ALIEN and ALIENS Thread...

[Batty]

Actually there's quite a bit of difference with the Alien 3 to Aliens version of the creatures. The Alien 3 version has a dome back on the head, the previously mentioned lack of back spines for mobility purposes (because this one would be on all fours at times and they needed clearance for the head), different jaw and head proportions, it's legs are not human-like but dog-like, and different hands. And it's brown.

Yeah, I guess I over simplified it (I should have known better!).

I remember Giger saying how he got rid of the spines to make it more elegant and animal-like. And he changed the mouth to make it more sensual. He also had a bunch of other design changes that didn't get used. I don't remember the hands being much different. I'll have to watch the bonus disc of the DVD tonight.

 

[abake]

Actually there's quite a bit of difference with the Alien 3 to Aliens version of the creatures. The Alien 3 version has a dome back on the head, the previously mentioned lack of back spines for mobility purposes (because this one would be on all fours at times and they needed clearance for the head), different jaw and head proportions, it's legs are not human-like but dog-like, and different hands. And it's brown.

Right on about everything, but there's been a huge debate raging for ever about the color of aliens in general. Most purists seem to agree that all aliens are black, the different coloration coming only from the lighting they're seen in.

Les, your repaint and custom job on the McF alien is superb!
I wish I could send you mine so you could do the same...

 

[twistedfreak]

Wow. This is great news! This is what many of us have been waiting for. I will be sure to get what I can from these hopefully upcoming licenses. :chew

 

[Wor-Gar]

Most purists seem to agree that all aliens are black, the different coloration coming only from the lighting they're seen in.

I always thought that the alien was very dark, dark green. Maybe I was biased by the 1979 model kit I bought at the time that had it in a dark army green color.

 

[galactiboy]

Great Work Les... with your paint job I think he make an excellent stand in!!!

 

[figuremaster_les]

Another look at the ALIENS warrior...

Best I can see...

The A L I E N was browns, tans and lots of variants of greys with lots of attempts to make it all look dark and transparent, like it had transparant skin. The browns were like bruises. (I agree about the green thing though...seems like it was the green movie...)

The ALIENS warriors were black spandex, with bone colored highlights (see my repainted MacFarlane above), so it would catch light and suggest the forms on the surfaces. The craftsmen making them said they looked like Halloween skeleton suits. They looked bluish tinted thanks to Cameron's lust for blue.

The ALIEN 3 was greyish with brown highlights. Blander colors but he looked brown a lot due to the lighting and movie theme sepia-like color. Again, the director had a thing for that yellow-brown color. What is it with Alien movie directors and some color scheme?

ALIEN Resurrection warriors were fleshier and mostly very ruddy brown and black.

AVP ones were black and greytones. Almost black and white shades...no colors at all.

 

[Batty]

I popped the Alien 3 bonus disc in and took some quick screen-shots. The effects supervisor said they tried to stay as close as possible to Giger's palette.

And great work, Les!

 

[ambac]

Right on about everything, but there's been a huge debate raging for ever about the color of aliens in general. Most purists seem to agree that all aliens are black, the different coloration coming only from the lighting they're seen in.

Les, your repaint and custom job on the McF alien is superb!
I wish I could send you mine so you could do the same...

I think Figuremaster Les summed it up pretty well with his description of the color schemes of all the different incarnations. The way I view it is that the Alien and Aliens versions are supposed to be black, while the latter incarnations became brown for some reason. The actual colors used on the props are there to bring out highlights and details or work best under the lighting conditions being used and are meant to translate to film a certain way. For example, the equipment the Colonial Marines had looked to me like it was standard Olive Drab and I was kinda surprised that it was actually more of a brownish-green in reality. I guess that they chose the actual color, Brown Bess, because that's what looked best the way they were filming the movie. Another example is fake blood in movies. It used to be that it didn't look very close to the color of real blood becuase of the way red translated chromatically to film. I think that's changed now but I could be wrong.

 

[ambac]

And that's a kick-ass repaint, Figuremaster Les!

 

[figuremaster_les]

Thanks for the kind words about my repainted MacFigure...

This just happens to be one of my favorite debates. It is very interesting to try and figure out to me.

I just shot these old repaints of my Lil Macs, and they are as movie accurate as I could get them. GREAT stills of ALIEN 3 there Batty! I have always thought he was supposed to be brown, but he is pretty grey except for the head.

Anyway, here are my repainted Macs:

The photo is pretty close colorwise, and forget that weird yellow dome on the A3. It is really pretty clear in the flick, and looks tinted thanks to the lighting in the movie. And he is greyer than this toy is. And I think he has black nails rather than silver like I painted them...

Again, some of this is eye of the beholder, based on movie lighting, but having actually seen all these actual heads in the last weeks, (at Bob Burns' house) I can say my repaints ended up being pretty close. I was lucky. There are more greys in the ALIEN than I had thought, but this is close to all the colors...

All I know is, every shot of the Hot Toys Alien being boring and black and grey, is about right. AND, the AR aliens are seriously ruddy brown. That is why the other two interest me the most. Oh, and look for GIGER's ALIEN book to see some great shots of the first one in it's actual colors.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Best I can see...

The A L I E N was browns, tans and lots of variants of greys with lots of attempts to make it all look dark and transparent, like it had transparant skin. The browns were like bruises. (I agree about the green thing though...seems like it was the green movie...)

The ALIENS warriors were black spandex, with bone colored highlights (see my repainted MacFarlane above), so it would catch light and suggest the forms on the surfaces. The craftsmen making them said they looked like Halloween skeleton suits. They looked bluish tinted thanks to Cameron's lust for blue.

The ALIEN 3 was greyish with brown highlights. Blander colors but he looked brown a lot due to the lighting and movie theme sepia-like color. Again, the director had a thing for that yellow-brown color. What is it with Alien movie directors and some color scheme?

ALIEN Resurrection warriors were fleshier and mostly very ruddy brown and black.

AVP ones were black and greytones. Almost black and white shades...no colors at all.

That's really informative. I've never known that about the differences in the films before. Thanks, Les.

I guess the HT guys have their colors about right then.

 

[ambac]

Thanks for the kind words about my repainted MacFigure...

This just happens to be one of my favorite debates. It is very interesting to try and figure out to me.

I just shot these old repaints of my Lil Macs, and they are as movie accurate as I could get them. GREAT stills of ALIEN 3 there Batty! I have always thought he was supposed to be brown, but he is pretty grey except for the head.

Anyway, here are my repainted Macs:

The photo is pretty close colorwise, and forget that weird yellow dome on the A3. It is really pretty clear in the flick, and looks tinted thanks to the lighting in the movie. And he is greyer than this toy is. And I think he has black nails rather than silver like I painted them...

Again, some of this is eye of the beholder, based on movie lighting, but having actually seen all these actual heads in the last weeks, (at Bob Burns' house) I can say my repaints ended up being pretty close. I was lucky. There are more greys in the ALIEN than I had thought, but this is close to all the colors...

All I know is, every shot of the Hot Toys Alien being boring and black and grey, is about right. AND, the AR aliens are seriously ruddy brown. That is why the other two interest me the most. Oh, and look for GIGER's ALIEN book to see some great shots of the first one in it's actual colors.

It's an old color choice struggle for those who make prop and model replicas. Do you paint it to look like the studio model or do you paint it to look like it is on screen? I remember when the Enterprise from Star Trek the Motion Picture was a popular subject to build. People got really confused as to what color it was, as in some shots it seemed white and in some shots various metallic hues. I understand that the original model was various shades of metallic paint in the infamous Aztec pattern but on screen it looked white. I think ILM with it's later models of the same ship just gave up on the metallic paint and just painted it white.

 

[abake]

Your collection looks wonderful Les!
Thanks for sharing those pics.

 

[pjam]

Good news all around!

COUNT ME IN!
This new wave of Hot Toys is Rockin'!
Hope they go for broke and make the 1/6 Powerloader for Ripley to fit in, and the Queen of course.

Here is my attempt at a decent ALIENS warrior for my growing Hot Toys gang to fight or display with at best...it's just a repainted MacFarlane ALIEN. Not completely done yet, but all it needs is those arm things. Added the really long fingers and lost the extra opposing thumbs, added the inner extra toes and took the head tubes and dome off. Blended the front and back end of the head and did some serious detail paintup on it. (I have repainted all my smaller MacFarlane figures, so this was just a larger one to do...)
I don't like those weird mid-limbed joints, but it does have plenty of ALIENS goodness built in.
Something to display until HT comes out with a better one...and I can repaint it!

First up, it's life cycle...

With HT Vasquez...

Giving HT Hicks a hard time...

Posing...

More posing...

With my in-progress custom Bishop...

Hope to be adding more to this group soon.
STAY TUNED!

Great stuff Les! Just caught this, busy busy week, need to catch up here!

I can't wait for a HT 'ALIENS" Alien, love Vasquez too, Jennette Goldstein was so great in this role, one for the ages and that Bishop is looking amazing! Now I want one too!

 

[figuremaster_les]

That Bishop is the SS X-Files head of course, but on a Dragon body to bring him down to the size he needs to be for the HT figure set. Jumpsuit is a blue pilot one I ordered from Hong Kong, and am getting the patches soon. Repainting the head a bit more to make it match the Dragon plastic (and to pale him down some). Need to retool his sneakers, and give him a torchlight. That's it for him.
The Aliens is done now, added the arm blades today and he will be reshot with all the gang tomorrow.

Pjam, look for your Vas very soon my friend. Who knows when she might be right on your doorstep... could be....today....keep a wary eye out!

 

[pjam]

Pjam, look for your Vas very soon my friend. Who knows when she might be right on your doorstep... could be....today....keep a wary eye out!

Aaah-firmativ! and Hicks too!

Will post pics when they get here!

 

[Batty]

Nice Bishop, Les. I'm hoping we see a HT version.

 

[figuremaster_les]

Funny thing is, I bet the HT Bishop doesn't have the likeness that this head does. That's why I am making him now. I'd just get the HT and switch out the costume...

 

[Batty]

Very true!

 

[gdb]

And..... one thousand.