Action Figure Elm-Studios 1:1 Emperor Palpatine bust

[Brent72]

Lighting makes all the difference in the world when photographing this piece. I think the picture I posted above gives a good representation of how it actually looks in person. The skin tone is spot on and definitely doesn't look like those outdoor shots in the first post where the skin looks way too pink.

 

[Darth Rage]

Actually this bust is a Cyberman/Gino sculpt.
Cyberman sculpted while I art directed as a two-man effort.



.

I didn't realize you were involved with this. Very cool. You both did an amazing job, I'm thrilled with mine.

I took the photos outdoors to try to show all the little details in the sculpt and the paint, and they were taken very quick. Sitting on my shelf with all the shadows it actually looks alive.

This bust is completely amazing and puts Sideshow's to shame. (No offense to Sideshow or those of you that own and love their version) I'll try and get some better pics up....maybe tomorrow. Bjorn, Annnica, Phil, Gino (and anyone else I am inadvertantly leaving out) should be very proud of this bust. I couldn't be happer with it.

 

[Darth Mitchell]

Prequels Ian McDiarmid => of course not, but the Emperor portrayed by him in ROTJ is there. Even Gino has this sculpt as Emperor in his collection.

Nope this isn't the PT "Palpatine". But I still don't see McDiarmid from ROTJ in it.

Darth Mitchell, if you can't see McDiarmid in this sculpt you need to consult a good ophthalmologist ASAP.

My point is that, from the pics that I have seen (where most of the head is covered by his hood) I don't see the Emperor as McDiarmid played him in ROTJ. McDiarmid's Emperor always had this look in his eyes and his likeness is very hard to capture. Take Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean for instance. He made so many funny faces in the show that the is very hard to capture.

And I also think it's how you personaly see the Emperor in your head when you think of him. The one picuture that I see is this one, and he doesn't look like this at all:

 

[Brent72]

Darth, please go back and look at post #19. If you can't see the resemblance shown in those comparison photos then I don't know what to say to you. This thing looks EXACTLY like The Emperor and if you can't see that I have no idea what you're looking at.

And please don't tell me you think Sideshow's bust looks like Palpatine because that thing is an abomination.

 

[jkno]

The thing is that Palpatine's character was in a large proportion created by the carefully chosen lighting on the movie set. Besides that none of the pics above taken by the 2 bust owners are capturing him perfectly.

The exterior shots have too much natural light (which was never seen on screen) that the skin look almost pink - but with the exterior shots you can see the amazing details put in this sculpt.

The interior shots are not perfect either, being a bit faded, plus the hood stays wrong on Brent photos, too close to his face, showing only a narrow portion of his face.

 

[jkno]

Nope this isn't the PT "Palpatine". But I still don't see McDiarmid from ROTJ in it.

If I were you I would also ask Gino how does he see this Palpatine sculpt, because he worked on it and has this in his own collection.

 

[Darth Mitchell]

Darth, please go back and look at post #19. If you can't see the resemblance shown in those comparison photos then I don't know what to say to you. This thing looks EXACTLY like The Emperor and if you can't see that I have no idea what you're looking at.

And please don't tell me you think Sideshow's bust looks like Palpatine because that thing is an abomination.

Have you read what I wrote about how you imagen something/someone in your head? I don't see the Emperor in the bust because I don't imagen him with this look in my head.
You are right that he looks a little like the pic from the movie. But still this isn't the Emperor for me.

The interior shots are not perfect either, being a bit faded, plus the hood stays wrong on Brent photos, too close to his face, showing only a narrow portion of his face.

And that is what makes it so hard to capture it in any artistic form.

If I were you I would also ask Gino how does he see this Palpatine sculpt, because he worked on it and has this in his own collection.

I know Gino is a great artist, but in my opninion he missed the ball on this one.
But that is just my point of view

 

[jkno]

Opinions are like armpits, everybody has one. As long as people don't insist on putting it in everyone else' face, I think is ok

 

[Brent72]

I couldn't disagree with Darth's assessment more. If he doesn't think this looks like The Emperor I'd love to see him show me a sculpt that does. It's not possible because this is THE definitive Emperor out there and I'm sorry, but I think Gino, Phil and Bjorn know more about the look of the character than he does.

 

[icruise]

Likenesses are very subjective. There is no right or wrong.

 

[jkno]

The Elm-Studios life-size Emperor Palpatine bust arrived, REALLY COOL!! It really is very impressive in person, just like having the genuine ROTJ Emperor in the house. The only problem is with the plaque which arrived damaged. I will get a Ian McDiarmid autograph on a MR wide plaque anyway (C6 send-in service with Official Pix). Some fast pics, more later.

 

[jkno]

As promised some more pics:

 

[Gino]

I know Gino is a great artist, but in my opninion he missed the ball on this one.
But that is just my point of view

Hey DM,
I appreciate that, and I promise I'm not insulted by your opinion especially when it comes to things as subjective as this.
That being said, let me take a moment to dispute your opinion.
Here's a few pics of my own custom display using the Cyberman/Gino Emperor bust.
Just want to point out that this display was finished by myself and not Elm-Studios (whom I think did a fine job on theirs as well.)

.

 

[jkno]

Temporary display for Palpatine bust:

 

[ronvdc]

With the lights verry cool.

 

[jkno]

With the lights verry cool.

The ROTJ Emperor always has to be with some kind of specific lights

Personally I never really liked the Sideshow Palpatine bust, I passed on it numerous times, it had that weird grin which was not too ROTJ, but more PT. I always wanted an Emperor as seen in ROTJ, and this was it: the apparently calm, but evil and powerful Emperor, who manipulated everyone including Vader, Luke and the Rebels, who looked aged, but in fact, behind the old man mask, well hidden, there were the real Dark Force powers. This bust really shows that concealed power of the Emperor.

 

[Darth Mitchell]

Thanks for this pic jkno! This angle (and the lightning in your pics) really show the awesomeness of the bust. Your pics show me how wrong I was in not seeing McDairmid in this bust.

 

[jkno]

Thanks for this pic jkno! This angle (and the lightning in your pics) really show the awesomeness of the bust. Your pics show me how wrong I was in not seeing McDairmid in this bust.

Last picture of the Emperor for now:

I will be in the hospital for a few days, hopefully the replacement plaque for the bust will arrive soon after that

 

[jkno]

Elm-Studios ROTJ Emperor bust with Official Pix Ian McDiarmid C6 autograph:

 

[jkno]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tWP2UcaWQA&feature=plcp[/ame]