Customizing: Chakotay is finished

[dieastra]

He's done! I feel very accomplished today. I think I have outdone myself, even if I say so myself. What do you think? Does that look like Chakotay or what? *beams*

I had quite a struggle trying to mix the right skin tone, it always came out too brown and dark. And don't ask me about the tattoo! The black pen I wanted to use for it had dried up but I did not fancy waiting another day and buy a new one... then I realized, the pens for labeling CDs are waterproof as well.

Comments

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

WOW!!!!!!! THis is AMAZING! Congratulations!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I love working on these but I also am glad when I'm done LOL

[shivver13.livejournal.com]

He looks fantastic! Great job on the skin tone. I know what you mean - it's really hard because the color it is not the color you think it is. You think a person looks dark or more pink, and you end up making him too dark or pink. When I used to paint miniatures for gaming, I dreaded doing skin.

And the tattoo looks great!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I probably could have gone to the craft shop and buy the exact right skintone, but when I am in a crafting mood I want it done as quickly as possible without delays. So I tried to mix it out of the colors I had at home. I knew what I wanted, I just didn't know how to mix it properly! First I used brown and white, which made him too brown and grey. I studied his picture again and realized it needs a warmer tone. So I added a bit of yellow but then he came out too orange ;)

I could not even tell you what I did in the end, just mixing and trying and mixing again. I could not replicate it!

Sadly the paint is too lumpy if I zoom in on his face very closely. It needs to be much thinner on this scale.

There wasn't enough face to draw the tattoo properly! I should have cut off some more hair and make it higher. It was too late when I realized so the top part is a bit crushed. Ah well. I probably will never be satisfied, but that's what every artist does, right?

[colleen j. o'shaughnessy (from livejournal.com)]

Very, VERY nicely done! You have every right to feel accomplished.

You know, there is money in doing this. You could take custom orders. I know of several people who have turned their fandom hobbies into side businesses.

Bravo!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I'm really happy how he came out. Lot of work but it's nice to see the end result. Although there is a point where you only want to be done LOL

People keep saying this but I don't know. It's the same like writing professional. I love writing fanfictions - when the muse hits me with an idea. But when you are a professional author, you need to write every day whether you feel like it or not, as you have a deadline. I could not do that.

Same for making figures. They are all one of a kind, I can't imagine doing the same thing several times. I also can't imagine giving them away after all this labour! And they would be very expensive, for all the time you put into it.

Check out this page, this guy does Stargate customs for a living and they look amazing. Also when we started to talk he said that it was I who inspired him all those many years ago with my posts on Gateworld! I found him when he did an Orville Ed and Kelly, but otherwise it's all Stargate. People tell him what they want and then he makes it. Just scroll down through all the pictures! There's Rodney McKay and Carson Beckett for example, or Sam in Air Force uniform and I loved especially Jack in his checkered shirt from the episode "2010".

https://www.facebook.com/lvl28toys/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARC5zpvdJoRhyOw8GLBqgFTMIjxc8wFgcu8RtU896mtdu1IL_j8k13lQOwQzjP6hfv6nluMp_ROAiEeg

Check out the Hathor one, Suanne Brown was very excited about it!

[arashinoookami]

Wow, you've done such a great job!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm really happy how he turned out!
I won't do the whole crew though, so I now have succumbed to buy the small Playmates figures. I had sworn I'd never get them but what do you do *sigh*

[arashinoookami]

Suffering for your art!

[hiddleasaurus.livejournal.com]

Amazing job! I love Chakotay.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you!
I love them all but yeah, he is my favorite character. I love his calming presence. And the smirk ;)

[fueschgast]

Amazing, so totally looks like Chakotay!

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm happy that you recognize him!
Today I also bought something very exciting. You'll see! Can't wait for it to get here.

[niviene.livejournal.com]

Wow. Are the clothes painted on?

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Sorry for never answering your question but I wasn't quite sure how it was meant. Yes, I did paint the figure in new colors, the first picture shows the changes. And I cut away a bit of the robe. It is made from some kind of rubber so it was easy to cut. And then I added other bits like the rolled up sleeves swith Milliput. All that is white is Milliput.
But yes, there are no real clothes here. It's all only plastic and rubber. And paint ;)

[niviene.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure if they were painted on or if those were clothes so I thought I'd ask.

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Ah, now I get you. With these small 5" or 7" figures they are never real clothes. Sometimes they are made to look very well with folds and everything. But usually when you can see the knee joints or elbow joints it means no clothes.

Those are only in the 9" and 12" ones. With one exception: The Mezco line. They have made a business of small figures but coming with several heads and hands like the big ones, and having real cloth. Figures like Batman or Superman looking so much more real that way when the joints are covered by the costume.

And they also started a Star Trek line but sadly we never got the full team. Also even though they are small figures they do cost about 80 Dollars while "normal" figures in this size are about 25 Dollars.

Here is the Mezco Kirk I have, plus Mirror Spock and normal Spock. Not even Bones!

https://dieastra.livejournal.com/237465.html

[niviene.livejournal.com]

Cool. I couldn't tell the height of the figure from the photos. Now I'll be able to tell by the elbow and knee joints. Thanks for the insight. Whoa O_O at the price!!! Too bad about Bones.