WIP Crew of Firefly class ship Serenity :)

Peaches wrote:The hair was an SOB to get off, thus the cuts.... at least I don't think you can die of a thousand cuts if they're all on one hand??!!!  LOL  I say, if you don't spill a gallon of blood, it ain't art, right?

Stryker2011 wrote:Jeez. Looks like you’ve done a fair bit of work, and bleeding, in the process. I think you’ve made some good strides. Try not to lose anymore blood, but keep up the good work.

Wow, that is indeed nice work done. I can't imagine myself doing what you are doing. LOL

Actually reminded me of the black knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

It gets tough to see how well the sanding /polishing went untill you spray on a coat of something such as primer. After doing this, I feel Inara's head is ready for painting. I shepherd's is still rough.

Ouch, you certainly commit to your art. I think (and hope) that your progress will be rewarded with some beautiful results. When using an X-acto knife, just remember to heat up your plastics and then go slow. Although I have never used putty so I can't speak as to its qualities, I always recommend air-drying clay, which is easy to work with, shape, texture, and clean up (and by the looks of it, the results would look much the same).

Good looking work so far wear your cuts like badges of honor! But a little antibacterial soap and hot water are fine too.

Not much for me to add tip wise. Except maybe to suggest Green Stuff, it's a little easier to clean up than putty but works about the same. I think it's easier on the hands but I can't be sure. Games Workshop used to make a liquid version but I'm unsure if they still do, it had it's uses, but I only ever managed to make it work with seam and gap filling.

And uh, painters tape over the eyes? It's a pain for me to paint those, and those HS's have nice eyes, it could just save you a little time and a lot of grief if you don't like painting them.

@Gubernatorfan , Heating the material helps? Wish I had known! My Shepherd is hard as a rock! LOL. But yes, i'm using Apoxy putty (two part) and testor's I think, comes in a tube, thinner, and I'm using it to fill bubbles or where transitions are not smoothing out correctly. I'm not too happy with Shepherd's head, it's too big. I tried dremel grinding it down, but, like I said- it's like a rock. It's made of resin, but dang, what kind - i have no idea; alien resin from an advanced civilization from Alpha-Centauri or something! I'll keep an eye out for a replacement but I'll use him untill I find something better. At the minimum, he'll look OK despite his huge head, or it'll be painting practice

Yah @ravrohan, I should have taken care of it before taking pictures, eh? But it's all good LOL. Thanks for the tip, I'll go look for 'the green stuff' and give it a try, especially the liquid one. Seen it used in videos but couldn't remember the name. The testor tube was all my local hobby store had. Thanks!

Yes. Heat the heads up with a hair dryer, and keep doing it as necessary. Much easier to shave on or cut, when it’s soft.

I appreciate the reminder as well.... I gave up on some difficult mods cause I was struggling to cut through some thicker plastic pieces. Will make sure to heat it next time!

And Peaches....I'm too scared to even sand or drill resin due to being told the dust from it is pretty toxic. How do you handle that side of it?

@skywalkersaga I use a Canister mask where you can get the type of filter you need, whether it be chemical or dust and do the work outside, LOL. In general, it helps if you've never smoked. Most people who have issues with things like asbestos also smoked. But yes, my mom had a terrible illness with her lungs (she had quit smoking 10 years before) and since it was a type of autoimmune disease, we don't know if or what the trigger was, but the one thing I do protect is my lungs. You're right to worry. My mom is fine, at 84 due to a healthy active life style. But dad died at age 50 from strokes, caused by hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and a terrible smoking habit. I try to keep chemicals off of me as well, as they can cause nerve damage, especially acetone and gasoline (gosh I've seen so many guys in the field cleaning their skin with gasoline! Ugh!) I've touched too much concrete in my life, which might be why my hands are dry as rocks all the time, LOL

Ugh, I received my Dragon black body and it's way darker than the picture. But since all the figures are so dark, I'm hoping it will work. I think it's time to paint more heads tomorrow now that I have bodies to match! I shall try to paint Inara, Shepherd, Jayne and Simon. All the stores that had the Kaylee head have been out since before Chinese New year. I have it on order for months with a store on eBay who says the manufacturer has been slow to get things going. And I'm waiting on another head for Zoe as I want to choose between the best sculpt to modify. I have a sculpt I might try to modify as Kaylee and two to try and turn into Washbourne.

Anyway, I just thought I'd give a small update that I have not given up here and am still plugging away at this

Getting these things is always such a gamble — I know the frustration. Your willingness to drastically modify the headsculpts and other parts is admirable, I’m still just trying to get up the courage to do a headsculpt repaint!

Sucks that the Kaylee head is not available ... hope that changes soon! ;/

And apologies, somehow I’d missed your earlier response about the mask — thanks for explaining. I struggle with respiratory and cardiovascular issues (amongst other things), in part due to chest wall deformity that causes my heart and lungs to be compressed. Even as it is I already struggle to breathe at times and often wake up in middle of night gasping for air. I’m just so hesitant to do anything do exacerbate such issues, so I appreciate the info!

But anyhoo — good luck on all the figures ! I know what it’s like to be doing a group of characters all at the same time ... you have to plan everything so meticulously so they all ‘work’ together.

Yah true . BTW, if you already have breathing issues, don't do any sanding in or outside your house. First off, people can be sensitive to resins, but mostly, you should keep all small particulates away from you, it's just not worth the risk . Stay as healthy as possible!

Thanks! I don't have anywhere I could do it safely at the moment anyway -- I have to think of my dogs as well, as I can't exactly put a mask on them, and wouldn't want them breathing in anything either. They are too nosey for their own good, and it's hard to keep them away when there is something 'interesting' going on, bless 'em. ; )

Another thing I do, and should do more often, is get wet sandpaper and sand in water. In fact, the stuff I'm using looks like it would work in water. Need to try it out . Then I wouldn't need the mask. That's especially good for the Summer as it gets uncomfortably HOT fast! LOL

Oh, good idea!

OK, went outside to garden in this beautiful weather, so I didn't get any painting done However my JIAOU 11C-YS body came in and it's a perfect color, I can't wait to get a head on him. Unfortunately his boots have too small a hole and don't fit his balls....er, you know what I mean! I also wrote to the person I bought my Kaylee head sculpt from to see if he'd heard from the manufacturer, and I just opened up the messages and it said "haven't you gotten it yet? I shipped it out... it shows it was deliverred" and just then there was a knock at the door, LOL. And it was delivered It's like things are coming together but nobody is finished (except Mal, LOL)

Glad to hear things are working out for you.

Love it when it works out like that

All looking good so far.

CHEERS!

This is exactly how I like to do sculpts too! It's a lot less intimidating to mod a sculpt that sort of looks right to begin with than to start from scratch with a lump of sculpy! No idea how sculptors like Peter can do his from scratch in one night!

Thanks @ravrohan and @Rogerbe

So true, @shovelchop81. You don't need to worry about size or anything, but Peter injects a unique style to his characters, that's talent!

Is it just me, or does this look just like Jewel?
I must love this character the most because I have 4 different heads for her including this one on order. Hope I can make them all have different expressions yet look alike?!?! Hummm let me put them here so I can see them side by side on my phone, LOL



Except for color, these two look a lot alike. I need to do a photo comparison as their noses are nearly identical but don't look it in the photos...

I still think the last one is your best bet.

Good, 'cause I got two of those, LOL

I think the last one definitely has the most 'warmth' to it, which is probably why it feels right for her character.

The one on the top could work for her if you wanted to go for a more fierce expression.

And while the sculpted hair would put me off the other, I know that stuff like that doesn't hinder you at all. :'D

Yep, I like the last one best for Kaylee. I see too much of Sharon Stone in the second, and not enough Jewel.

It's probably that I don't know one actor from another unless they make a big impression on me, LOL