This commission request was a lot of fun because we had the opportunity to create a character from Walt Disney World Resort's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a revolutionary new 2-night experience at the theme park where you embark on your own Star Wars adventure. It’s an immersive Star Wars story where you live out your own experience and journey further into the Star Wars galaxy farther than you ever dreamed you could.
AGE APPROPRIATE WARNING
Friday, December 23, 2022
"STAR WARS: GALACTIC STARCRUISER" OUAANII created by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"
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!
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!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUIIwlLSJq-RGTpF5cn9hTleoW_CA0bwePEh_66Cw5qCriQ2ErpGxYGHYXlZ8IL_AWz0tcMl-TYtB0r5X_ITUFe4wao-2di-9_sgGs8hsgSpnSZaMQxOQrcu7OOP3r1PGRXXTC7KVwDBGmNj_EQbMi2HEVGaq5fpoinSMMKFiFGnR8ugRrNP7RQ50/w470-h640/1F9ED772-EB54-4829-B50B-7EBFE0E55307.jpeg)
SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED