This is far and above in the top 5, maybe 3 most terrible head sculpts by hot toys ever made. It’s just a massive fail all around.
Likeness being totally non existent aside I truly hate the windswept hair choice. Not only because it’s too specific but because it’s the wrong kind of haircut to do that with and it ends up looking just off and goofy which does nothing to help the already non existent likeness
Now I didn’t love the last Jedi either, no one did, but I did actually like the portrayal of Luke and the whole force projection thing was my favorite part of that deeply troublesome film. I was really looking forward to this but am
Utterly shocked to see how bad the ball was dropped.
I attempted to resculpt the hair but I stopped half way through. This hair is so off is pretty much have to start from scratch to get it there. What I did do though is enhance the likeness by paint.
I’m the only person I’ve heard repeating this often and it baffles me how little known it is that eyebrows are one of the key element that can make or break a likeness in paint. Probably the most important. I was shocked at just his off these were. Other than that I accentuated some key features and put a bit of gray in the hair and beard.
It’s better but still very not so good.View attachment 470497
This is far and above in the top 5, maybe 3 most terrible head sculpts by hot toys ever made. It’s just a massive fail all around.
Now I didn’t love the last Jedi either, no one did, but I did actually like the portrayal of Luke and the whole force projection thing was my favorite part of that deeply troublesome film.
I’m the only person I’ve heard repeating this often and it baffles me how little known it is that eyebrows are one of the key element that can make or break a likeness in paint. Probably the most important. I was shocked at just his off these were. Other than that I accentuated some key features and put a bit of gray in the hair and beard.
It’s better but still very not so good.
You're definitely right about the eyebrows. Makes a huge difference when you compare the two pics.
Good luck with the flak with people defending against the bold comment. BTW I didn't like TLJ at all either.
Someone should do an anti cheese edition of that film like they did with the prequels. Cut out all the Rose parts, yo mama jokes bizarre luke and yoda behavior, space leia... pretty much anything with Oscar Isaac and all that I bet the movie would seem much better
As much as JC Hong has contributed to HT as their head art director...I think it's time for new blood. Many of the sculpts done by the many talented sculptors...I can't help but feel they're being held back by JC hongs insistence of idealizing the sculpts. This is all based off of assumption...but to my understanding, head art director dictates the look of the end product. Sure he's most known for his paint apps...but with the title of head art director, it's implied he will give suggestions and or tell the sculptor to do this or that to the sculpt. Therefore the end products likeness will always leave fans wanting.
If my assumptions are correct...JC hong needs to go. Keep him on as lead painter, but head art director needs to be someone that won't idealize the sculpts.
I know JC Hong posted about the Obi-Wan sculpt on Instagram that the licensor made them change it. I can definitely see that happening with this Luke and how idealized he looks.
To be fair hot toys consistently makes their sculpts look idealized it?s not just a Star Wars problem.
Then there are some though that somehow get knocked out of the park with guys who have pretty asymmetrical faces like the punisher or Adam Driver sculpt. Or the Old Han. Then the young Han is ****ing abysmal.
A lot of sculptors have gone on to other companies or independent and I do see greater likenesses in those sculpts.
Kojun, who I?ve also seen as technically excellent but not good with likeness also art directs many sculpts. That could be part of it too.
A good art director knows how to give suggestions that are technically feasible but at the end of the day you are at the behest of the sculptor too. But if you know how sculpting works you can give good practical suggestions
I?m an art director by trade and I?m of the philosophy that you?re probably a bit better being an art director if you can be a jack of all trades and do it all yourself quite decently. In fact I don?t think you can be one if you can?t do it yourself... but you?re probably also not going to be the best art director if you are too good at one thing such as being the best painter or whatever. You need to be one step removed to maintain your objectivity.
Jc hongs paint skills are inhuman, but yet he misses the mark on how to bring out sculpt likeness with paint. Otherwise you would have never gotten such a messed up situation on those eyebrows, as one small example.
With the exception of a small handful some of the most technically skilled Asian painters who work for these companies seem to lose the likeness of a sculpt by missing how to bring a likeness out with paint.
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