SilentSurfer's Laboratory: Come up to the Lab & See What's on the Slab.

[SilentSurfer]

Yes, we have discussed the armor issue before. Funny thing though is that the new Guardian Predator uses that same recipe; P1 body with P2 armor. It seems to be okay with that one. Should be the same here. Not a perfect fit, but not horrible.

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

[Spanbauer]

Nice work. You don't have any pics of the body fully-dressed, do you?

 

[Rotfish]

Well, the Guardian uses a P1 torso with what look like P2 legs. The P1 legs seem too stubby, like in P.'s original pic.

 

[P.]

SilentSurfer...
thank you for your work and your photos.
i'm emailing you some pics with some questions.

 

[Natrix]

Nice work. You don't have any pics of the body fully-dressed, do you?

Read back about six posts from yours.

 

[SilentSurfer]

Well, the Guardian uses a P1 torso with what look like P2 legs. The P1 legs seem too stubby, like in P.'s original pic.

The only difference between the P1 body and any other Pred body so far (excluding Wolf) is the deltiod sculpt, the neck connector, and the chest piece. Everything else is exactly the same. Some people may argue that fact, but I've painted many of these by now, and I don't see any other differences.

 

[SilentSurfer]

SilentSurfer...
thank you for your work and your photos.
i'm emailing you some pics with some questions.

You're welcome, and I'll hit you back via email soon.

 

[P.]

and the chest piece.

a longer (for old bodies) and shorter (for P1) connector between chest and stomach.
the chest piece difference is only inside - there is a... thing, plastic border... that doesn't allow old bodies with long connectors to become closer. P1 body doesn't have it. (pic below)

The P1 legs seem too stubby, like in P.'s original pic.

movie suit is fat.
HT legs are thin. all of them. but P1's look a little more massive due to painting.
if it is already "too" for you - you should find some other movie character to be interested in.

 

[taylerdurdem]

hi silentsurfer

you paint work is amazing!!!

 

[nikoniko]

Thanks for that compliment. Hearing things like that is what keeps me going in this hobby.

The only sculpting I've done so far is to modify a sculpt or add/change details. I use Quick Wood putty from Home Depot with Vaseline to create a non-stick contact with my sculpting tools, which are just some basic things I picked up at Aaron Bros years ago. If you back up in this thread to the T-600 thumb mod, you'll see a pic of what I'm talking about.

Folk Art semi-gloss and gloss.

Their chrome is great, but it tends to stay a little sticky. You should try Alclad II Chrome. It's an airbrush only paint which is designed to go over a gloss black undercoat. Amazing effect.

That store is where my painting and customizing career began back in '92 when I discovered all the Halcyon Aliens model kits. I went kit crazy with all the Horizon, Billiken, and other kits out there. Then Sideshow went and killed model kits (thankfully), and I discovered that all my skills were very useful for perfecting great figures, and here I am working with Sideshow now, and at least one of the guys who used to paint for Horizon's box art is now the creative director at Sideshow.

I thought Brookhurst Hobbies was in Garden Grove on Brookhurst St. and Chapman Ave. Did it move?

I use an Iwata HP-CS. I chose that one because Steve Wang told me he used that one all the time. Can't argue with the master, now can I?

I'm sorry. I hate this neighborhood. I moved here when I got a job in Whittier just up the freeway, but I never would have chosen to live here. Traffic sucks, the city is ugly, there has not been an end to roadwork and construction mess and noise since I moved here, and everybody speaks a different language, so it's impossible to feel like I'm home here ever.

You probably didn't expect that reply, did you? Sideshow HQ is in Thousand Oaks, and that is a beautiful area. I hope to move out there sometime next year.

Thanks for responding. So you were into the Biliken, Horizon and Halcyon kits? I used to build garage kits too - in fact I have like four unbuilt kits that I bought in Japan. The painting is fun, but I hate all the puttying and sanding (and pinning) that unfortunately are absolutely necessary (for some types of kits more than others). You are right about Brookhurst Hobbies - it's in Garden Grove (to me GG and Fountain Valley are pretty much the same). Btw, have you been to Monsters-In-Motion in Platentia? I just visited a few months back - first time in over ten years.

With respect to paint, I have tried using artists acrylics, but don't like the way they dry in a kind of filmy way - easily rubbed off and I don't like the way it levels. I was using Liquitex, and I know they have problems with their latex-like properties that can gum up your airbrush. I do like the variety of colors, their cost, and the fact that they're readily available. I know all the master painters and kit builders (such as yourself) swear by artists acrylics. I tend to stick to hobby acrylics and laquers, but may have to give the artists acrylics a try again in the future.

And I hear you about RH. It's pretty much suburban sprawl, but at least the Chinese food is good! But come on, you have the wonderful Puente Hills Mall (a ka Twin Pines Mall from Back to the Future), Diamond Plaza (where are the punk a$$ Asian kids hang out), a Wal Mart AND an Ikea! At least Frank & Sons is there - though it's mostly just scalpers (other than EBT).

I haven't spent much time in the Valley, but I hear Thousand Oaks is nice. Too far from the ocean though for me. Congrats and good luck with the Sideshow gig. Looking forward to see what new things come out of the lab!

 

[P.]

SilentSurfer, i sent you around 5 different emails, sorry for not including them in one message they are with thoughts and reference pictures.
please read them when you have time.

 

[sunohc]

Speaking of Smallville heads, these were painted for a guy named Jeremy. I'm not sure if he is on the Freaks board since he contacted me directly through email. His special request was that I paint the flesh tone to match that of the Hot Toys Truetype hands he sent, male and female. This took some tricky figuring out, but I made it happen. Not only do they have the same tone, but the solid resin heads have a bit of translucent effect like the plastic hands he provided. Check it.

Clark

He also had me remove the neck on one of the heads so that he could option a rubber body.

I'd post more pics of Kent, but the sculpt was so rough that no amount of paint was going to make it look awesome. I only included it in this post to show the flesh comparison.

Next up is Lana Lang. She was tougher because she is a white girl, but Jeremy sent me the Cuban Truetype hands which were much darker. I kept wanting to lighten her up so I could shade her like I'm used to, but I eventually worked it out. She still looked way too dark until I painted the hair. Then she didn't seem so extreme anymore, and I actually like the way she turned out very much. Not the right tone for the actress, but she matches the hands. Here's two different shots with different lighting to prove I really nailed it.

This sculpt wasn't a dead on likeness, but it was much nicer, and a whole lot cleaner than the Kent sculpt.

And of course, I felt she deserved her own poster.

wow those eyes look like you implanted glass eyes.

 

[SilentSurfer]

Thanks Daniel. To me, all the life in a figure is in the eyes. I like my faces to look like they might blink if I stare at them long enough.

The painting is fun, but I hate all the puttying and sanding (and pinning) that unfortunately are absolutely necessary

If it weren't for all that extra work, I may not be the customizer I am today. For me, it was actually the building that was the funner part. I have boxes full of built up kits I never painted. Funny how my claim to fame now is as a painter.

Btw, have you been to Monsters-In-Motion in Platentia? I just visited a few months back - first time in over ten years.

Of course. I've been a customer of theirs since before they had a physical store. I probably bought most of my old kits from them. Terry Finton, the owner, has a small booth at Frank N Sons now, too.

And I hear you about RH. It's pretty much suburban sprawl, but at least the Chinese food is good!

Excellent Asian Cuisine around here for sure.

But come on, you have the wonderful Puente Hills Mall (a ka Twin Pines Mall from Back to the Future)

That is cool, but the mall itself is pretty week. The AMC there is where I see most of my movies though, and they still have very good, old school prices and free popcorn on Wednesdays.

Diamond Plaza (where are the punk a$$ Asian kids hang out)

True, but it's easily avoidable, and I never need to go there for anything.

At least Frank & Sons is there - though it's mostly just scalpers

That's an understatement. I never buy anything there. Way too overpriced. The Qs Toys booth is nice to visit though. A great way to see lots of HT figures in person.

but I hear Thousand Oaks is nice. Too far from the ocean though for me. Congrats and good luck with the Sideshow gig. Looking forward to see what new things come out of the lab!

I don't how far it is from water, but there sure seemed to be a lot of surfer types about the place.

Thanks for the congrats. I hope to make the best of it and be responsible for lots of future goodness for all of us to collect. I'm working on some pretty killer stuff right now.

 

[GDZILLA95]

Bump for the maker of great Preds

 

[PapitoMX]

 

[small_studios]

I had been meaning to comment about this paint up Nathan. Imo this is one of your best yet. You really did nail the eyes. Everything looks spot on. Great job on her.

 

[SilentSurfer]

Thanks Josh. There is something I liked about that one despite not being able to do the shading I wanted because of the special request that it look like the figure flesh tone, but I guess that might have been its saving grace. Less is more sometimes.

Bump for the maker of great Preds

Thank you, my first and oldest customer. Not oldest in years of age, just years of time. Stay tuned for more Predator action. P. has decided to have me paint the P2 head for that body I repainted. I will be making some requested adjustments to the body as well. And he's sending the armor so that I can take great pics of it all built up for my thread here.

Nice base. Your John is up next. I am finishing up a nightmare of a project right now, then I will be spending an evening painted your Future John head. Best case cenario, I'll get to it this weekend. The casts have been made, and they came out perfectly.

 

[PapitoMX]

Nice base. Your John is up next. I am finishing up a nightmare of a project right now, then I will be spending an evening painted your Future John head. Best case cenario, I'll get to it this weekend. The casts have been made, and they came out perfectly.

 

[SilentSurfer]

Hahaha!

 

[SilentSurfer]

With the teaser reveal of the upcoming Jason part 3 PF, and being that it's Friday the 13th today, I thought I'd throw this in here finally. This is the old 1/8th Kaiyodo vinyl model kit of part 4 Jason. I was a new, but avid fan of Jason when I got this kit over ten years ago. It was pretty inaccurate to the screen, but it was a good enough start. Many details needed to be changed to make it good enough for me. I started with the straps in the back.

In fact, I gave that whole mask a complete re-detail. It wasn't too accurate. I made the holes smaller, put the ax wound in the right place, and gave it the cheek snaps it was missing. I don't why Kaiyodo was so far off on the accuracy. Guess they should have stuck to Godzilla kits. It was fun to work on though, being such a huge Jason fan.

Please excuse the lower quality of this paint job. This was done more than ten years ago.

I also repositioned Tom Savini's head in his left hand, as well as the left wrist, so that it hung more naturally, added a stab wound to his left hand sustained in part 3, as well as the stab wound over his right knee, and I gave him long fingernails.