mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
Posts: 256
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Post by mesteve on Jan 6, 2014 19:53:50 GMT -5
Just wanted to drop some photos of a couple LJN customs I've been working on the last couple weeks since I had the time off for the holidays. I'm experimenting with epoxy putty for the first time, so that is why it looks so sloppy, so needless to say I have a lot more work to do and tons of sanding still. But right now I'm just trying to get the right body shapes/size. Once I get them built up to how I like it, I'll focus on the details, such as smoothing them out, and adding knee pads to Hogan etc, and I also plan make each of their feet a little bigger and Hogan's hair longer. I'll post some updates as I get further along. For Hogan I used Bruno's torso and Valentine's legs. Andre's legs are his, from the #2 version, but I just straightened them out so he can stand upright. I also modified his head/face a bit, and still have some more work to do. I might have to redo his lips to better capture his facial expressions though. Let me know what you think, good or bad. Thanks! The other figures were added just for comparison.     |
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Post by Midnight: Dark Knight on Jan 6, 2014 20:30:53 GMT -5
I very much respect all the hard work and effort you are putting into these. the amount of part switches are insane! I think once you do more you will soon find out there are much easier ways to do this and still get the same results to capture a new pose. I look forward to seeing the final results. You have alot of seems to now smooth out and blend back together. good luck
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
Posts: 256
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Post by mesteve on Jan 6, 2014 21:58:52 GMT -5
Midnight, thanks for your comments.
These are the first customs I seriously attempted to finish in years, so I hope after a while it will go quicker. As for the bigger spots to smooth out, I'll start by taking my Dremel tool to it, so it won't be too difficult. I have about 10 others that are partially done that I hope to get to this year; Dibiase and Honky ring attire, Undertaker, Smash, Bad News, Bushwhackers, New version of Studd, Virgil, and a couple others I can't remember. I'll try to get moving on them. Thanks to you and the other LJN customizers on this board for serving as motivation to finish some of them.
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@WWERetroStars
Superstar
Joined on: Dec 8, 2013 21:34:21 GMT -5
Posts: 733 
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Post by @WWERetroStars on Jan 7, 2014 18:42:32 GMT -5
Wow! These are outstanding. I can't wait to see the finished product. One place the LJN's fell short was their depiction of size. Figures like the 1st Hogan, Funk and the Killer Bees almost look like they come from a different toy when compared to figures like Macho, Valentine and Orndorff.
Great work. I'll have to look into that epoxy.
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Mr. Mojo Risin
Superstar
When It Comes To Be,That Is'nt The Light At The End Of The Tunnel,It's A Freight Train Comin For You
Joined on: Jan 9, 2011 18:51:14 GMT -5
Posts: 663
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Post by Mr. Mojo Risin on Jan 8, 2014 4:44:22 GMT -5
When these are finished, I need them in my glass cabinet
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Mastermind
Main Eventer
Joined on: Oct 6, 2005 14:59:48 GMT -5
Posts: 2,480
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Post by Mastermind on Jan 9, 2014 14:26:28 GMT -5
I can't wait to see these when they are finished.Andre the way he is supposed to look!
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Post by The Madness on Jan 10, 2014 9:41:46 GMT -5
These are easily already some of the more convincing LJN customs I've ever seen. 99% of the ones online give the effect of "oh, that's a Nikolai head on a such-and-such body," but your Hogan is already looking like something that will be completely believable. I can't wait to see where these go.
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Mr. Mojo Risin
Superstar
When It Comes To Be,That Is'nt The Light At The End Of The Tunnel,It's A Freight Train Comin For You
Joined on: Jan 9, 2011 18:51:14 GMT -5
Posts: 663
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Post by Mr. Mojo Risin on Jan 16, 2014 18:53:21 GMT -5
Any updates?
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Post by @.@ Hempsterdance @.@ on Jan 20, 2014 9:15:02 GMT -5
please tell me theres updates? I want to see the finished product.
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
Posts: 256
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Post by mesteve on Jan 21, 2014 2:02:03 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for the comments. Glad to hear that people think these are looking good so far. But while I think I have a good idea of how I want them to end up, making that happen is another thing. Not too many updates since last time. Now that I'm back at work after the holidays I've been really busy, but I'll try to keep plugging away here and there. I'm trying to figure out a good pose for Andre's arms, and I wasn't satisfied with the shape of his head so I sliced it off! And to add to that, I'm afraid I made his back side too big! What do you guys think? I can always sand it down, but I did want to go with Andre during his heavier days.  |
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
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Post by mesteve on Jan 27, 2014 3:21:33 GMT -5
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Scotty's Customs
Mid-Carder
New website up at http://scottyscustomsandcaricatures.weebly.com
Joined on: Jan 24, 2014 18:02:14 GMT -5
Posts: 114
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Post by Scotty's Customs on Jan 27, 2014 6:56:27 GMT -5
Can't wait to see these finished, if the pics so far are anything to go by they will look amazing. As far as Andre's concerned I think his backside is fine being that bulky because lets face it he was massive! Maybe just flatten it slightly so its not such a drastic curve, also I think bulking out the lower legs a bit may pull it all together into proportion
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@WWERetroStars
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Joined on: Dec 8, 2013 21:34:21 GMT -5
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Post by @WWERetroStars on Jan 27, 2014 22:40:09 GMT -5
Looks awesome. Very realistic build and pose. If you don't mind me asking, what is you process going to be to blend the flesh on flesh joints?
Thanks!
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
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Post by mesteve on Jan 31, 2014 20:09:57 GMT -5
Looks awesome. Very realistic build and pose. If you don't mind me asking, what is you process going to be to blend the flesh on flesh joints? Thanks! Thanks. For the blending, I plan to use sand paper, at different grits, and maybe my dremel tool for the bulkier areas. This is my first attempt at doing any of this sculpting, so I'm not even sure it will work good. I'll try to do some sanding tonight and take another pic so you can see the difference. |
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
Posts: 256
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Post by mesteve on Feb 5, 2014 21:30:16 GMT -5
Scotty, thanks for the advice. I think you're right, so I'll just bulk up the legs a bit on Andre. This is the last time I'll post pics until one of them are finished. It might take a few months since I don't have a lot of time to devote to it. I also threw in another custom I started on. Hopefully you guys can figure out who it is. Now that I have the pose and sizing right, for the most part, I'll continue sanding until everything is smooth, although, now that I'm looking at it, Hogan's left shoulder might be a little out of proportion (looks too big from behind), so I might fix that up too. And Heenan was put in there just as a comparison. And if anyone's wondering why I would ruin a Sgt. Slaughter figure, the reason is that I purchased a big lot of LJNs on Ebay a while back and just about all of them had chunks, or fingers and other parts missing, so I decided to use them for customs.         |
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@WWERetroStars
Superstar
Joined on: Dec 8, 2013 21:34:21 GMT -5
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Post by @WWERetroStars on Feb 5, 2014 21:43:06 GMT -5
Dude, these are ridiculous. You can't shut us out of pics for a month!
Also, you have to share some insight about the Undertaker face.
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
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Post by mesteve on Feb 5, 2014 22:35:44 GMT -5
Dude, these are ridiculous. You can't shut us out of pics for a month! Also, you have to share some insight about the Undertaker face. Wow, appreciate it! I just hope that they come out as clean as yours look. And I'm definitely going to try that paint you mentioned when I get to that point. I'm in no rush. Someone recently posted that they do customs to "ease their mind", and I think I do it for that purpose too. Just a hobby to pass the time. As for the head, it's actually Ken Patera's face, with Duggan's head, and I actually can't remember where the bottom part of the hair came from. I've always liked to take figures apart and swap parts to see how they look. I started this as a kid with my old 3 3/4" GI Joes. But with LJNs, to do this, of course you have have to chop the pieces off. So I have a shoe box filled with parts, but if I can remember who the lower hair belongs to I'll let you know. |
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@WWERetroStars
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Joined on: Dec 8, 2013 21:34:21 GMT -5
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Post by @WWERetroStars on Feb 6, 2014 13:55:00 GMT -5
There is no question that I am in the same boat. Working on these is my only "hobby". From the search for them on eBay to actually making them, it is a great vacation from daily stress.
I can't believe that is Patera's face! Great call using that. It works perfect for Taker.
I have to tell you, I love the approach of standing these guys straight up. It drove me crazy that figures like Hogan, Andre and Studd were in a crouched position. Clearly this adjustment is a tough one when you take into consideration the cuts to make a bent leg straight, but I think that is what makes these pieces look so sharp!
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Mastermind
Main Eventer
Joined on: Oct 6, 2005 14:59:48 GMT -5
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Post by Mastermind on Feb 6, 2014 16:18:35 GMT -5
They are looking great! Good choice of parts for these..I can't wait for your next follow up.
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mesteve
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Joined on: Apr 10, 2011 22:45:19 GMT -5
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Post by mesteve on Feb 6, 2014 18:57:32 GMT -5
The figures that are crouched really bug me too. In figure height, they'd all be like 9 feet tall if they stood up straight! I should have mentioned that Patera's face was modified quite a bit to get somewhat of an Undertaker look. I still have more work to do on it.
I think you just need something that resembles the real guy just enough with a believable body type. Once the paint is added, everything should come together enough for people to know who it is supposed to be. Plus, plenty of the real LJNs weren't exactly dead ringers.
And thanks Mastermind for the compliment on the parts selection.
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