Thainer's Darkman

[thainer]

Just finished my Darkman figure (may thanks to Ryan for his awesome coat, shirt, and head sculpt) and thought I would share some admittedly crappy pics. Maybe if I can talk my daughter into leaving me her camera tomorrow I can set up some lights and take some decent ones.

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon putting wires in the seams to give the coat some poseability. The only really hard one was the wire on the capelet at the shoulders. Had to take a few breaks doing that one. I could only feed the wire through about a quarter of an inch at a time. But I kept telling myself it would be worth it and I got through it. The hands came from a rotocast Dr. Doom and I painted them to match the head.

 

[Ultramanimator]

This turned out great! Do you mind giving me some pointers on how you wired the cloak? I just got my Darkman fig and I want to pose it up

 

[thainer]

Sure. The wires on the front of the coat (along the opening) were very easy. The seam is a good size to allow the wires to run right up with out any real snagging. I should say that I used a very thin wire (it was called hobby wire on the package) about as big around as a small pin which I could poke through the cloth when I needed to. The bottom of the coat was also pretty simple as Ryan sewed along the side before he sewed up the bottom so it left a tunnel you can push a short piece of wire through once you poke it through the material at the front or back. The vertical seam on the capelet was a good size ( like the opening section of the coat) and the wire just runs up it with no snagging. The back of the capelet (the round part) was the bear of the whole operation. You will need the thin hobby wire as you have to push the wire through the edge of the capelet and into the seam without coming through the front or back. Then I turned the capelet up so I could see where Ryan sewed the seam then I fed the wire out between two stitches about an inch so I could bend the wire back on itself to make a little loop in the end of the wire. This prevents the sharp end of the wire from snagging on the material. Make the loop tight so you can pull it back between the stitches and continue to feed it through the seam. You have to inch it along (or should I say quarter of an inch it along because the wire is very thin and you won't be able to push it very far before it starts to bend). Remember to pull out the material as it bunches up towards the end of the wire. You can either premeasure (which I did a couple of times or just trim it when you have enough wire in the seam. Hope this helps. If you have any questions let me know and I'll try to answer them. It really wasn't that hard just a little fussy.

 

[BlindVoyeur]

He is correct in his instructions. I made the seams a little extra wide to allow for wire to added easier. If you have the extra time, if you add a dark grey/black wash it really brings out the details on the sculpt.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Ultramanimator]

Thanks man! I know what I'll be doing tonight.

I spent yesterday wrapping tape around a pair of Soldier Story bendy hands. I really like the way Darkman's hands are bandaged in the film.

 

[thainer]

Ryan:I have a very dark base coat on the sculpt but my flash was washing out the details so I turned it off and lost the details in the ensuing darkness but I may try a black wash too.

Ultra: I may add some tape in the future (kind of leave the ends of the fingers exposed as I have seen in some artwork) but I was on the verge of throwing out the rotocast Doom and thought that properly painted (which I may not have accomplished) they would look scarred and skeletal. I will try and take some closer photos tomorrow.

 

[BlindVoyeur]

Also you can make him look a little wet and shiney for that nice and skinless look Great job btw!

 

[thainer]

You know I dullcoted him but I should probably make the scarred side a little shiny. It looks like I have some work to do tomorrow.

 

[BlindVoyeur]

Even though that take a little while, the wires make all kinds of cool poses possible. Btw those hands you put on yours are great! Good job all around.

 

[thainer]

Thanks, Ryan. Comig from the guy who made it all possible that is high praise, indeed.