Hot Toys: Predator, Predator 2, Predators, AVP, AVP-R Discussion Thread.

[predarnold]

Just for fun :

2006 Hot Toys Scar Predator body + 2011 Classic Predator head.
Imho it looks pretty damn good.

Works great for me

Somehow it works.

 

[MIKE M]

I know other people have repainted bodies before. The actual painting doesn't worry me. I know I can do that. I just am unsure of disassembling the body and then once re-assembled keeping the paint from rubbing off on the joints.

when i paint my preds i use mod podge it works fine for me just make sure its dry before you put it back together i use it on all my preds and aliens also give it a nice shine here are my rapints and they are still doing great

IMG]https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8539233409_d8e1f83bf9_b.jpg[/IMG]

 

[pred439]

Just for fun :

2006 Hot Toys Scar Predator body + 2011 Classic Predator head.
Imho it looks pretty damn good.

The dreads just look to short.

 

[dedguy]

As I often do, last night while trying to fall asleep I was thinking about conceptual design. The original Predator design and it's iterations in particular. Winston and his people never design things without some sort of logical through-line to the choices made in design.

The Predator is a good example of this. On it's most basic level it's styled after a tribal hunter. All the weapons it carries are based on weapons used traditionally in hunting. This is even true of the Predator 2 who has a bunch of new weapons. By Predator 2 he is armed with the knife, gun, spear, net, and even the disc which appears based on a boomerang which is also a hunting weapon.

Now I was thinking about the armor and where in hell the starting point for that came from. It's clearly not based on anything huntery. Then it occurred to me that it probably came from the mouth design. It's mouth is very mollusky in design. It's not based on anything specific but does give the impression of something sea-dwelling.

So now, with that in mind, the armor is very mollusk inspired. You have all of the scalloped edges and overlapping plates that are reminiscent of a variety of shelled mollusks and the med kit on the back is in shape and appearance is very similar to a nautilus or snail shell. Even the body netting gives it a nautical air.

I was thinking about all of this since I was thinking on doing more custom Predators and I think it's very important to understand something before you attempt to copy and iterate on it. There's quite a few really cool looking Predator designs people have done but they lack the intrinsic Predator-ness that the first film's design established and I think that's because they're missing that element of a cohesive look all based on a single source.

I think the Predators designs are also lacking due to that. What I call "copying without understanding". They have almost completely discarded the mollusk shell armor which is all fine and good but what they replace it with doesn't have that same single source inspiration. Mostly the armor is just random plates looking more like they constructed their armor from scrap metal than anything. If you're going to replace that element it needs to be replaced by something equally cohesive.

The most notable example of "copying without understanding" is the film adaptation of Avatar: the Last Airbender though that's getting a bit off topic.

edit: It also now occurs to me that the coloring of the Predator's skin is very much like which you seen on octopi and squid. That's another reason why the Predators "Super" Predators don't really look like Predators to me. Instead of mollusk coloring and skin textures they have reptilian with pronounced scales and green coloration. The original Predators all have smooth skin as best I can tell, lacking any semblance of scales.

Some examples of mollusk skin patterns that are very evokative of P1 and P2 designs.

https://www.animalstown.com/animals/s/squid/wallpapers/squid-wallpaper-4.jpg
https://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/ocotopus-disguise-1.jpg
https://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/328/8/8/octopus__red_sea_by_danibarchana-d5m01hb.jpg

 

[ashkanls]

Just finished it:

 

[dedguy]

Continuing to think on my next custom, I'm pretty sure I'm going to pick up a Scar Predator when they come out and use him as a basis for a winter-themed Pred (which the AvP Preds kind of already are). I think I'm going to be adding fur and leather to give him a more rustic and less techy looky. I also probably will remove a little to a lot of the armor.

Speaking of the armor, I really want to do a copper verdigris effect on it which I think will move it even farther from the AvP look. I did some tests on some pieces of armor left over from my Shadow Pred custom. I did two different techniques.

On the pauldron I painted on the verdigris and let it dry but not cure. I then let it run under the tap for awhile which gave it a more chipped appearance.

The belt piece I applied a very very wet coat of verdigris color. I then gently bushed some of it off and left it to dry upright so it would run down causing a streakier effect.

I'll probably end up using a mixture of both.


IMG_0003 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

 

[predarnold]

Just finished it:

What a nice base ! Well done.

 

[MIKE M]

i was doing a winter predator but only did the mask and it was concept of sub zero from mortal kombat called frotbite

 

[dedguy]

No idea how/if I'm going to be able to make this mask. I don't have the patience or skill to sculpt it myself. I'm liking the design though, needs refinement. I've only done these three sketches. The gauntlet was just an idea for a harpoon gauntlet.


IMG_0005 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

IMG_0006 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

IMG_0007 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

 

[Jayrod88]

No idea how/if I'm going to be able to make this mask. I don't have the patience or skill to sculpt it myself. I'm liking the design though, needs refinement. I've only done these three sketches. The gauntlet was just an idea for a harpoon gauntlet.


IMG_0005 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

IMG_0006 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

IMG_0007 by dangercorpse, on Flickr

I like the idea of a Sea Hunter! I would love to see a full body sketch, with color if possible!

 

[dedguy]

I probably won't do that since this is just concept stuff for a figure. Doing full color full body renderings isn't really useful to me.

 

[nothingface35]

As I often do, last night while trying to fall asleep I was thinking about conceptual design. The original Predator design and it's iterations in particular. Winston and his people never design things without some sort of logical through-line to the choices made in design.

The Predator is a good example of this. On it's most basic level it's styled after a tribal hunter. All the weapons it carries are based on weapons used traditionally in hunting. This is even true of the Predator 2 who has a bunch of new weapons. By Predator 2 he is armed with the knife, gun, spear, net, and even the disc which appears based on a boomerang which is also a hunting weapon.

Now I was thinking about the armor and where in hell the starting point for that came from. It's clearly not based on anything huntery. Then it occurred to me that it probably came from the mouth design. It's mouth is very mollusky in design. It's not based on anything specific but does give the impression of something sea-dwelling.

So now, with that in mind, the armor is very mollusk inspired. You have all of the scalloped edges and overlapping plates that are reminiscent of a variety of shelled mollusks and the med kit on the back is in shape and appearance is very similar to a nautilus or snail shell. Even the body netting gives it a nautical air.

I was thinking about all of this since I was thinking on doing more custom Predators and I think it's very important to understand something before you attempt to copy and iterate on it. There's quite a few really cool looking Predator designs people have done but they lack the intrinsic Predator-ness that the first film's design established and I think that's because they're missing that element of a cohesive look all based on a single source.

I think the Predators designs are also lacking due to that. What I call "copying without understanding". They have almost completely discarded the mollusk shell armor which is all fine and good but what they replace it with doesn't have that same single source inspiration. Mostly the armor is just random plates looking more like they constructed their armor from scrap metal than anything. If you're going to replace that element it needs to be replaced by something equally cohesive.

The most notable example of "copying without understanding" is the film adaptation of Avatar: the Last Airbender though that's getting a bit off topic.

edit: It also now occurs to me that the coloring of the Predator's skin is very much like which you seen on octopi and squid. That's another reason why the Predators "Super" Predators don't really look like Predators to me. Instead of mollusk coloring and skin textures they have reptilian with pronounced scales and green coloration. The original Predators all have smooth skin as best I can tell, lacking any semblance of scales.

Some examples of mollusk skin patterns that are very evokative of P1 and P2 designs.

https://www.animalstown.com/animals/s/squid/wallpapers/squid-wallpaper-4.jpg
https://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/ocotopus-disguise-1.jpg
https://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/328/8/8/octopus__red_sea_by_danibarchana-d5m01hb.jpg

I agree with some of what you say and disagree with some. I understand what you're saying about the original two Preds. However, Preds have different cultures and aren't all just 'cut and paste' concepts. There are different tribes with different styles. Just look at humans. Samurai and Celtic warriors are both human groups but look drastically different. Both have swords, spears, etc, but look at how different they all are. Their armor and physical traits are also different. That's what makes Predators cool, is that even with their species, they are all different.

 

[dedguy]

Yes, I'm not saying there can't or shouldn't be variety, I'm say that the original designs started from a place of a central cohesive concept. While later designs are iterations on that concept and eventually start to loose that in translation devolving into just random design elements and details.

 

[nothingface35]

Yes, I'm not saying there can't or shouldn't be variety, I'm say that the original designs started from a place of a central cohesive concept. While later designs are iterations on that concept and eventually start to loose that in translation devolving into just random design elements and details.

Oh, I understand. My only point was that there should be some variety since they're all different groups. Even their faces change slightly per movie. City Hunter looked very different than P1 in terms of his coloring and facial design.

 

[dedguy]

Refining the design a bit more via ye olde illustrator.


Predator-Octopuss-Mask by dangercorpse, on Flickr

 

[P.]

looks like Droopy dog to me.

 

[crows]

looks like Droopy dog to me.

 

[dedguy]

I see you're tactful as always. I assume what you have issue with is the lack of a furrowed brow (something most Predator masks have) and the narrow eyes. I was drawing inspiration from various styles of tribal masks specifically a certain type of African mask.

Perhaps tweaking the eyes to be more downward slanted or incorporating a furrowed brow will change the overall appearance.

 

[dedguy]

Screwed around with the eyes and brow a bit.

 

[Femtech]

Hmm...
Eyes of your latest attempt + brow of the prior attempt =

I like the concept, DG.