Figuremaster Les' Figural Fabrications

[The Mike]

That's it... I'm on the Bandwagon! Rock On!

Must. Avoid. Jumping. On......

 

[Mudshark]

Ya lucky bastids! I hafta wait till June 21st!!!

 

[JediMike71]

I'm going to see Indy this weekend. Most likely on Sunday. My ear is about as good as it's gonna get for right now. I just gotta see Indy on its opening weekend!

 

[eighthsamurai]

i want to see indy tomorrow. we'll see what happens.

hey les, i just wanted to make sure you're still holding my joker head. that's right isn't it? until the others are done? you haven't sent it already have you? just want to make sure my thieving lowlife postman hasn't nicked it. he's a total bummer - leaves expensive stuff out in the rain without permission, throws packages he knows are CDs hard through the letterbox to snap all those little teeth. wouldn't put anything past him the little blighter.

 

[Les Walker]

i want to see indy tomorrow. we'll see what happens.

hey les, i just wanted to make sure you're still holding my joker head. that's right isn't it? until the others are done? you haven't sent it already have you? just want to make sure my thieving lowlife postman hasn't nicked it. he's a total bummer - leaves expensive stuff out in the rain without permission, throws packages he knows are CDs hard through the letterbox to snap all those little teeth. wouldn't put anything past him the little blighter.

Still holding. No worries!
Mailing all when I get a lot of stuff done. Your's included. I was gonna send him with your Hicks when those are done. Hope that is ok.

Sounds like a bummer mailman!

 

[bwayne]

Hey Les, did you ever happen to get any more pics or the Aragorn you made a while back? I've only seen the one you posted and I'm dying to see at least a few more, especially with the entire figure assembled. To whom does it belong? Can I pester him for pictures?

Here's the best I can do:




Enjoy

 

[uscmhicks]

wow thats awesome , brilliant work !

 

[JediMike71]

That Aragorn looks incredible! Another Masterpiece from Les Walker!

 

[Elder_Predator2]

Great job les. I love the paint work.

 

[eighthsamurai]

Still holding. No worries!
Mailing all when I get a lot of stuff done. Your's included. I was gonna send him with your Hicks when those are done. Hope that is ok.

Sounds like a bummer mailman!

absolutely dude. no problem whatsoever. you can wait till your reeses pieces are done too and send all together. i just wanted to make sure my postman wasn't using it as a pencil top or something.

 

[hemble]

I've been to your site on a number of occassions and have always been blown away by how relistic your figures are, you are a true master.

Ron

 

[Les Walker]

Thanks Hemble! Your works are terrific, so coming from you, that means much! Thanks!

And thanks Bwayne for posting that figure. I love seeing him all done like that. I rarely see the finished figures for the heads I paint up. Seems some folks never think that I would want to, but I do, every time!

New works coming. Immersed in paint! Been mixing and painting and reorganizing as I go, and am making it a more smoothlined process. Sorry about the sloooooow restart. I am painting, and it is easier, just slow. I am used to my old ways, which were kinda messy and weren't as saving of tabletops and paint. But now, I have a smoother system, just a LOT MORE to paint!

So many heads are in paint that I had to remix some of my main skintones. I now have bottles, plural, of my main colors, and that is helping a LOT! You guys have no idea how I used paint before, and I was almost a head by head basis of mixes. Not sure how to explain it, but anyway, I now have more colors and less mixing is needed, so soon here, there will be an eruption of completed heads. I plan on posting some inprogs, just so you can see the masses of stuff, not to overwhelm, just so you can see why it takes a while.

Plus, with the new talent around here now, I have to so raise my game! Man! There are some awesome things coming from folks. I am still not over Spencer's Downey Starke with the chest light...or that cool new repaint of Superman, and other new stuff around. Welcome in all, and hope some of you new customs guys start threads in here so we can follow your works better. (Spencer himself has yet to start an ongoing customs thread...for shame! )

Anyway, STUFF! SOON! I PROMISE!

New avatar coming too! Seems the Rocky movement is dying out...
I'll hang on to Mick for another day or so... Thanks to those that joined in. It has been fun!

 

[superdoug]

New works coming. Immersed in paint! Been mixing and painting and reorganizing as I go, and am making it a more smoothlined process.

So many heads are in paint that I had to remix some of my main skintones. I now have bottles, plural, of my main colors, and that is helping a LOT! You guys have no idea how I used paint before, and I was almost a head by head basis of mixes. Not sure how to explain it, but anyway, I now have more colors and less mixing is needed, so soon here, there will be an eruption of completed heads. I plan on posting some inprogs, just so you can see the masses of stuff, not to overwhelm, just so you can see why it takes a while.

Can't wait to see the new stuff. Also I know you posted pics of your new work area but maybe you can post a picture or two of how the painting area looks when it's in use. I'm curious to see the set up and can't imagine how it must look.

 

[Les Walker]

I'll try to get a shot in soon of my workstation. I think it will explain a lot too! LOTS in progress at one time. This new vertical dowel rack is helping me a lot too. It holds 60 heads and it is FULL! With more in other places!

Heads are lined up everywhere! I'm so BACK AT IT!

I just got in a nice P2 head, hand and med kit, from England, so look for that to be in the mix also. This is the P2 with the optional mouth. Can't wait to get to Preds!
(I need the owner to acknowledge that I have received it, as it has no return address and I can't remember exactly who's it is! )

 

[kngfu]

Les, how do you get the smoth look on your skin tones? Mine always look rough.

 

[Les Walker]

Les, how do you get the smoth look on your skin tones? Mine always look rough.

Years of technique bro. Not sure how to explain that one. Add to it that I am a fanatic about hand painted surfaces (as opposed to airbrushed) so I developed a smooth application method that is almost all 100% learned handling of paint and brushes. How to explain it is tricky. Lots of layering, but done carefully and with paint with an ink like consistancy. Plus, I NEVER use cheap paints, with large particulate grain or ever, ever use ground pastels, a popular method to many. So I live in a fine grain pigment paint world only.
I prefer the use of one brand of paints, Testors Model Master Acryl Acrylic Enamels, as they adhere to most all plastics, and many acrylics do not without bonders or overcoats, which also add more texture.
I even hand paint my clearcoats, which I understand NO ONE DOES, so that makes me some mad anomaly out there.

How do I do it? Hard to say. PRACTICE! LOTS OF PRACTICE! None of what I know, that I have spent nearly 40 years honing, is as simple as an explanation. That is not a cop out! I truly feel your frustration and desire to understand a means to a better personal end in your paints. I do know. But, where I was twenty years ago, which was ok by my standards at the time, is WAY back there now compared to what I know now.
So, TIME. That is the answer. Get GOOD paint, good brushes, and paint a LOT. That alone will teach more than a million how-to videos and demos.

I will try to do a vid or two showing myself painting something, and will post it soon. But that is not enough. Just look, paint, and learn.
I wish I had a quick answer. If I did, I'd live in a Tony Stark house with one hell of a studio!

But, I will try to offer more for you.
Just don't use paint right out of the bottle. Thin it, blend it, and be patient with yourself. And always remember the number one rule: It's just paint! It can be redone. Over, and over, and over.... This is my experience with learning paint methods --->

Hang in there. Hope my comments helped. Look for some vids soon.
And stuff! Painted stuff! Soon! Been dremeling the last day or so, so paints are behind a day or two.

 

[Reinhardt]

Les, I would LOVE to see a video of you painting. I'm sure it would give alot of us here insight into the genius of FigureMaster Les.

 

[DarkArtist81]

Les, I would LOVE to see a video of you painting. I'm sure it would give alot of us here insight into the genius of FigureMaster Les.

I can say, that having seen it first hand, and soaking it up a bit as a student and artist... It's a very interesting thing to watch. Les has a style all his own when he does his work, similar to my own but very different as well. It's all about layers and patience.... at least that is how I saw it.

 

[Reinhardt]

I can say, that having seen it first hand, and soaking it up a bit as a student and artist... It's a very interesting thing to watch. Les has a style all his own when he does his work, similar to my own but very different as well. It's all about layers and patience.... at least that is how I saw it.

actually, I'd love to see a video of you painting as well!!

 

[kngfu]

Hang in there. Hope my comments helped. Look for some vids soon.
And stuff! Painted stuff! Soon! Been dremeling the last day or so, so paints are behind a day or two.

Thanks for the advice. All advice offered from you or the other artists on the board is valuable. No matter how small you think it is.