Agonistes' Star Wars customs

[Scout Trooper]

Insane..

 

[agonistes86]

This is next level. I love it. Good stuff.

Insane..

Thanks, guys!

I guess I'm going all in with this. I also want to replace the "tubes" on the sides if possible since the HT ones quite are inaccurate and of course broken up because of the split helmet. I'll glue the helmet shut so I can put proper ones. Just need to figure out what I can use for them, though.

Another nice side effect I noticed: by removing the inner eye mechanic details, the lenses are now a nice proper amber when the light hits it right, since the blank sculpt is directly underneath instead of black plastic.

 

[agonistes86]

No way back now...

It's still a bit rough around the edges, but that will all be sanded, filled, sculpted etc. by the end. I'm aiming for an ESB look, so the HT chin vent was too big.

 

[agonistes86]

Made another mock-up for test fitting. The teeth are just painted with a black marker to get an idea of the look.

I'm already liking how the greater depth and actual separate layers create more shadows and contrast depending on the angle.

 

[prvtnoclass]

Right on, that's looking so cool!!

 

[agonistes86]

I haven't made much actual progress on Vader in terms of building, but I did have two breakthroughs of sorts.

For the past 2 weeks I've been thinking what to use behind the mouth grill to add texture, and yesterday I finally figured it out. I had a netting from an old wallet that I kept just in case. It turns out it's perfect for Vader.
It's really subtle once installed, but it does add some extra detail.

These shots are still of rather crude test fittings painted with a marker. For the final version I'll take my time to make it as precise as possible. This is helping me figure out what I need to change.

I also decided that I won't be 100% happy with my work if I don't address the tubes on the side. They are completely wrong in shape, thickness and angles. So I started dremeling them off, so far only the ones on the cheek.
I'll have to smooth it out completely, paint over it, and then sculpt and install new tubes to make it all seamless.
Wish me luck.

 

[prvtnoclass]

That's insane detail!!! This fig is going to be incredible when you get it all done.

 

[agonistes86]

That's insane detail!!! This fig is going to be incredible when you get it all done.

Thanks! This is the part I love most about customizing (dremeling, re-tooling, adding small details, etc), so I'm having a lot of fun with this.

For some reason I hadn't considered repainting the entire things until @matrix69 posted his 1:6 custom. That actually solved some roadblocks in my head, so it feels easier to move forward now.

I've dremeled off the entire tubes now, and sculpted the new chin vent to make it smaller.

 

[agonistes86]

My current progress:

• I sanded the tubes off completely with grit 240, 400, 600 and 1000
• I sculpted the chin vent in super sculpey. Still need to sand it
• Thinned the lower "lip" of the mouth

Next steps are resculpting the silver nose slightly, priming everything, and then building the mouth and chin vent.

 

[agonistes86]

I've been working this past week on the neck and installation of the whole helmet.

Since I split the base of the helmet, the peg that goes into the head now sits much higher within the head (with the joint around the actual base of the skull). So this meant increasing the neck length. I made a new peg that slots into the body, and extended the neck itself.
Now the head articulates much better.

I had also been cracking my head at how to install everything in the end. My original thought was to glue the head into the helmet.
But I thought I made as well go all out here as well and make the whole thing work like the real helmet.
So I split the neck brace from the lower helmet and installed magnets so that I can remove and attach it easily.
In the video you can see how the whole head and helmet system works now.

I need to finish some details around the neck, then it's back to the mask details.

The new neck (original on the left):

How the helmet started:

Where I am now:

 

[agonistes86]

I'm glad I started posting my work in progress on Vader since the beginning, so you can all bear witness to my descent into madness.

I'm started to become completely obsessed with this project.
This past week I started focusing on the face mask again. I spent a few hours reading rpf and propden threads about Vader. Made side by side comparisons with my mask and movie shots from various angles.

First I started sanding small spots here there. Dremeled the nose to be deeper. Then I thought I want to resculpt a cheek here and an eyebrow there. Finally I thought, why bother with all these details if I don't address what makes his look so unique: the crooked mouth and neck.

So I decided to go all the way in making this as accurate as possible.
I so far cut open the mouth and angled it more, and started sanding the neckline a bit. I'll have to sand and sculpt quite a bit to make this work, and redo the chin vent again.

Here's my current progress. I started using my Too much garlic ANH Vader helmet for comparison, since the 3D aspect makes it much easier to detect flaws in the HT sculpt.

And here a (crude phone) edit covering the open areas, to get a better feel for the proportions:

 

[Senfi83]

You have a keen eye, sir! I love the asymmetry and wonkiness of the anh mask and it looks like you're on the right path with this. Looks great so far. Keep it up!

 

[agonistes86]

You have a keen eye, sir! I love the asymmetry and wonkiness of the anh mask and it looks like you're on the right path with this. Looks great so far. Keep it up!

Thanks! Yeah now that I'm truly all in, I won't stop until I get it right.


Here's my progress of the last 2 days.

Yesterday I sculpted on the cheek to make it a bit more accurate, and I started sculpting the nose wall thicker. I haven't sanded either yet, so they look rather crude.

Today I dremeled and sanded the neck. I think I have the angle where I want it, so I sanded the left (his right) side so it doesn't protrude over the upper half.

I'll have to fill the gap, sculpt over the neck to get the shape right again, redo the mouth triangle and build a new mouth from scratch. I decided that I'll be sculpting the teeth and make them a permanent part of the helmet. It should make it sturdier, of course more accurate, and actually easier to get right. Then I just have to add the grill from the back.

And I didn't want to go this far since I didn't want to mess with the dome's glossy finish, but since it would be the only non-accurate ESB thing left - I will also be sculpting the (partial) widow's peak onto the dome...

 

[Scout Trooper]

Thanks! Yeah now that I'm truly all in, I won't stop until I get it right.


Here's my progress of the last 2 days.

Yesterday I sculpted on the cheek to make it a bit more accurate, and I started sculpting the nose wall thicker. I haven't sanded either yet, so they look rather crude.

Today I dremeled and sanded the neck. I think I have the angle where I want it, so I sanded the left (his right) side so it doesn't protrude over the upper half.

I'll have to fill the gap, sculpt over the neck to get the shape right again, redo the mouth triangle and build a new mouth from scratch. I decided that I'll be sculpting the teeth and make them a permanent part of the helmet. It should make it sturdier, of course more accurate, and actually easier to get right. Then I just have to add the grill from the back.

And I didn't want to go this far since I didn't want to mess with the dome's glossy finish, but since it would be the only non-accurate ESB thing left - I will also be sculpting the (partial) widow's peak onto the dome...

View attachment 703639

View attachment 703640

@agonistes86 in a hypothetical world were Inart gets the Star Wars license, you're the first person they should call on the team.

******** hell man... I thought I've seen it all in 11 years of collecting. What you're doing is worthy of a masterclass.

This is insanity on a whole other level. It's also a kind of passion and dedication I really admire. It's the most impressive thing I've seen in the hobby.

@HyperDrive feast your eyes on this...

 

[HyperDrive]

Bloody brilliant. Didn’t realize you were working on this, @agonistes86. I’ll make sure to follow your progress! Beautiful work.

@Scout Trooper thanks for showing me, man!!

 

[agonistes86]

@agonistes86 in a hypothetical world were Inart gets the Star Wars license, you're the first person they should call on the team.

******** hell man... I thought I've seen it all in 11 years of collecting. What you're doing is worthy of a masterclass.

This is insanity on a whole other level. It's also a kind of passion and dedication I really admire. It's the most impressive thing I've seen in the hobby.

@HyperDrive feast your eyes on this...

Wow man, thanks a lot for the kind words!
I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but I actually am starting to consider this my "masterpiece". I don't want to stop until he surpasses my 1:6 Vader, which has been my favorite custom so far.

It's amazing how the project keeps on exploding in size though. For instance, I thought modding the HT cape was sufficient. But now I feel the stitching in the collar is messing with the appearance on the chest armor, so I'll have to make a new one after all.
And since I want this to be my ultimate (ESB) Vader, upgrading to a leather jumpsuit seems inevitable.
And how the hell am I going to change the ROTJ chest piece to ESB style...? I'll need some new greebles.

So many loose ends and so much to figure out still, but I'm loving it. Glad some of you are enjoying the ride as well.

Bloody brilliant. Didn’t realize you were working on this, @agonistes86. I’ll make sure to follow your progress! Beautiful work.

@Scout Trooper thanks for showing me, man!!

Thanks man, much appreciated!

 

[Scout Trooper]

Wow man, thanks a lot for the kind words!
I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but I actually am starting to consider this my "masterpiece". I don't want to stop until he surpasses my 1:6 Vader, which has been my favorite custom so far.

It's amazing how the project keeps on exploding in size though. For instance, I thought modding the HT cape was sufficient. But now I feel the stitching in the collar is messing with the appearance on the chest armor, so I'll have to make a new one after all.
And since I want this to be my ultimate (ESB) Vader, upgrading to a leather jumpsuit seems inevitable.
And how the hell am I going to change the ROTJ chest piece to ESB style...? I'll need some new greebles.

So many loose ends and so much to figure out still, but I'm loving it. Glad some of you are enjoying the ride as well.


Thanks man, much appreciated!

Do you ever make a mistake?

The idea of taking a dremel to such a tiny detailed object for micro adjustment is wild. One wrong move could signal disaster.

How would you amend that? Do you just sculpt over?

What exactly do you use for sculpting?

How do you fix a piece in place when you're dremeling?

 

[agonistes86]

Do you ever make a mistake?

The idea of taking a dremel to such a tiny detailed object for micro adjustment is wild. One wrong move could signal disaster.

How would you amend that? Do you just sculpt over?

What exactly do you use for sculpting?

How do you fix a piece in place when you're dremeling?

View attachment 703765

Haha yeah I definitely make mistakes along the way.

When I started seriously customizing my figures, I bought duplicate parts in case I mess it up. But as my confidence grew, and I realized that (almost) every mistake is salvageable, I stopped doing it. I just ended up with duplicate parts that I had to sell again. And I don't care about being able to revert things back to stock, since I make these with the intent to keep.

Depends on the mistake, there's usually a way to fix it. You improvise and adapt.
When I work on delicate parts and I don't want to drill over something accidentally, I mask the parts. That essentially adds a protective layer to it.

To illustrate, on this project, I already made 2 mistakes I can think of:
1) the neck ball joint broke off of the first screw I used. So I drilled deeper into the joint and used a wider screw. Worst case, I would've had to buy a new ball joint somehow.
2) I messed up the bottom lip of the mouth triangle. I cut it off on one side to get it angled. When I used a hairdryer to harden the sculpey, that lip somehow got warped because of the heat. So I'll have to make a new one when I sculpt the rest of the mouth. I was hoping to use that part for added stability, but now it's off to plan B.

I was incredibly cautious with the mask when dremeling, up until I realized that I'll repaint the whole thing anyway. That means I'll sand and primer the whole helmet anyway, so small mistakes can be fixed along the way.

How I use the dremel is actually very straight forward: I hold the part in my left hand, and the dremel in my right. If the part is very small and I risk hurting myself, I hold the part with pliers.

Regarding sculpting, I generally use 2 types: super sculpey firm and milliput. I also started using green stuff recently, but don't have much experience with it.

Milliput dries out hard by itself, which is great. And it becomes very sturdy. But it's quite messy to work with, and you don't want to get it all over the surface of your sculpt.

On Vader, I've been using super sculpey so far. It technically needs to be baked to harden, but since I'm only doing very small work, I've used a hairdryer so far. It's actually a bit of a concern for me right now though - I'm afraid it won't cure fully and will then mess with the paint afterwards. So I might switch to milliput for reworking the neck.

I'm not the best sculptor, so I usually go for 80% when sculpting, adding more bulk than necessary. After it's hardened, I can then sand and shape it to get it to 100%.

 

[Scout Trooper]

Haha yeah I definitely make mistakes along the way.

When I started seriously customizing my figures, I bought duplicate parts in case I mess it up. But as my confidence grew, and I realized that (almost) every mistake is salvageable, I stopped doing it. I just ended up with duplicate parts that I had to sell again. And I don't care about being able to revert things back to stock, since I make these with the intent to keep.

Depends on the mistake, there's usually a way to fix it. You improvise and adapt.
When I work on delicate parts and I don't want to drill over something accidentally, I mask the parts. That essentially adds a protective layer to it.

To illustrate, on this project, I already made 2 mistakes I can think of:
1) the neck ball joint broke off of the first screw I used. So I drilled deeper into the joint and used a wider screw. Worst case, I would've had to buy a new ball joint somehow.
2) I messed up the bottom lip of the mouth triangle. I cut it off on one side to get it angled. When I used a hairdryer to harden the sculpey, that lip somehow got warped because of the heat. So I'll have to make a new one when I sculpt the rest of the mouth. I was hoping to use that part for added stability, but now it's off to plan B.

I was incredibly cautious with the mask when dremeling, up until I realized that I'll repaint the whole thing anyway. That means I'll sand and primer the whole helmet anyway, so small mistakes can be fixed along the way.

How I use the dremel is actually very straight forward: I hold the part in my left hand, and the dremel in my right. If the part is very small and I risk hurting myself, I hold the part with pliers.

Regarding sculpting, I generally use 2 types: super sculpey firm and milliput. I also started using green stuff recently, but don't have much experience with it.

Milliput dries out hard by itself, which is great. And it becomes very sturdy. But it's quite messy to work with, and you don't want to get it all over the surface of your sculpt.

On Vader, I've been using super sculpey so far. It technically needs to be baked to harden, but since I'm only doing very small work, I've used a hairdryer so far. It's actually a bit of a concern for me right now though - I'm afraid it won't cure fully and will then mess with the paint afterwards. So I might switch to milliput for reworking the neck.

I'm not the best sculptor, so I usually go for 80% when sculpting, adding more bulk than necessary. After it's hardened, I can then sand and shape it to get it to 100%.

Very insightful. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[agonistes86]

I made some good progress this past week.

I started sculpting the new neck. I'm using milliput superfine white for this, as it dries rock solid, which makes it great to work with.
So far I did 2 rounds of sculpting and sanding. I still see some issues here and there, so I think I need one final round of sculpting.

I starting making comparison shots, overlaying my mask with movie and BTS shots, trying to get it aligned as closely as possible. This allows me to detect more flaws in my mask. It lines up amazingly well already though. HT really did a tremendous job on the sculpt (wonkiness aside).
I already trimmed the neck line at the bottom a bit, but on the left (his right) quite a bit more has to come off.

I won't drill the chin vent until the neck is completely done in terms of shape.

I also noticed something else. The shoulder area bothered me when trying everything out - the shoulders were too flat. After studying some more screenshots and 501st shots I noticed that the armor neck (the two black strips around the neck) are thicker than the rest, which makes it seem like he has thick traps (as can be seen here). It turns out that's (most likely) the solution to my problem.

So I sculpted those thicker as well. I haven't sanded it yet so it's still super rough, but here's a WIP.
I also removed the chain hook and filled the hole, since I'm going for ESB.