Custom questions

[Memnoch]

OK gang, over break Im gonna be working on a few projects and need some advice from the vets in this area.

Prisoner Leia:

Ok, I ordered a Dollfie bendy body. This one actually : https://www.volksusa.com/2227ec0003.html
Now, do you guys think the chest will be ok, or should I take it down a bit?
Do you guys think the skin tone will be a big deal? My experience with Asian companies tends to be that when they say tan they mean caucasion.
I have both Prisoner Leias that Hasbro made, which outfit should I go with?
right now Im thinking just about everything from the Hasbro solo Leia.

Boba Fett:
Doing a Marmit conversion with other bits and pieces.
Should I spray all the parts silver as a base and go from there?
For the belt I'll be taking the extra pouches off the Hasbro VOTC Fett and repainting them to match. For the cover on the flamethrower, Im gonna use a putty to make the cover.
I decided to keep/make removable the holster. It just adds more display options.

Gammy Guard:
This is gonna be a test of my repainting skills. Should I work on just the portrait or redo ALL the skin? I already know that the fur is gonna be a b*tch. What else would need to be done to make it look good?
Someone added articulation to theirs, and I cannot remember who... any ideas on how I can do that?

C-3PO:
Here's getting very adventurous but I want to perhaps cut apart my Hasbro 3PO and add articulation. Advice on ways to attempt this would be appreciated.

R2-D2:
Would you guys say that the Hasbro R2's are pretty good? I like the ones I have they just need some paint and wires added to the feet I think. Any thing else I should look at? I was tinkering with the idea of finding a way to make a slide back panel for Luke's saber but I think that may be TOO adventurous right now.

Thoughts, comments and any feedback at all to my plans would be MUCH appreciated. You have no idea how appreciated.

 

[Mookeylama]

that Volks bod used to come in a lighter color, but i guess they've ran out or stopped making it. i hope that one's not too tan.
believe it was Customikey that added artic to Gammy guard.

 

[Customikey]

Prisoner Leia:

I look forward to hearing more about the body. Let me know how it works out. To look at the pics, I'd say the bust is a bit too large. You won't know about the skintone on the body till you get it.

I suggest going withthe regular release Hasbro Slave Leia costume. It's more accurate, although the 2-pack version is more ornate and showy.

Boba Fett:
Looking forward to seeing what you do! I found that simply repainting the armor without the mark-ups, then going over it with a silver paint pen, smearing the silver with my finger as I go works well.

Gammy Guard:
Repaint the whole goddam thing. If you're going to do it, go all the way. The skintone on the Hasbro is just wrong wrong wrong. Go for it! I wish I could give you advice on the articulation thing, but I really don't like my solution, and am holding out for a better one to modify him with.

C-3PO:
Good luck with that. I'm taking my Kotobukya kit and adding balljoints.

R2-D2:
SOme grime ought to do him up right.

Good luck, dude! Can't wait to see what you produce!

 

[Memnoch]

Mikey, how would one go about doing the ball joints? Also I know that the Hasbro 3PO is outta scale, what is actually in scale, if anything?

 

[Customikey]

Mikey, how would one go about doing the ball joints? Also I know that the Hasbro 3PO is outta scale, what is actually in scale, if anything?

Well, I've cannibalized a lot of Marvel Legends figures. They have very servicable balljoints.
There's also HLJ, whom I'm waiting on for Jabba.

I'm not sure there is anything in perfect scale yet.

 

[tomandshell]

So when you guys do a repaint, do you strip the paint off the existing figure and start from scratch, or paint over it?

I am seriously considering having my Obi-Wan in Clone Armor statue from GG custom repainted if he ends up looking as bad as I think he will. I've never paid for a repaint before but I had high hopes for this piece and he just might be worth the trouble based on the pictures I am seeing.

 

[Memnoch]

Well for everything I've tried I've just put down a base coat and gone from there. No stripping.

 

[hurricane]

gammy guard fur=ground up brown pastel worked into the fur

 

[Memnoch]

Any other tips hurricane? Advice from you is like hearing from the gods themselves. I aspire to get to the lvls of you, Mikey and DA among others. :chew

 

[Customikey]

gammy guard fur=ground up brown pastel worked into the fur

That's interesting, Hurricane. Could you post some pics? I drybrushed a buttload of taupe in layers on the fur to matte it while I was adding the proper color in. I hadn't thought of using the pastels like that....

 

[Customikey]

Well for everything I've tried I've just put down a base coat and gone from there. No stripping.

I've actually stopped using a basecoat. It fills the details and actually makes the paint scratch more easily than simply applying the apitn directly to the figure. I don't strip either. Wait, that doesn't sound right.

 

[Darren Carnall]

if it's a resin head I usually spray on primer, it it's a repaint... i guess it depends what mood i'm in sometimes i do a coat of primer and sometimes I just paint onto the figure

 

[DarkArtist81]

So when you guys do a repaint, do you strip the paint off the existing figure and start from scratch, or paint over it?

I am seriously considering having my Obi-Wan in Clone Armor statue from GG custom repainted if he ends up looking as bad as I think he will. I've never paid for a repaint before but I had high hopes for this piece and he just might be worth the trouble based on the pictures I am seeing.

I never do a basecoat and I don't strip the paint at all... I just start painting on the figure. Sometimes I will use certain aspects of the paint apps if they are serviceable, but most of the time... I just paint over everything.

And as for the projects, Memnoch... I would agree with Mikey there... I'm very much a novice on full customs myself so I'm not a lot of help. But as far as repaints... you can never go wrong with painting too much. With that Gammy, I'd paint everything you could, just to get the desired effect.

 

[DarthNeil]

Prisoner Leia:

Ok, I ordered a Dollfie bendy body. This one actually : https://www.volksusa.com/2227ec0003.html
Now, do you guys think the chest will be ok, or should I take it down a bit?
Do you guys think the skin tone will be a big deal? My experience with Asian companies tends to be that when they say tan they mean caucasion.
I have both Prisoner Leias that Hasbro made, which outfit should I go with?
right now Im thinking just about everything from the Hasbro solo Leia.

I think that maybe we should start a separate thread with all of the slave Leias (now that Jabba and his throne are out there) and have the customiser masters (a la Mikey, Hurricane...etc) do a little SS Idol.

I never heard of the dollfie but it looks like that could be interesting. I'm going to try a Dragon Onimusha Female along with the Hasbro slave costume.

Trial and error among us neophites--- here's hoping (fingers crossed) that we won't totally mess it up.

 

[Memnoch]

I've come to the conclusion that Hasbro Leias braid is ridiculously thick... sooo I will be replacing it with the brown wookiee braid from Boba Fett. Should put it a bit more in scale. What I am really tempted to do is eventually pick up a second SS Leia, rework the hair and use that as my Leia, but for now, this will do.

 

[DarthNeil]

I've come to the conclusion that Hasbro Leias braid is ridiculously thick... sooo I will be replacing it with the brown wookiee braid from Boba Fett. Should put it a bit more in scale. What I am really tempted to do is eventually pick up a second SS Leia, rework the hair and use that as my Leia, but for now, this will do.

I haven't received my Hasbro Leia yet--- a purchase through E-bay from out west (Canada so no import fees to screw with the great price) that should arrive tomorrow or at the latest Tuesday. Is the head really not salvageable?

 

[Memnoch]

I haven't received my Hasbro Leia yet--- a purchase through E-bay from out west (Canada so no import fees to screw with the great price) that should arrive tomorrow or at the latest Tuesday. Is the head really not salvageable?

The head is what it is. A mass market Princess Leia doll head. The braid is ridiculously thick, its a soft sculpt. It passes as Princess Leia but isn't as nice as the SS sculpt. The braid is huge only because of the rooted hair, but I hope to take care of that. Other than that, the outfit is pretty good and the sculpt is ok.

 

[Customikey]

Yeah, I'll be upgrading mine once SSC Leia ships and the Triad body comes out.

 

[DarthNeil]

Yeah, I'll be upgrading mine once SSC Leia ships and the Triad body comes out.

Have you got a link to a pic of the triad? (trying to find out what's the best stuff out there for turning my limited Hasbro collection acquired through E-bay into something better).

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

These heads were for a show display only and will not be the ones that come with the figures...it appears Sideshow heads will require serious modification to be used with these bodies. According to Louie Tran, there have been considerable modifications made since the show, and that is why these are taking so long. But since it seems getting rid of the neck joint was an aesthetic decision, I wouldn't get my hopes up for a neckpost variation.

Incidentally, here's a repaint of the Hasbro Leia head by Tad Ulrich posted at the Men With Dolls ezBoard forum:

There are more pictures at this thread: Tad Ulrich Princess Leia repaint

The Men With Dolls forum seems to have shrunk to a very tiny group, but they are great customizers. Louie Tran posts there with news more often than he ships the Triad newsletter.