Figuremaster Les' Figural Fabrications

[DarkArtist81]

Awesome to see the updated Indy!! Great update and an improvement in many ways. Your progression really shows on this one, looks fantastic.

 

[pjam]

Awesome to see the updated Indy!! Great update and an improvement in many ways. Your progression really shows on this one, looks fantastic.

Looks terrific, love the outfit/jacket. Nailed it, as always.

 

[paulcarson]

Les, that Indy is fantastic ! And Old Obi wan did you say ? I've been dying to see what you would do with one of those !

 

[Les Walker]

That will be soon Paul. He's being painted along with a lot of others. Even a Leia and a Bespin Luke also. Lots in the pipeline.

And thanks about the Indy guys. Especially thanks DA Josh. I have actually been keeping that classic one you made (and sold!) in my head, as it inspired my newer desires for character in the attire and all. It's funny, this one inspired your's and now, your's in inspiring this one back, in return.

 

[captain sack]

SLOW on Supermans, but they too are happening.

any idea how much longer? it has been a 9 month wait for me.

 

[DarkArtist81]

That will be soon Paul. He's being painted along with a lot of others. Even a Leia and a Bespin Luke also. Lots in the pipeline.

And thanks about the Indy guys. Especially thanks DA Josh. I have actually been keeping that classic one you made (and sold!) in my head, as it inspired my newer desires for character in the attire and all. It's funny, this one inspired your's and now, your's in inspiring this one back, in return.

That is why I love this hobby so much, and love sharing my custom work here.. It's funny how things come full circle like that. Your Indy was a benchmark that inspired me to make my own, and to have you look at mine for inspiration to update your classic... it's really amazing.

 

[hemble]

Damn Les your Indy is truely astounding you have such an eye for detail.

Ron

 

[JediMike71]

Yeah, Les your Indy is incredible! I have some work to do on my custom Indy. I am happy with the custom-made gear I got from Mary Lacour for him. I would like to get a better, more brown shirt for him, and darker pants. I tried distressing his boots to look worn out, but it didn't work too well. I either want to repaint the old Frontline Indy head I have on it now, or get a new better head. What do you think of mine Les? I took out the dreaded "doll dots" in his eyes a while back. I really think I should repaint this head. Unless you know of a better head for mine. Let me know.

Indy was the reason I got into customizing my own 12" figures. He was the FIRST 12" figure I ever wanted since I didn't get the old Kenner 12" Indy that I wanted years ago.
I am still planning on saving up and getting Sideshow's ROTLA exclusive Indy that I pre-ordered on the first day they put him on their site. I gotta start saving for him someday.

I hope that your mother gets GREAT care Les. I've had some elderly aunts and uncles in nursing homes in the past. Some were good, some were not. I pray that she gets the best of care, and in turn that will give you some much needed rest and relief from the stress of all of it.

 

[BlindVoyeur]

Hey Jedimike,

Not trying to jump on someone elses thread, but that frontline head you were asking about can be a great looking head with a good repaint. Here is a pic of my last one I repainted.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Reinhardt]

great Indy's everyone!

I am really looking forward to how everyone will be further customizing their Indy's once Sideshow's figure comes out.

 

[Les Walker]

Great job Mike! Nice coat and all. You can darken the pants to a just right color, by dying them in watered down Taupe color Rit dye. Don't leave them in long, and make sure it's really watered down, or it will make them too brown. Then, when they dry, sand them some. Yes, use sandpaper to age the surface, on the knees and ankles and pockets, wherever it would wear in real life. Even the butt!
Theoretically, if you watered down the same dye even more, and put the shirt in just for a quick dip, then out again, then wash it well, it would go more tan too. But VERY watered down dye. Thin enough you can see through it.


Blind Voyeur, your's is beautiful! Love the belt and holders, like the one for the whip. Did you make that? It looks awesome. Where'd you get it? For that matter, where'd you get the whip?

I have no problem discussing Indys in my thread, that leaves it open for me to discuss mine more! He is a running work in progress.



Captain Sack, sincerest apologies. I forgot your's are just heads. I think of one character as a project at one time, and forget who all just gets heads alone within those projects after a time. You have two down, so let me put your's up front, and get them out to you as soon as I can. To produce better results, I tend to group stuff, so I can be more into them creatively when I paint them. It's an organizational thing, as well as an artistic scheduling thing, that doesn't make sense to everyone, but is part of how I work. By doing this, it helps me to produce the best possible stuff, when I work on a given figure or head. That results in groupings and the Superman set has been delayed due to some costume parts being delayed and that just made me put all them in one basket.

I won't do that again. Sorry. Please accept my apologies and know I will get your's out soon.

Others have waited even longer for some things, and it frustrates me to no end and creates a lot of guilt for me, as I don't ever intentionally delay any works. Just know that I am trying to catch up on all my work, in what has been a very tough time, and a very trying time to be creative at all, much less with this much stuff. Thanks for being as patient as you (and others) have been. When this is all caught up, I plan on doing things very differently. My cleanup is already helping with this, and when my Mom is in a nursing home soon, that will also help me expedite major amounts of work.

Again, thanks for your continued patience. I always deliver. Always. Just not always as fast as I (or many of you) would like.

 

[thedarkknight]

It's worth the wait from all the pictures I've seen.

 

[captain sack]

It's worth the wait from all the pictures I've seen.

oh, i can see that les is the master, and i know once i get his superman head, i'll love it. and i'd love to hire him for many more projects, but don't really want to wait almost a year to get the heads.

 

[captain sack]

Captain Sack, sincerest apologies.

no need to apologize. i understand you're busy and are taking care of famly and stuff.

just curious, but what is your normal turn-around-time for painting a head, or maybe adding some small sculpting alterations?

i've a few more i'd love to send your way.

 

[Les Walker]

What I am working for Cap, is a month or so at most wait time. There is no "Normal" with a lot of work going at once like I currently have, but in a totally unobstructed schedule, theoretically, one piece takes not more than a week or so. Add that up and it does stretch out. I am not, contrary to comments made, a machine, so it does get slowed sometimes by human situations.

It will take me a bit longer yet to get all these I have in progress finished, but once I do, that is my goal when I am caught up with all this by this month's end. I want to go into July totally caught up. That's some pressure, but a must for me on this end.

PM or better yet, email me with what you need Derek. [email protected]

 

[uscmhicks]

thanks for the update Les . We do appreciate them.
I nearly cried when I read it wasn't a jeepers creepers figure. In fact I think I did.
That is my 1" most all time wanted horror figure . I just have a soft spot for the movies.
Alas though !. I'm sure once they bring out the 3rd movie more interest will be given and if no official figure is brought out ( fingers crossed it is though ) I will start a thread about a figure ( that doesn't blo like the one they brought out. ).
I visit this thread , Dark Artists , Darren Carnalls and so on often and its funny how many times the same question about a certain figure can be sked or how long its gonna take , etc. I can imagine the annoyance of that. I have probably asked a question or two already answered. I in fact get the same crappy questions about figures all the time on youtube. I feel like saying " I don't know , go and ask hot toys ! ".
I haven't the heart too though. Most of the people who ask are kids around 10 just trying to get into the hobby somehow .

Be sure to give us an update when you can.
Will you ever be doing another run of your burton batman joker heads ?.
I was actually going to purchase the figure last night but after seeing your sculpt it put me off knowing I would have had to have put up with the default one ! .

All the best mate.

Tay

 

[pjam]

First pic of my FML GF Connery. Les completed this a few months ago in a batch of stuff and it may in fact be the very head displayed in his amazing sig show (not sure about that). I'm just getting around to taking first shots of it now...

Les, I know how much you love to see your heads complete with figure, so here ya go. This is a stunning, stunning piece of work. I'll try to take more/better shots with Odd Job soon. Many thanks Les.

 

[Les Walker]

Sorry Hicks. I hated bursting your bubble. I would have kept you wondering, but felt it was unfair. At least now you can get over your dissapointment in time to enjoy what it actually is. You'll see July 20th. (that's a clue by the way)

And thanks for posting those awesome shots Pjam. And yes, that means a lot to me to see that.


Ok, quick Ma note. Since I have shared so much already, I might as well let you that care know...
We put her in the hospital today, and also officially applied for her to go into a nursing home also. She is being tested (and rested) from possible conjestive heart failure symptoms, which creep up on her occasionally anyway. So it was a good thing.
Sad part is, if the nursing home takes her, she won't come home again.
I mean, she may for visits in the future, but this may be it for a long time. It hit me full on today when I got back alone, from taking her out there, and then taking the application out.
I got home, and saw her old cane by the front door, and just broke up.
It's been a LONG afternoon.

My Dad and I went out to eat, after seeing her again this evening, and we both had a couple of drinks and just sat and ate a nice meal, not in any kind of celebration, but to just have some kind of good shared experience so we could distance ourselves from the pain of this day some. A bit.

I am home again, and am sad, but ok. I know it will take time, and I am not even sure yet, if she will be admitted to the home. It is the best one around, a palace by nursing home standards, so if she gets in, she will be great for her. Thanks to all you who have said some stuff regarding homes, as that helped me to deal with it.

It's the seeing her stuff around that I haven't had time to think about. You that have done this before, or even actually lost parents already, know what I refer to I am sure. This is new for me, losing a parent, even in subtle form, and this seeing her all around the house stuff is hard. It was just normal yesterday, now she's gone.

If there is any good thing it's a small one, NO MORE INTERRUPTIONS WHEN I WORK, something that may sound selfish, but I don't mean it to be. I will even probably miss it...being interrupted while I paint, or some other thing, as it has almost become frustrated sport for her I think...bless her heart...

This is hard. But, I will get though it. I must.

Very mixed feelings. Not sure how to think. At least, THANK GOD, I have my paints, and lots of work, and in some ways, no more excuses. June will be a wild ride, but I have all faith that I will not only get through this change, but catch up and start new projects with a vigor I have missed for ages.

Thanks again to all of you that wait. Thanks to all of you with patience. And to those of you that are tired of waiting, well, bless you too! Your work means something to me also. No hard feelings or resentment from me, and hopefully, what you see from me soon, is only the beginning of works the likes of which, none of you has even imagined. I am about to open up a big can of painterly whoop-ass, and all of you will benefit in spades!

But in your spare time, if you can, wish Ma well. She needs it.
And to all of you in similar straights, I am thinking of, and relating to, all of you more than ever before. It's this hard stuff that brings us together, and makes us the crazy wild gang that I love.
For that, I cannot thank you all enough.

Enough of that. Thanks for letting me vent and share that.


Next post, PAINTED STUFF! Believe it or not! I am almost ready to show you why you your waits are not in vain! (I hope! )

And USMCHICKS, I am already working on making your day....that is not an impossible figure you want. Consider it started!

 

[MaulFan]

Les, so sorry to hear where things have gone. I think you're handling it best though, finding some silver lining in things. Enjoying your ability to work without distraction is a necessary thing to turn your mind to for coping with this change, I only hope it works out in the long run for you. You always have your friends here for support, we all wish you the best.

Take care bud,

 

[thedarkknight]

Les, hang in there. Glad the painting helps. At least she's still with us. I've been to too many funerals to be only 31.