Deformed Luke

[pixletwin]

Thanks for all your help guys in here and in PM. Here is a pic of Venny's Luke after I removed as much of the paint job as I dared.:

 

[Captain Faramir]

Pix that's cool of you to grab Venny's Luke, he did a brave thing I'll tell you that--I'd never have the guts to do that. Venny (or should I call you snakebeater?), you are one cool kid--if this is how your stuff looks at 15, I can't wait to see what you can do in a few years!!! You'll be the customizing king dude!

Can't wait to see what you do with that Luke Pix, maybe just to get that horrendous terror outta my head...My eyes! My eyes!!!

 

[Ven]

Pix that's cool of you to grab Venny's Luke, he did a brave thing I'll tell you that--I'd never have the guts to do that. Venny (or should I call you snakebeater?), you are one cool kid--if this is how your stuff looks at 15, I can't wait to see what you can do in a few years!!! You'll be the customizing king dude!

Can't wait to see what you do with that Luke Pix, maybe just to get that horrendous terror outta my head...My eyes! My eyes!!!

Thanks a whole bunch capt... means alot to me.

 

[pixletwin]

Update on poor Snakebeater's Luke. I have painted his face with Testor's warm skin tone and now I am working up the nerve to paint his face with added colors (burnt sienna I guess). Then I will do the eyes. I sucessfully removed the paint on the hair without having to remove any of the original paintwork - which you can't see since I have Luke wearing my Hasbro Endor Luke duds.

Please give me some suggestions folks. I is new to dis stuf.

 

[Poggle the Greater]

I don't mean this as a dis to you guys but personally I don't see why you mess with the figures to begin with.

I've yet to see one that anyone did any work to that looks as good as it was to begin with.

Just seems like ruining a figure to me.

Instead of you guys going through all of this maybe you should hound Sideshow to monitor the factories to put better paint jobs on the figures to begin with...

 

[JustinLuck]

I don't mean this as a dis to you guys but personally I don't see why you mess with the figures to begin with.

I've yet to see one that anyone did any work to that looks as good as it was to begin with.

Just seems like ruining a figure to me.

Instead of you guys going through all of this maybe you should hound Sideshow to monitor the factories to put better paint jobs on the figures to begin with...

To each his own. I think custom repaints are a great way to bring the figure closer to your own personal vision of the character.

 

[galactiboy]

Mass-produced factory jobs (no matter how top-notch) can never be a nice as some of the work that a customizer can do. We have some great examples on this board.

And Pixeltwin actually got him in the "deformed" condition

 

[pickard]

I don't mean this as a dis to you guys but personally I don't see why you mess with the figures to begin with.

I've yet to see one that anyone did any work to that looks as good as it was to begin with.

Just seems like ruining a figure to me.

Instead of you guys going through all of this maybe you should hound Sideshow to monitor the factories to put better paint jobs on the figures to begin with...

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I don't understand how you could say that. It is so obvious to me, and I think most people here, that many customizers have been able to improve on Sideshow's offerings.

Sideshow's painters are able to produce better results than the factory paint applications, as seen in their prototypes, so how can you dismiss the possibility that hobbyists can do the same?

I'll agree that they're "ruining" a collectible, but I don't care about the collectibility (resale value) of my figures.

 

[Poggle the Greater]

I paint models and can appreciate the fun the customizers have working on the figures. It's just that IMO if this many figures "need" to be worked on then maybe more people need to be a lot more critical of Sideshows paint aps than the number who speak up about it.


I'm also a carded/boxed collector speaking so the idea of customizing is just defacing a figure to me.
Maybe all this talk of water treating costumes and having to repaint faces gives more credence to all of the harsh critcism of a lot of these figures than many people here will admit. Everytime one came out with less than spectacular paint jobs, instead of saying "hey SSC, WTF is going on with your quality control during production" a lot of people just say "oh well, I'll just repaint this or that,etc".
To me these figures should be finished pieces and not model kits that need to be worked on but to each his own I guess.

 

[pixletwin]

I understand you Poggle. Your POV is a valid one. Rest assured my Luke is in his box (with factory paint apps and all - no modifications) and safe and sound - far from my mad designs.

I bought Snakebeaters Luke because it was his first attempt at a repaint which didn't produce the results he desired so I bought it off him because it was a cheap way to get a new Luke to pose in a different scene.

As far as destroying the collectibility - I think we customizers could care less about the "collectibility" (read: RESALE VALUE) of these figures. We customize them for the love of creative expression, and aint nothing wrong about that.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Ah yes, more complaining - that's exactly what we need.

As others have stated - a mass produced paint job will never match what a talented customizer can do with a figure. No amount of complaining will change that.

And leaving a 12" figure in the packaging seems like a tremendous waste. It may make sense for the limited posability of the Hasblow figures, but SSC has gone out of their way to make the boxes collector friendly for the SW packages - seems like throwing away money to let them just sit in the shelf unopened.

But to each their own I guess.

 

[pixletwin]

.....And leaving a 12" figure in the packaging seems like a tremendous waste. It may make sense for the limited posability of the Hasblow figures, but SSC has gone out of their way to make the boxes collector friendly for the SW packages - seems like throwing away money to let them just sit in the shelf unopened.

I agree and as soon as I get a cabinet worthy to display my Sideshow figures where I won't have to worry about them getting dusty or little children breaking them I will free them again from their plastic prisons (believe me, I want nothing more than to display these guys OUTSIDE of the box - tho I believe the boxes are display worthy too...).

 

[Memnoch]

As of right now the only SS figures I have out are Obi Wan and James Bond, because they are with me at school. All my exclusives are safely at home not just in their boxes, but in the shipper boxes as well. Soon as I have a good covered display to deter dust, they will be out en mass.

 

[Poggle the Greater]

Ah yes, more complaining - that's exactly what we need.

As others have stated - a mass produced paint job will never match what a talented customizer can do with a figure. No amount of complaining will change that.

And leaving a 12" figure in the packaging seems like a tremendous waste. It may make sense for the limited posability of the Hasblow figures, but SSC has gone out of their way to make the boxes collector friendly for the SW packages - seems like throwing away money to let them just sit in the shelf unopened.

But to each their own I guess.

Even though all of my collection is packaged, I do open my Sideshow figures.
I'm very grateful they went with the packaging they did because I would had had to open them even if it had meant I damaged the box but now I can have the best of both worlds.

As far as your complaining comment, there are good things that can be said for it. If no one had complained, Han's eyes would have been the wrong color...or Plo Koons saber blade would have been wrong.

There's nothing wrong with complaining as long as you can back up your complaint with a valid reason as to your displeasure with it.

 

[Fritz]

I throw my figures out and keep the boxes.

The reason I don't complain about Sideshow paint apps (other than because they aren't bad) is because I understand and accept that they're mass produced and therefore on a production schedule. A custom painter doesn't have to worry about that. They can take the time to bring more out of a figure. If I complained to Sideshow that I wanted the paint apps better, I'm sure they would counter with an much increased price for the figure and I don't want that trade off.

 

[Poggle the Greater]

As opposed to the current price increase with nothing to show for it...


I never thought the paint aps were bad per se, I've always been more baffled as to why the colors are often always so wrong.

 

[figuremaster_les]

As a figure customizer, I have a small opinion here...
Small...do not let it affect your own....take it or leave it.
No harm intended.

BUT...

I repaint every figure I ever buy.

Why? Because I can.

I often buy a new Sideshow figure and say to myself "You know, this is not that bad." And, often, even for a mass paint, it's fine. Totally acceptable. Sith Anakin is a good example. It was very hard starting to repaint that one for a paying customer, only because, it looks pretty good to me.

But, if I ask myself, would I be happy with it out of box? Well, no, because I have the artistic capacity to bring to it a closer likeness.

Please note, none of what I am saying is a complaint.

It's a choice. Plain. Simple.
Either you are fine with what you get, and most folks should be, because SS and other companies, like Hot Toys and others, do an EXCELLENT job with mass produced or even limited edition figures as they are.
OR,
They want the guy in the movie or show. They simply are not content with the figure as it comes and they opt to repaint, or pay someone to repaint, their figure(s).

That's it.

I can repaint so I do. Others get me to repaint their's.
Other guys, like Customikey or Dark Artist are here and repaint also. More than I myself do even. It has become a cottage industry and it harms no one. And, it isn't the format for complaining.
In my opinion, if you do not like a figure as it is, repaint it.

BUT, don't complain about them. SS (and the others) try really hard to make these to be the best they can be, and they deserve MAJOR KUDOS for making these figures at all! I for one, salute them all, and say this on my homepage on own website. Gratitude is what fuels my hobby!

And, occasionally, I make a side buck repainting for someone.
Once it is bought, it belongs to the buyer.

But, I will admit, I prefer to make my own original customs when I can, and leave the basic workload of repainting to others. I don't feel superior about this, I just think that there is a line of respect for the subjects that needs to be carefully acknowledged, and that we all should be respectful of the attempts at excellence that is attempted by any quality company every day on our behalf.

But, it is ALWAYS, a choice. And that's all it is.
I don't think it is worth much debate.

That's my two cents. Oops! Those two came from someone else's repaint work I bet...so I'm a PAID commentator!

Oh well...so be it!

(The notion of pressing for improved paints does make sense.)

 

[BadMoon]

I will just give my opinion after all it is what this board is for. I do agree that customizing is an art. I love coming to the boards and seeing what has been done to the figures. Actually it is what keeps me coming back. The artists on the other hand need to understand that everyone does not have the money to make their figures look like the prototype. I feel that if Sideshow presents a prototype at preorder fine. On the other hand before you charge my master card show me the end result. PERIOD. Anakin broke more than Padmes heart when he was shipped to my front door. You say just return him. Thats not the answer. Feel free to complain and gripe. Maybe they will listen. I know I cannot repaint nor am I willing to pay someone to. Especially after I paid $65 or whatever it was. So you see I see both sides. I love seeing repaints and different costuming. However I don't see the same quality of the Sideshow figures as I do in their prototypes. Now the only question left to be answered is would I be willing to pay more money to have a figure that looks like the prototype? Well to me that is a dumb question. After all I gave them my credit card info after taking a look at the prototype. I should not expect a different figure. But I digress, Aragorn still looks like he is taking a painful crap and not fighting Orcs. Anyways you guys are all great and keep up the good work!

 

[Zakk Attakk]

Hey pix, I have the same monitor as you, I think. Is it a Mag?

 

[figuremaster_les]

Just thought I would mention, I have Pixletwin's Deformed Luke head in hand...
It has been stripped of old paint and is being repaired and repainted...

Progress report: Coming along well. Got the old paint off, WHAT did you use PT? Stuff was sticky! No use again! No use! Not on toys! No! Make Figuremaster very angry and use up lots of Figuremaster repaint time on stripping paint! Bad Pixletwin!

Working on a couple of Luke repaints along with it (you owners know who you are... ) so, progress being made on all fronts.

BUT, this one is gonna be alright PT. You just sit back and relax. Figuremaster is doing his best to make it A-OK for you.

Oh, and PT, clear out some of your PM box so I can send you this in PM