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Tuesday, December 13, 2022

"MANDO MAX" created by Elias

It’s rare that “Customs for the Kid” makes a fan fiction custom, but some occasions in are just that special!  For my boyfriend Max’s 21st birthday, I decided to make him an extra special custom action figure.  About a year ago, I created him a digital painting of an original Star Wars character that would serve as a kind of self-insert character for him.  In the beginning of our relationship, we had been talking about how our personalities and philosophies might align with certain factions in the Star Wars universe, me considering myself a Jedi, whereas he was more reserved, but with a soft core beneath the armor, so we decided he fit well as a Mandalorian.  Furthermore, he’s always been a big fan of Red Dead Redemption 2 and old Western films, so I wanted to give his Mando character a cowboy twist.

I created this figure using the new Vintage Collection Death Watch action figure from Season 1 of The Mandalorian as my base.  I used the Dremel to remove certain features like the original boots and the shirt  to create room for new forms.  I started sculpting the vest after thoroughly researching 1800s fashion to find certain design motifs in Victorian as well as American Frontiersman vests.  I decided on a double breasted leather vest that would sit under the armor.  I then sculpted new armor onto the breastplate, shoulders, and left thigh, as well as some reshaping on the pants.  The Serape poncho was a nod to some of the classic Clint Eastwood Western films.  I made it by rolling out a thin flat sheet of Procreate, cutting a neck hole into it, and then draping it over the body when it was starting to cure.  While it was still soft, I folded and formed the putty to resemble fabric and create the desired silhouette.  I sculpted the boots to match a pair of boots Max actually owns, and added some spurs to enhance that western theme.  The lever action rifle is also inspired by his Marlin 45 70, which I sculpted onto the weapon that came with the original figure.  The utility belt features a rope which I sculpted by rolling out a long thin cord of Procreate and shaping it when it was about halfway cured.  

I began the painting process by hand painting the wood grain into the rifle, then painted base coats onto the whole figure.  I dry brushed every surface with highlight colors and then wet brushed over that with a gouache consistency coat of paint to clean it up.  I then hand painted the remaining details like the patterns on the poncho, the silver armor chipping, the paint on the breast and shoulder, and the Mythosaur Skull on his helmet.  I got the vest and boots to resemble leather by dry brushing highlights onto it, and then putting a brown wash over that to give it an uneven color and glossy sheen.  I then finished it off by dry brushing some beige in a few areas to give him a weathered dusty look.

Overall, it was a very fun custom to make, and a labor of love, so I’m happy to see that it’s appreciated in its new home.  Happy birthday, Max!


"MANDO MAX"
created by Elias






















SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED


Monday, December 5, 2022

"THE CLONE WARS" 501st JUMP TROOPER by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

While you can find the 501st Jump Trooper in The Clone Wars action figure line, it was a very hard to acquire item due to it not being commercially available for purchase in the United States. Toward the end of the line, Hasbro again started to restrict the articulation of their animated figures which was a bit of a disappointment after the quality of the figures started to have an impressive amount of joint options when the line was in its prime. I recently had a customer seeking a 501st Jump Trooper but with full articulation and a removable helmet.  I had some creative freedom with the Trooper's face, so I took inspiration from Chopper in Season 1 of the Clone Wars, but I wanted his scarring to be much more severe.  

The parts I used for this figure were a super articulated Phase I Clone Trooper, a cast of an Aayla Secura jetpack, and a hollowed out Phase II Clone Trooper helmet.  I re-sculpted the body to match the Phase II armor, and completely repainted it.  I started with a black primer over the whole figure, then dry brushed white over every armor plate.  This makes the forms of the sculpt pop more, as well as give the figure's armor a run down weathered appearance.  I wet brushed white paint over most surfaces as well to clean things up, but made sure the dry brush effect still shined through.  I then hand painted all the blue and red markings onto the armor and jetpack.  The face was made with a regular bald clone trooper head.  The scars were only done with paint to save time, but I'm still very happy with the final product!


"THE CLONE WARS"
501st Jump Trooper
created by Elias










SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED




Sunday, October 2, 2022

"THE CLONE WARS" CYBORG ADMIRAL TRENCH created by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

Trench was a Harch admiral and naval commander who survived a number of presumed deaths throughout his career. Hailing from Secundus Ando, he acquitted himself in engagements with the Galactic Republic, all the while savoring the terror he struck in his enemies. Years after his purported death at the Battle of Malastare Narrows, he resurfaced during the Clone Wars, becoming a key officer in the navy of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. From the dreadnought Invincible he oversaw the Confederate blockade of Christophsis, which brought him into conflict with a Republic battle group led by Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker along with an old foe, Admiral Wullf Yularen. When Skywalker and Yularen attempted to use an experimental stealth ship to breach the blockade, Trench began a deadly game of cat and mouse with them. Though Skywalker outwitted him by redirecting a volley of tracking torpedoes at the Invincible, Trench managed to survive his flagship's demise.

During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, Trench captured clone trooper Tup—who had mysteriously gunned down Jedi General Tiplar—and tried to send the clone to Separatist leader Count Dooku for examination, though a Republic team intervened and rescued Tup. In the Battle of Anaxes, Trench besieged the Republic shipyards at Anaxes for weeks on end, exploiting the Techno Union's secret access to a Republic strategy algorithm. Even as the tide of battle began to turn, Trench remained intent on annihilating the Jedi and their clone infantry. Though he activated a bomb beneath the assembly complex on Anaxes, Skywalker infiltrated Trench's flagship, the Invulnerable and forced the admiral to divulge the sequence to disarm the device. When Trench tried to retaliate, Skywalker drove his lightsaber through his chest, inflicting a death that even the hardened Harch could not escape.

Emerging from our silence of September, I bring you one of my most challenging projects yet. It has been in the works for quite some time.  Cyborg Admiral Trench.  The first time this version of the character was revealed on screen, I vividly remember joking about how it would be such a difficult; even an impossible project, so when I received an email from a client requesting this beautiful monstrosity, I was quite intimidated.  As it turns out, the desire to make a living is enough motivation for me to meet such a request with a "yes!"  To look at this figure completed is surreal for me after weeks of painstaking attention and unwavering passion.  

The parts I used for this figure were an Orn Free Taa body, the arms of three IG-11s, and the arms of three different Clone Troopers.  His head was completely sculpted by hand in several layers.  I sculpted his cane and electricity effect in Blender and learned a few new modeling tricks along the way!  The weapon that drops down from his forearm was hard sculpted out of dried procreate scraps cut into desired shapes and sanded for that machine smoothness.  The panel on his arm is secured via magnets, and the weapon has a piece of a paperclip hidden inside which allows it to magnetize between the panel and the arm.

This was the most challenging paint application I ever had to manage. The filigree on his robot arms was a challenge unlike any of the other high-detail paint jobs I've ever done. The major challenge was the symmetry I had to achieve on each individual panel, and then match it on the other two arms.  The patterns on the front of his robe were also difficult because of the symmetry required at such a small scale. The dark gray lines cutting through the light gray shapes are as thin as a human hair.

The sculpt on this figure was the ultimate undertaking in my opinion.  Every surface of his body was heavily modified.  The robe on the base figure was cut short and smoothed with the Dremel completely. I had to build out his upper torso in the front and the back in order to create the space to mount six arms as opposed to two. I then had to re-engineer the arms to have two elbow joints and be the correct length. Once his fundamental structures were done, I had several layers of detailing ahead of me. His robotic arm was hand sculpted into perfect cylinders with many panels, layers and grates, and then repeated twice more for his other arms.  The greeblies on his head and collar were hand fabricated out of flat dry procreate that I cut by hand and glued into place.  

With all the effort I put into this figure, I'm a little sad to see it go, but I take solace in the fact that he is going to a loving home.




"THE CLONE WARS"
CYBORG ADMIRAL TRENCH
created by Elias




































SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED



Cardback images by @peakob1customfigures























We were so happy with the way Trench came out we updated our blog's banner to include him before he gets mailed away to his new owner.



PURCHASE CASTS HERE








Monday, August 29, 2022

CUSTOMIZER SPOTLIGHT #59: "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" action figures created by TwoMirrorsTreasures

Nine years ago Dad made a Kaink and Chukha Trok for a fellow customizer and about seven years ago we made some additional "Ewok: The Battle for Endor" action figures for a family member. First we made a Cindel Towani and Noa Briqualon. The following year we made him a Charal

Ever since the figures were completed we have wanted to add a set of these characters to the collection for ourselves. Recently, Dad came across some custom models on Etsy from seller Two Mirror Treasures of Prague from the Czech Republic. The painted models were very reasonably priced and Dad grabbed them to fill out our Endor Ewok Village display. After opening our shipment, we took some photos of our new figures and quickly added them to our shelves. Unfortunately, these models lack any articulation but they do fit within the 3.75" scale. Don't let the lack of articulation deter you from buying these though because the sculpts and paintwork are just wonderful.

Two Mirror Treasures recently started to offer an articulated King Terak so keep an eye out for him in his store.



CUSTOMIZER SPOTLIGHT #59:
"Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" action figures
created by Two Mirrors Treasures

King Terak & Charal


King Terak


Turok Woodland Creature


King Terak & Turok Woodland Creature


Kaink, Cindel Towani, Chukha Trok, Shodu & Woklings


Kaink


Chukha Trok


Shodu & Woklings


Kaink, Chukha Trok, Shodu & Woklings


Cindel Towani



Two Mirrors Treasures