. Why is it important for some people to have a clear understanding, a definitive set of words that make an attempt to interpret what it is we really cannot put into words? Is that not the reason Art exists in the first place?
EOM
I don't know. But we tend to struggle with the definition of what makes art Art and not a craft.
Take for example the act of custom/scratch building a model kit or figure. First it is imperative to define what is a custom, what is a bash and what is scratch building.
First:
Custom - As its name implies, the definition of the custom project includes the act of taking pieces and making them different in some fashion. For example: a piece can be considered custom if any one part or more are repainted, re-sculpted, modified in some way as to not be considered stock or out of the box.
Bash - A bash is simply a collection of pieces from two or more models/figures, compiled to make another piece. Not much to talk about here.
Scratch build - Pretty straight forward here: a scratch build is something made from raw materials. Can be machined, by hand, using molds, etc. The objective here is to have the majority of the piece made from 'scratch'. A scratch build can include some pieces 'out of the box' and still be considered a scratch build. For example. I am working on an astronaut helmet that is not available in the retail market. I started with a clear, quarter-round piece of clear acrylic for the face shield. Beyond that, the rest of the helmet is sculpted by hand. This can still be considered a scratch build because although the clear piece was already made, I used it for something other than it's original purpose.
So of these definitions, is one more likely than the other to be considered art and why? If at the end of your project, you have something you made, something that did not exist prior to the start of your project, than could that not be considered art?
Why do we care. Why is it important for some people to have a clear understanding, a definitive set of words that make an attempt to interpret what it is we really cannot put into words? Is that not the reason Art exists in the first place?
EOM
Saturday, April 17, 2010
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