1/6 Indy Customizations: Image Thread

[rubio95]

For the eyeliner, I just used a toothpick soaked in alcohol (or nail varnish remover, I wouldn't normally recommend it, but it worked fine on this), just gently rub the edge of the stick off of the paint you want to remove, then maybe use a cotton bud to clean up. As soon as you start you will figure it out, very easy.

I know what you mean about the depth setting of the eyes. but be careful, very careful of messing with the eyelids or socket inside. The plastic doesn't sand well and is quite soft, so you could end up with some horrible looking eye holes very easily. Another freak tried this and sent it to me to fix, it was unsaveable.

Thanks for the reply, Rory.

I didn't take any pictures, but I managed to remove the eyeliner. I used some nail polish remover on a Q-Tip and applied it from the inside. It certainly did the trick, though it may have removed a bit more paint that I would've liked.

As far as the eyeholes, I just used an exacto to widen them. It worked very, very well, and now the eyes are flush with the holes. I trimmed a bit of the PERS housing off from the sides, hoping that it would enable the soft sculpt to appear a bit thinner.

I have encountered one problem, though. The ball joint that plugs into the eyepiece now pushes through the hole. Not sure how I'm gonna tackle this.

I know that I need to post pics, but I was in a hurry this morning.

 

[rubio95]

 

[rubio95]

Some context for the pics above:

PERS block removed and modified (shaved off the sides). Eye holes widened so that they eyes fit snug against the face sculpt.

Eyeliner removed (too much, I think). Hopefully a dab of paint and/or washes can help it blend better.

And it definitely looks better in hand than the pictures show.

 

[rubio95]

Welp, I figured out what the problem is. One of my last posts said how the eyes were becoming dislodged in the face sculpt. That's because after I hollowed out the eye sockets, there was nothing to hold them in place. This tells me two things:

1.) The precision that Hot Toys uses for the PERS feature is REMARKABLE. Very, very simple, but PRECISE.

2.) They really, really, REALLY ****ed up on Indy. I'm shocked that this made it to production.

Anyways, I know what I have to do, but it'll be...interesting. And I've never done it, or anything like it. But, like I said, the system is simple enough. Just gotta find a material to fab a 'staying plate,' for lack of a better term. Needless to say, I'll be purchasing another headsculpt, to keep a 'clean version'. If anyone has one laying around, please PM me before I go onto eBay. And Rorywan, I'll most likely be PMing YOU very soon.

 

[davejames]

The eyes look pretty good in that last pic.

Although if I had this Indy the first thing I'd try to do is darken the beard a bit more, since I think that would help cover up some of the issues with the likeness. And it does get pretty dark at times in the first movie:

 

[thejerker]

Check Toy Anxiety. They should have a few headsculpts left

 

[cmiller99]

View attachment 166053

What could have been...

 

[Rogerbee]

One day it still could, there's still the second SSC sculpt to come, Snake fared pretty well so it could bode well for the TOD Indy. Either that or we get another Nathan Drake job!

 

[matrix69]

The new SS sculpt might turn out to be pretty good, and there's still a place for this guy View attachment 166858View attachment 166859

 

[Rogerbee]

For some odd reason, that sculpt doesn't look too bad when dressed in that gear.

 

[Pixelpiper]

For some odd reason, that sculpt doesn't look too bad when dressed in that gear.

Hot Toys created a really chameleon-like sculpt with DX05, it's never going to look as good as the best customs, but it's amazing how it "changes" in appearance depending on setting and lighting.

 

[Rogerbee]

I think two main problems happened with this sculpt. One was getting Arnie to do it, none of his Ford sculpts have ever hit the mark. The other was PERS, they had to compromise an already bad sculpt to fit around it. Had this been an MMS with say Yulli at the helm, I reckon we would have had a classic on our hands.

 

[Pixelpiper]

When working with an art director as part of a team, the sculptor, if they're talented, doesn't matter as much as someone working solo on a custom for instance. IMO, anyone good enough to create a convincing human likeness can create anyone one else's likeness. Whomever was overseeing this at Hot Toys simply didn't steer the artist in the right direction and let this final result stand. Or worse, the artist was instructed to produce what we see. The likeness is a group fail, not something that should be pinned on the shoulders of one individual.

This isn't an isolated issue at Hot Toys and you can see it in many final products with sculpts from a number of artists. It's almost a systemic trait of the company, IMO, though on other releases, not necessarily to the same degree as DX05

 

[matj007]

For some odd reason, that sculpt doesn't look too bad when dressed in that gear.

The headscarf hiding the fat jawline helps. Also, the clear repaint.

I think two main problems happened with this sculpt. One was getting Arnie to do it, none of his Ford sculpts have ever hit the mark. The other was PERS, they had to compromise an already bad sculpt to fit around it. Had this been an MMS with say Yulli at the helm, I reckon we would have had a classic on our hands.

I've never bought the PERS argument. The HT dx Bruce Lee is a much narrower sculpt, incorporates PERS and retains a fantastic likeness.

Bottom line is, its a poor sculpt. You can repaint and light it however you like, it only ever obtains a vague likeness of Ford.

 

[Rogerbee]

I guess, but, what I think happened was this: They wanted the marquee value of Arnie Kim, but, they'd already given Bruce to someone else. So, they had to have him work on something to retain him. Nobody was on Indy, so they gave it to him. After that, with everyone else committed and no more time they had to go with what Arnie had given them. As far as I know, the Reeve Supes was the last thing he did before he left them. That showed what he could have given them if they'd managed him better. Their loss, Blitzway's gain.

 

[Rogerbee]

I've never bought the PERS argument. The HT dx Bruce Lee is a much narrower sculpt, incorporates PERS and retains a fantastic likeness.

Bottom line is, its a poor sculpt. You can repaint and light it however you like, it only ever obtains a vague likeness of Ford.

Yes well, after Bruce, they didn't bother tailoring the PERS unit to suit other sculpts, they used Bruce's unit and made the sculpts to fit it. This is why likenesses on other DX heads suffer. You notice it on the Nicholson Joker, Indy and Arnie most because they are wider heads but they have had to move the eyes inwards to fit where the PERS unit puts them.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Also IMO, there's no shortage of insanely talented artists that can outdo many of Hot Toys commercial products on a consistent basis. The difficulty is likely in sourcing them out and contracting them. There are a number on this forum alone.

 

[Rorywan]

When working with an art director as part of a team, the sculptor, if they're talented, doesn't matter as much as someone working solo on a custom for instance. IMO, anyone good enough to create a convincing human likeness can create anyone one else's likeness. Whomever was overseeing this at Hot Toys simply didn't steer the artist in the right direction and let this final result stand. Or worse, the artist was instructed to produce what we see. The likeness is a group fail, not something that should be pinned on the shoulders of one individual.

This isn't an isolated issue at Hot Toys and you can see it in many final products with sculpts from a number of artists. It's almost a systemic trait of the company, IMO, though on other releases, not necessarily to the same degree as DX05

No, that is incorrect, some sculptors are naturally good at certain types of faces and not others. It's their style, whilst you can push someone in a certain direction, you cannot force an artist to be able to do something that they are not naturally strong with. it's a case of finding the right person for the right project. I know this because I saw it happening waay too much when in art college. You play to an artists strengths, you do not try to shoe horn them to do what they are not naturally good at.


I agree with Rogerbee on this one. Arnie was wrong for the project and the poor implementation of PERS were the final nail in it's coffin.

 

[Rogerbee]

Thanks Rory,

Arnie Kim's forte is Bruce Lee, as some of his Enterbay work shows. I say some as he wasn't entirely happy with how a few of the figures came out. His work for Blitzway is some of the best I've seen.

In terms of sculptors that can do Indy, Trevor is the only one that has truly nailed him. It's only Sideshow's production team that haven't fully allowed him to show that. However, whoever did the TOD one is pretty good, but, will SSC let their work shine!?

 

[Rogerbee]

Also IMO, there's no shortage of insanely talented artists that can outdo many of Hot Toys commercial products on a consistent basis. The difficulty is likely in sourcing them out and contracting them. There are a number on this forum alone.

That's true, but, it's a hobby for them and not a job. When it becomes a job, the love of the subject, which is what drives them, tends to lessen and the work suffers as a result.