JediDefender.com Forums
Collecting => Customs => Star Wars Action Figures => Topic started by: Jedi_Master_Ben on March 17, 2006, 11:33 AM
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Hello Everyone,
I have been customizing Star Wars figures since 1992. I started to sculpt my own figures starting in 1996. I was published in Wizzard Magazine in JAN 98 issue for Homemade Heros, where I recieved Grand Prize for my Cantina Diorama featuring my sculpted figures. In 2002, I was commisioned to design 6 figures for a toy company in GA. The toys were fashioned after the New Resident Evil line. Unfortantly, the company did not win the lincence. I am currently desinging charaters for a stopmotion film project. With all this experience, my main love will always be with Star Wars Figures. I surfed the web and came across custom forums and decided to join. I was inspired again to sculpt new figures and share them with others. I came accross this site while looking at Glassman's and Chewie's customs on other forums. I wanted to share with this community my custom works. I have strived to develope my skills to be equaled only by those at Hasbro. With help from Bantha5 and Sithfire_30 as well as hard reaserch and practice I am closer to my goal. Let me know what you think and I am always open to sujestion. So with out further delay, I present my customs and works in progress. Thank you,
Jedi_Master_Ben
WIP Tantive IV Rebel Blockade Runner
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Tantive4_forum1.jpg)
Gasgano and Ody Mandrel Pod Racers
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/podracer10.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/MTT_forum1.jpg)
Imperial AT-PT
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/ATPT_forum.jpg)
WIP X-WING MOD kit with maintenance platform
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Xwing_modkit_3.jpg)
WIP Teemto PagaliesPod Racer
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Teemto_Pagalies_forum1.jpg)
WIP Barada
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Barada_forum1.jpg)
WIP Klatuu
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Klatu_forum1.jpg)
WIP Nikto
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Nikto_forum1.jpg)
WIP Mawhonic
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Mawhonic_Forum.jpg)
WIP Yarna D'al Gargan
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Gargan_forum2.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Gargan_forum4.jpg)
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Jedi_Master_Ben, I've seen some of your work elsewhere and am very glad you are showing it here too. I really enjoy it and hope to hear your thoughts on our work too, and what you would suggest on improvements. You really have a broad range of customizing talent, including painting, sculpting, etc. And vehicles! So cool to see someone with so much to offer adding to this section.
As soon as I have time, I'll comment on each of these. I really am impressed, to say the least.
:P
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Thanks Chewie, that means alot comming from you. I can't wait to hear your input. The only way we improve is through our peers comments. Feedback is the key to growth.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Welcome aboard mate and nice to see you over here.
I have to say that I'm very impressed with your work the vehicles look excellent and the figures well mate they are some of the best scuplting work I've seen for a long time you have a great talent indeed.
Ron
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Wow!
Once in a while you see a Customizer come along on these Boards, whom makes you Wonder, Is This guy really working for Hasbro and Just posting his Stuff here for kicks. I know these Guys are out there somewhere, is it not posible that they pop in on us every now and then for inspiration or just to laugh at us amatures.
Ben, Your work is just that good, and that makes me wonder are you really a Pro?
Either Way, I can't wait to see more of your work and possibly pick up some Sculpting Tips.
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WOW!!!!!
I saw your work over at FFURG and was amazed, but now they look spectacular!
Really nice AT-PT, by the way...do you work for hasbro? :P
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JB, I commented on your figures over at Galactic Hunter. But I want to echo, I'm amazed at your sculpting skills. These figures will look outstanding when they are completed! You may even have people wanting to buy casts once they are made.
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Nice job, but a lot of those casts look exactly like the work from guys like RickyUk and Bantha5... DId you buy some casts from these guys?
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these are really great items! i'm blown away by the podracers most of all -- amazing! i look forward to seeing more of your work completed.
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What I like best is the WIP pictures of Yarna D'al Gargan. That figure is turning out great. Did you sculpt the entire thing or is it based on something?
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Hello everyone,
I would like to thank everyone who has left comments and those just stopped by and had a look at my creations. A lot of you have asked me some question about the various customs I posted. So lets get started with some answers.
hemble: Thanks for the warm welcome and thanks for the kind words.
Fritzkrieg: I hate to burst the bubble, I am not a "Pro" sculptor nor do I work for Hasbro. I do take your comment as the highest compliment possible. We all strive to emulate the master toy makers with each and every custom. I have been sculpting custom figures for over 10 years. It is only natural that with every custom created, the skills and experiences increase. Now the question one needs to ask is, when you surpass the master, where does one go from there? Again, thanks for the compliments.
Clone Commander: I am glad that you like the AT-PT. The legs were from a Battlemech toy long since discontinued. The body was made from styrene sheets and other spare parts. And no, still not working for Hasbro :'(. Maybe one day.
BrentS: Thanks for the compliments. I belong to 4 forums so the chances of seeing my stuff amongst them is very probable. Since there is not a local group that practice this hobby, the forum is the only source of feedback. I only get better with every response. As for selling the casted figures, I will have to look into how to do it safely. As much as I would love to meet Uncle George, I do not want it in a court room. ;D
Kit Fisto: Thanks for the comment. I want to let you know that I have seen UK Rick and Bantha5 (who I have talked with about the Gargan project) customs and in fact theirs were the inspiration to do the Gargan and Mawhonic figures. I did not purchase those figures from them. I studied their pictures, then did research on the film character costumes and made my own choices on the design approach for the customs. Believe me, they are not the same sculpt or style as those of UK Rick and Bantha5. By the way, they have seen these pictures on another forum and they are supportive. I do have to confess one thing, I did buy a Ben Quadinaros from Bantha5 and I am really happy with it. ;D
darth_ripley: Thanks for the compliment. The Gasgano pods were made from 1Ltr Coke bottles and Ody's pods were made from Mr. Bubble containers and a lot of model frames and tubing. I sometimes look at the ordinary object and see if I could turn it into something useful (and its cheap ;D). I was a little ticked that Hasbro made the figures, did not make the pod racers to go with them. So I took it upon myself to fabricate them. I would like to make all of them one day.
Master_Phruby: Thanks for the compliment. Yes, the Gargan is sculpted from scratch using a wax/ oil based clay from www.monstermakers.com . I did the body first, the neck, (as seen in the picture) is a ball joint configuration. The head was sculpted on the post, and then separated for molding. A cast of the body and head were made in plastic resin. Two of the worst casts became the foundation for the accessory sculpts, as seen in the picture. The only thing I have left to do is the back of the head and the headdress. I notice that the back was not long enough compared to the reference photos of the actress. So I am going to fix that and make a new mold. This should not affect the headdress. I will update here on this posting as I make changes.
Thanks for everyone’s input. I am glad that I was able to share with you some of my creations. I will be posting here more often now that I found this community. I do look forward to seeing everyone’s projects as they are made and I will provide my comments and suggestions as well.
Until next posting,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Ben, I've been holding off commenting in your work. Maily becasue i have nothing new to add.
Your sculpting is excellent, You are tackeling some very hard figures.
THe vehicles look great!
I know how hard it is to sculpt an entire figure, and you are exceptional at it.
I cant wait to see them finished!!!
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I'm going to eventually comment more on them all, but this post will be on the Podracers.
Those are something people seem to forget about, but I think they are really cool. Seems like my favorite designs from the film were the ones Hasbro didn't make. It's always cool thinking about how huge those engines are. You did a fantastic job putting these together, and the painting is fantastic. It's impossible to look at these and not smile. ;)
:P
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Hello everyone,
I had posted a pictures of whats left of my Farscape figures I made back in 1999 as well as some alien heads over at the March MCC. Here are some more detailed pictures of the Farscape figures as well as another look at the alien heads. They did not survive the move to Statesboro. Most of them were not able to be salvaged, so they were lost to me. Those that did make it, I had started to mend them and until I got sidetracked at work and they were abandon until now. Now that I am a better sculptor and have better supplies and tools, I will revisit the line again.
Until the next posting,
Jedi_Master_Ben
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/alien_heads.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/John_Crichton.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Ka_Dargo.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Rygel_XVI.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Pilot.jpg)
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Those are pretty impressive sculpts you have going Ben. It's a shame they didn't survive the move. The bottom alien is really impressive. It would really translate to Star Wars well to me. Any of them could really have been adapted as background creatures to any scene.
That's really nice work though sculpting overall, I'm definitely impressed.
Let me say some of your ship work is pretty outstanding too. The Droid tank's great. The Tantive IV, is it still in progress or have you finished it yet? Quite a huge ship.
Nice work man.
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Once again ben, great work. very impressive stuff.
What other lines have you made figures for? I would love to see more of your work.
Do you have a website?
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The Bab 5 heads are exceptional. You do excellent work. Im with Glassman on this, Id love to see more. I want that G'kar head, hes my favorite character. The likeness is dead on.
I am really looking forward to seeing more of your work. I am very impressed.
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Jedi-Ben - the more I see your sculpting skills the more impressed I am! I wish I had the ability to create such fine details. I may look into this MonsterMaker clay you use. Do you have to "cure" it after you've sculpted with it?
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Hello everyone,
I want to take this time and reply to the nice comments everyone has left me.
Glassman6: Thank you for your comments. I do love a good challenge. It helps to sharpen ones skills and force you to do something new and different. I know it is really a lot of work to sculpt an entire figure from scratch instead of just slapping on some sculpty parts on an existing figure, but the satisfaction you get when you step back and say "I made this!". Then the next thing you say, "OK, what’s next." That to me is the gratification from this hobby. I think it is no more different than the what the garage kit model makers must feel when they make their statues and sell them for hundreds of dollars each ;D. I have done a Resident Evil line for a small toy company here in Statesboro. Unfortunately, they did not get the license. I will post pictures soon. In addition, I will post the figures that I made over the years to show the progression of my skills. I have to warn you, some are down right hideous ;).
Chewie: Thank for the input on the pod racers. I think Hasbro dropped the ball on these. I had a lot of fun making them. It reminds me of how ILM would have made the models for the film, kit bashed and all. As soon as Hasbro announces the pod racer two pack this year, you know I will already drawing up new vehicle plans for their pod racers. ;D
Jesse James: Thanks for the kind words. I always liked the idea of cross media toy production. It kind of goes back to the day when I used to play with my Star Wars toys and my Battlestar Galactica figures. I think if you design your toys to match a popular line, then the chances of your toys will sell are better if you do not match the format. I wish I sill have my Battlestar figures :-[. The Tantive IV is not finished yet. It is over 3 1/2 feet long. It is big, but manageable, like the queen ship form episode 1.
Darth_Ennis: Thanks for the kind comments. I loved the over the top production design of the aliens. I never got to see the series as a hole, but from what shows I did see, I did like them enough for me to take interest. After Episode 1 came out, I thought these heads would make great senators or just back ground characters.
BrentS: Thanks for the comments. You know, I started out doing the same thing you all are doing, but with vintage figures. It was only natural that I progress to sculpting complete figures. You can too. With research and experimentation, you will advance your skills. As for the monstermaker clay, there is no curing involved. This clay is a wax/ oil base clay. It has the reverse properties of that of super sculpty. The colder it is, the harder it is, and vise versa. The point of this clay is to make a model and then make a mold of it to be replaced with some other medium (wax, plastic, ect...)
Thanks everyone for stopping by and I hope to continue to inspire and amaze you all in the future.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hey everyone,
I'm back again with a quick post of my March MCC entry, Senator Toona Solbar, the Minbari repersentive to the Republic Senate.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Minbari_Senator1.jpg)
Until next posting,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hey everyone,
I have to tell you, I am having a ball with this months topic! I was so happy the way my Minbari head turned out, I went back and started to redo my Centauri head. Here is the work in progress.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Centauri_Head.jpg)
Since I do not have but a few loose figures with ball joint necks, I sculpted the head on the only male body I had. So, just for fun, here is the Centauri Smuggler.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Centauri_Smuggler.jpg)
And yes, the next head I will sculpt is a G'Kar and I had a request from someone over at RS to do a warrior class of the Minbari. I think I just started something. Let me know what you think.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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I didn't know there were Bablyon 5 figures. Wait? You sculpted those? Wow. What a great idea for a custom alien. That first one with the mon mothma body looks great! Great paint job on the head.
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I just have to say...Remarkable.
That sculpt is just remarkable. Your alien is remarkable!
So let me ask, have you ever tried just sculpting with wax? skipping the first sculpt and go straight to the wax?
Then you could get the sculpt and detailing all done and not have the extra mold step?
JUst curious.
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Master_Phruby: Thanks for the feedback. I think I found my nitch in the group. I really like makeing these. I plan on doing a hole lot more. Imagine, a Luxan Bounty Hunter from Farscape, or a Centauri Jedi Master. The posibilities would be endless. Thanks.
Glassman6: Thanks for your feedback as well. I just shot Bantha5 an e-mail finding out when is his next batch of wax will be ready. I don't think I could wait any longer. I know I am ready to take on the next step and try sculpting in wax. In the mean time, have you seen this web site from Art Asylem:
http://www.designinteract.com/features_d/asylum/101_asylum.html
It features thier sculpting process. As I told Bantha5, if for some reason I do not take to completely sculpt in wax, I could use this method. I know its an extra stage in the process making, but as long as I can achieve the desire results, I will use the method that best works for me. Right now, I am at the mercy of Bantha5 until I have my own wax to play with. Thanks for your support and providing me with great feedback.
Well, thats it for now. Until the next posting,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Great link, man, thanks. I've never seen this before...gonna read it thuroughly...be back later!
Very good read, ben. Thanks. I may have to give this method a try and see if it yeilds different results for me,
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Man is there no end to your scuplting ability you are a master that is for sure the detail you put into the faces is oustanding well done indeed mate.
Ron
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Hey everyone,
I have a real quick post for you all today. This is my Narn male head, G'Kar from Babylon 5.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Narn_head.jpg)
Also, I picked up a AAYLA SECURA figure at Toys R Us mega buy and slapped on a cast of the female Minbari head on her. I need to know how diffrent the neck posts between each character. It was a good thing I did so, not all ball joint are the same for each character. Mon Mothma's ball joint is bigger than AAYLA SECURA. This can be modified from figure to figure. Anyways, here is a quick pic of this Minbari Jedi.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Minbari_jedi_female.jpg)
Thanks for stopping by,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Now that's a cool idea. Any plans to sell casts? I really like these alien heads especially the one on the Aayla body.
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Mate they are awsome they look excatly like the characters, if you ever do SG1 or Star Trek heads in 3-3/4 let me know I buy them for sure.
Ron
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Hey everyone,
Master_Phruby: Thanks for the comment, and yes I do plan on making casts of these heads and make them availible to you all. I posted this questioniar on this thread:
http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=11677.0
Only you have responded to it, so far. I have posted a simular questioniar to the RS forum and I have been bombarded with orders and requests for their favorite alien head. I will post the request list that I started over there here so that you all could give me your requests and see the progression of the heads as I post new images.
hemble: Thanks for the kind words. Put together a list of charaters names and post them on that thread or send me a pm with your wishlist and I will ad them to the list. I will work down the order as they are posted. I am working closely with Bantha5 on getting the wax and refinning skills down to proffesional level work. Once I have mastered that, I would feel more comfortable doing the whole figure at that point. Heads are more managable right now with the setup I have.
I will keep you all posted on the progress of these heads and share some of the ideas I have like the Minbari Jedi I just posted. I think with these heads, we could double if not tripple the custom posibilities hear.
Thanks for the support,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hey everyone,
I have a quick update and image for you today. I have a WIP Cheyang head from Farscape posted over at the alien head progress thread. Here is the head on whats left of the Ask Aak figure. Consider this to be a Cheyang Senator.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Cheyang_Senator.jpg)
This one I need your input on baddly. I sculpted the helmet off seeing that customizers would want the choice of helmet or non-helmet like the picture above. I found this poduction still of the mask under construction which allowed me to create a clean head without any accessories sculpted on it. Also, once casted I could go back and sculpt the helmet on and make a seperate cast and two versions. So, I am asking you all, what would you recommend I should do with this head?
Thanks for your input,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Dude I'd say do both with and without.
Definately no other way to go,cause it adds so much versatility.
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G'Kar is very nice, YOu are belting these out everyday.
Great work.
The Cheyang head, is perfect on that Ask Ask body.
Since this is already off to a great start, you should adapt it to your own
made up alien species.
Or better yet, go to the Star wars guide to aliens and thumb through it
and use it to create one of those who we havent seen yet.
I need to get back to sculpting regularly...I love seeing your updates.
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Hi everyone,
I just wanted to update the list withh the Verpine head WIP image and not to waist a posting, here is a Verpine Jedi that I put together.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Verpine_Jedi.jpg)
I used the Geneosius pilot body since that was the only one that had a ball joint. I used this body because it best fit the look of this alien that I saw in the refrence pictures. Now I know I am missing the attenna and manuables, don't worry, this only a WIP. Let me know what you think.
I will be working on the female Twi'lek heads this weekend and shoud be posting images as I finish a rough sculpt.
See you all later,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hey everyone,
I made some improvments to the Verpine head. I narrowed the head, added more detail, added the manuables and the anttennas. This one is ready for the mold. I will refine the sculpt in wax before making the final mold. Detailed head shots have been updated at the my alien head post. Here is the Verpine head on a GEONOSIAN pilot body. And the Verpine Jedi.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Verpine_Jedi_2.jpg)
Let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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I think the Verpine looks really great! I saw the ref pic over at RS, you nailed it!
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Mate you are awesome thats looks excellent well done.
Ron
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Hey everyone,
Thanks everyone for the kind comments. ;D I just posted detailed head shot of the female Twi'lek head over at my alien head list. Here her head on AAYLA SECURA body, creating a new Twi'lek Jedi Knight.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Twi_lek_Jedi.jpg)
I hope you all will enjoy this sculpt.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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I posted over on your other section but again great work mate even looks better on the body
Ron
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Nice one, looks like you are using the proper base figures for your head sculpts. Cannot wait to see them completed.
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the Twi'lek looks great. However, I would also like to see a "neutral" vversion of her with the tendrils both down. That would allow the figure to look more "generic" It would be cool to have one of each head b/c then you could head swap and get multiple versions of the same figure.
Keep up the great work. I can't believe how quickly you can churn out such high quality sculpts.
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Hey everyone,
Well, I am back again with another update. This time it is the second female Twi'lek head sculpt. The head is designed after the generic female Twi'lek from the SW Galaxey video game. The head is mounted on a Mon Mothma body. Here is a Twi'lek Senator.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Twi_lek_Senator.jpg)
Now I did have other plans for this head, but alot of people has asked for a generic female head, not so personalized. So this is the first stage. The head will be casted and then I will finnish the sculpt with this headdress I found online. Here is a pic of the headdress.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/twi_lek_female_headpiece.jpg)
Comments are greatlly appriciated.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hi everyone,
I got another sculpt head for you today. This is the male Twi'lek sculpt. This one was a quick one. I started this sculpt out by doing a clay impression of a gi joe head. I liked the way the mouth was opened. I cut the peg and hollowed out the head and stuck it on a han solo body. From this point on, I sculpted the rest. The only thing left of the joe is the eyes and mouth. everything else had to be modified for the Twi'lek. This is what I came up with, the Twi'lek smuggler:
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Twi_lek_male_smuggler.jpg)
I hope you will like it.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Ben, I don't even know where to begin. These heads are just outstanding. You really bring something to the table that most of us can't do. These heads on these bodies are really a sight to see. Especially the Verpine. Good God, that is awesome!
:P
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Yet another great update mate and I have to admit that I'm very impressed with how fast you can make these heads a still have such great detail to them.
The two Twi'lek heads are great and I always like the fact that you make each one with different expression as always mate very well done indeed.
Ron
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Hey Ben,
I didn't comment at first because not being a Babylon 5 fan, I really didn't know what to make of the alien heads, although the sculpting was obviously top notch. These latest, though, really blow me away! From the verpine to the various Twileks, these look awesome! If you're casting these, count me in for a standing order! :o
-DD
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Hi everyone,
I got another sculpt head for you today. This is the second more generic male Twi'lek sculpt. This one was aanother quick one. I started this sculpt out by doing a clay impression of another gi joe head. Nothing really speacal about this head, that is why he made a great generic head. I cut the peg and hollowed out the head and stuck it on a han solo body. From this point on, I sculpted the rest. The only thing left of the joe is the eyes and mouth. everything else had to be modified for the Twi'lek. This is what I came up with, the Twi'lek Rouge
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Twi_lek_Rouge.jpg)
I hope you enjoy. Until next posting,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Well JMB I have to say that you've got a fan here that's for sure I'm really impressed with the way you keep doing these heads and the details as always is brillant.
Ron
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Hi everyone,
I got another sculpt head for you today. This is the third generic male Twi'lek sculpt with the head tails swept back. This one was another quick one. I started this sculpt out by doing a clay impression of another gi joe head that I had made a mold of long ago. Nothing really speacal about this head, that is why he made a great generic head. I cut the peg and hollowed out the head and stuck it on a han solo body. From this point on, I sculpted the rest. The only thing left of the joe is the eyes and mouth. everything else had to be modified for the Twi'lek. This is what I came up with, the Twi'lek Rouge 2
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Twi_lek_Rouge_2.jpg)
I hope you will enjoy.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Even more stunning than your skills is the speed at which you are able to sculpt these.
This is my favorite one by far.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Twi_lek_Rouge.jpg)
If you can sign me up for two of those please? :)
:P
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Chewie,
Consider it done ;D. As soon as Bantha5 wax gets here, the sooner I can start the finnal process for casting. This project has been great for me, I just wish I had more loose figures arround so I am not using the same bodies over and over again when it is time to show the WIP. I don't know how many more female senators, female jedi, or male smuggler I can come up with (rouge 99 ;D). I am currently bidding on a loose lot of Jedis including the Obi Wan #55. I will know by tommarrow If I won it. Wish me luck ;D.
On a side note, I was looking up the Bothan and according to the Galaxey game, they are dwarf compared to humans. Is this right? If so, what body types would customizers use to fit the head with? Any help would be appriciated.
Thanks again Chewie,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hmmm.... let me see if I can find a Bothan pic for you...
(http://www.force-temple.com/galaxies/pages/temp/bothan.jpg)
I don't know how much that helps though?
As for their size, I never thought they were tiny, but maybe about the size of an average woman? Maybe 5'5" or so? Just a guess. And I think they are generally a little bit thinner than other species.
:P
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Chewie,
I found this group picture of almost all the aliens in Star Wars Galaxies game.
(http://imgsrv.pic4u.co.il/046ba679fcfe40f0d240f88d4f353df0030000.aspx)
Notice how short the bothan is to the rest of the party. At the moment, I was thinking that a Zett body would fit the hight of a bothan. What do you think?
Jedi_Master_Ben
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I don't think those characters are portional to each other. Look how huge the girl in the slave outfit is compared to the wookiee in the background. I think Bothans are pretty much average height. Interesting ideas for customs though.
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I don't think those characters are portional to each other. Look how huge the girl in the slave outfit is compared to the wookiee in the background. I think Bothans are pretty much average height. Interesting ideas for customs though.
Not to be too contrary, but I think that they are supposed to be proportional - it's a 'picture' 'taken' from a certain perspective where the human woman is standing out in front of all the rest - look where the feet are placed & the angle that the 'camera' is shooting from, and I think you'll see what I mean. It's a 3d rendering in forced (?) perspective. So the Bothan will not be exactly right when compared to the human, but is dead on w/ the other two (Darth Maul & Greedo's races) which are standing at exactly the same distance from the 'camera'
Just my $0.02... ;D
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Hi everyone,
I would like to thank everyone who has provided some information about the Bothan size. According to "The Essential Guide to Alien Species" and the official Star Wars web site, Bothans average height is 1.5 meters (4.9 ft). According to the SWG WIKI (http://www.atombender.de/swgwiki/index.php/Homepage), the Bothan species average Height: 1.3 to 1.54 meters (4.26 ft to 5.05 ft). According to the Star Wars web site, Zett is 1.57 meters (5.15 ft). So in short, a Zett body would be the ideal height to do the Bothan Jedi. And it will be the bases for customize figures to match the anatomy of the Bothan.
Thanks again everyone, I have a Zett figure coming to me on loan for a teen age Twi'lek project, I can also do a Bothan head now as well. I will keep you all posted.
Thanks,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hey everyone,
Now that I got the Bothan question squared away now, I wanted to go back to a previous posting and give you all an update. Here she is, Yarna D'al Gargan! I have finished the sculpt on her ;D. I lengthen the back of her head and finished the detail on the back of the headdress. I am really happy how this turned out. Here are the front and back shots.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Gargan_forum5.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Gargan_forum6.jpg)
Now you are all wondering if I will include some sort of accessory. Would it be a staff like Leia had in the deluxe model? Nah.... I decided to follow Hasbro's example with Oola when they gave her Salacious Crumb. I am going to include Hoover with my Yarna D'al Gargan!!! You will be able to kill two birds with this figure set in your Jabba's Palace diorama. Now how about that, lets see if Hasbro can top me ;D ;D ;D!
All joking a side, now that I finished the sculpt of her; I can make molds of the skirt and headdress and a new head mold in preparation for the wax when it arrives.
As always, all comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Any chances I can get on the list for a cast of this one? I would love to add her to my collection.
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Hi everyone,
I wanted to give you all another update on the Gargan. I was looking at her the other night and compared her to the refrence pictures and notice that the skirt drooped down arround her belly. I went a head and moved it, which ment I had to cut into the skirt and all that detail in order to get the right shape and look. I think it looks more like the movie character now and less like the Kenner mockup. In addition, I started the sculpt of her accessory, Hoover. I know at first glance it looks big compaired to the Gargan, but when I looked at the refrence photos of it being constructed by ILM, it was a big puppet. Of course I still have to do the detail wrinkles and such, but I think I have the right pose. Here is the pic:
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Gargan_forum7.jpg)
I hope you enjoy.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Again your stuff is amazing Ben. Wow....
Wondering, since you are going to be making casts of heads for sale... any chance you may be selling a Gargan kit?
:)
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Hi Chewie,
Thanks again for the confidence boost ;D. It is always great to get feedback from another master. On the Gargan kit, I am really proud of how this one turned out. I was planing to submit it to Hasbro for a commision as a freelance sculptor for them. It would be a dream possition. Of course, feet planted firmly to the ground, they most likely turn it away saying that do not take unsilisted work :'(. If that happens, then you can bet your sweet :o I will make it avaible to you guys just to dispite them ;D. Thanks for all the support, Chewie.
Jed_Master_Ben
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Hi Everyone,
I finished another head sculpt for my alien head sculpt. I posted detailed pics of the head over at the alien head list. This time its my favorite Luxan, Ka'Dargo from Farscape. It took all day Sunday:
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Luxan_Jedi.jpg)
Now for a side note, because of the alien nature of the Colemen body, I would replace the top half with an Obi Wan #55. Since I do not own either figure at the moment, I can only imagine. I did win some loose ROTS jedi on e-bay and they should be here by the end of the week, so I will have other bodies types to showcase my alien heads. As always, comment, feedback and suggestions are greatly encuraged. Thanks for looking.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Hi Ya J_M_B
:o Ka'Dargo looks brillant you my friend are a true master I'm totally in amazed with your work.
Ron
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Wel, Im definately up for a Gargan, as well a one of each of the Twi'lek heads, and of course G'kar. I'm in a bit of a bind this week though but Ill be more than happy to buy quite a bit once things settle down at my new job.
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Hey Guys,
I have another update for you all. I just posted the detailed head shots of the Bothan male head over at my alien head sculpt list. I explain in more detailed about the size difference and why I made two heads. Here I want to share some pics showing and comparing the two head sculpt and the body ratios to other figures. First up is the larger head sculpt on an Obi Wan #55 body.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Bothan_Large_Jedi_1.jpg)
Here is the same body standing next to the ROTS Anikin figure showing the ratio of size to the figure. I consider this figure the standard humanoid height.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Bothan_Large_Jedi_2.jpg)
Again, this was not intentional, but I am sure a lot of folks would not mind.
Now here is the shorter, Galaxies game height accurate size:
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Bothan_Small_Jedi_2.jpg)
This head was modeled after the first head but reduced to the correct proportions of the Zett donor body. The measurements of Zett and the average Bothan taken from the Starwars.com databank, I was a direct match. Here is a pic of the Bothan next to Leia from the early bird package for comparison.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Bothan_Small_Jedi.jpg)
Leia is another character that is about the same height. I plan on using a VOTC ball joint Leia donor body to sculpt the female head. And lastly, here is another look at the smaller Bothan(1.5m) next to Leia(1.4m), Han(1.7m), and Chewie(2.1m) and their proposed measurements taken from the SW databank.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Bothan_Size_Matters.jpg)
I know there are mixed feelings regarding the Bothans and I am sure all of you will benefit from my blunder. So talk amongst yourselves and let me know what you think.
I hope you will enjoy,
Jedi_Master_Ben
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I'm blown away. The sculpts are excellent...I am in awe of how little time it takes you to crank these out!
If you're short of donor figures, let me know...I have boxes and boxes of extra figures for customizing, and would be happy to trade anything you need.
Love Yarna and the Bothan especially! Those are my two faves at the moment, although the Farscape guy is really awesome too. Any chance of a Chiana head? :P
-DD
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Amen to that!! I want a headcast :)
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These are great ben. Man, what you mis without internet access.
I want a bothan when you cast them... So thats one bothan and one verpine. So far... ;D
Another great sculpt!
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Mate spoton as always and the height is perfect well done.
Ron
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Okay, the Bothan may be favorite so far. I'm definitely in for one. We need to get this guy some Wax!!
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Hey everyone,
I hope everyone is haveing a nice Easter Sunday. I have a special posting today. I have two heads to post to my alien sculpt list, the third female Twi'lek and Jedi Master K'Kruhk's heads. I also I got my sample of wax from Bantha5 and got to play with it. I made a wax cast of my Minbari head. Here is a group pic for you all.
(http://www.geocities.com/wolverine1257/Forum_Picture_Posting/Jedi_Group_Shot.jpg)
I was really supprise that the head shrunk comming out of the mold. It turns out it was to my advantage. When I put the wax head on AAYLA SECURA body, the head was better proportiant to the body. This is ok for some of my head sculpts, but when I want to expand to full figures, I can see this to be a problem. I started a new thread asking for help under "Wax Issues". If you have any answers or solutions to this, please post in that thread. I like the fact I can increase the amount of detail into my sculptures, but I do not want to sacrifice scale for this proccess. I hope I can get this resolved.
Jedi_Master_Ben
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Very impressive dude!! PLEASE let me know when you start casting and selling. I want Master K'Kruhk and the bothan for shure!
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I can't say it enough - I am absolutely floored by your incredible sculpting skills! Factor in how quickly you've been pumping these out and I am absolutely positive you could get a job at some toy company. I mean, WOW!
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Ben how in the world do you find the time to make so many great sculpts? You pump these out like a business! Wow, each one seems to get better than the last. You have an unreal talent.
:)
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Wow! Thats all I can really say about all of these. Just Wow. That Bothan head is excellent. iM definately down for a few of those.
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I was wondering the same thing chewie. These are great.
K'Kruhk is awasome work man.
I am back to my sclupting table thsi week. You have inspired me to get off my a$$
and get some sculpting done.
Another Great update.
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It was like you answered my desperate call, Ben! Some K'Kruhk customs, as they usually use the old Whipid body, look fine and good, but they aren't quite as heroic looking as K'Kruhk is portrayed in the comic (especially the ever-popular source picture where he's standing beneath the waterfall.) With that item, along with the difficulty of sculpting hair onto the existing whipid head, I think I speak for most everyone when I say that we've been waiting for a good K'Kruhk head. The possibilities with this new custom sculpt are endless, and I can't wait until you start casting! Good luck and great work.