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07-31-2009, 12:49 AM | #11 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: texas
Posts: 1,373
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I worked for four years at a toy company that makes metal military figures and we also did some prototyping for some of the dark horse comics stuff. First off airbrushing is kinda new to the Chinese manufactures. That's why you are only seeing it on some things like marvel superheros and vehicles or large sculptures. But they are getting better. Dry brushing really depends on the type of paint they are using and what the contractor I.E. Hasbro even wants. Most factories painters will give you an exact copy of what you first gave them. So there you have it you get what they are given. As for painting cost there really is not much cost that is ever put into painting. Most of what you pay for is the materials, package, and the contractors markup. I will say this for metal miniatures like king and country, britains and conte the cost to make them is $1.50-$2.85 a figure. The price changes on the order size. Then the retail msrp for the same figure is $21.00-$25.00 u.s. dollars. So I'll let you do the math on the markup there. Also I will not even say how much the average worker get's paid because it really is wage slavery. It really is like the old mining company towns of the U.S wild west. The worker lives at the factory in there dorms. They pay rent. The food they eat comes from the factory. They pay for that. It gose on and on and it all comes out of there already insanely small paycheck. So there you have it in a nut shell there is much more but I don't wanna talk about it and you really don't wanna read it.
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07-31-2009, 01:22 AM | #12 |
Grand Master
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: illinios
Posts: 5,716
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that's a really good question.....
I only make customs to make them if I displayed them I would display them as singular pieces. some of you guys make customs that look like real factory products.which is cool cause it's fun and they match. |
07-31-2009, 01:32 AM | #13 |
Cobra Scientist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 1,022
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I usually make small paint changes, like doing a "wash" to bring out detail in backpacks, etc. It's weird to me that hasbro would put so much detail into Joe and Transformers sculpts (recently) and then not paint them to bring out the detail. So yeah, I do like CrimsonEmperor does, "compatible customs".
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07-31-2009, 03:22 AM | #14 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 665
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Depends on what you mean by customising. For example the recent roc Flint, which is wonderful, is designed to fit a loved character into the toyline and as such is not repainted beyond hasbro prod quality. My resculpts have a basic paint job to match the toys - the key there is the sculpting is the point there, for exampleRihanna custom.
The snow serpent above in someone's sig is a deliberate repainted custom painted to a pro level to bring out the sculpt, almost like painting a model, and the results can be breathtaking as that excellent one is. So there's two different approaches - customising to supplement the toyline which means swaps, sculpts and restoration; and customising to have realistic figures which still includes swappins, sculpting but a greater degree of painting. Personally I try to match the toyline but I do try to slightly emphasise detail without the figure looking incongrous |
07-31-2009, 07:15 AM | #15 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: NF, NY
Posts: 402
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good topic, this.
I suppose it depends on a case by case basis what I'm trying to accomplish with each custom, though with most of them, I'm not overly concerned if my customs actually match the Hasbro stuff or overshadow it completely... I KNOW some of them like my combat engineer Tollbooth kick the shit out of Hasbro's stuff but that was my goal because I was challenged by my friend to make a Tollbooth that was NOTHING like the crappy original. Whereas I wanted Decimated to stand apart from Hasbro's toys but NOT so much that he doesn't blend with them. When I get some Lampreys and a couple of Eels, he has to look like he fits in with both squads. I too tend to just make the customs to make them. I can't display much, I have no place to display them but I DO take diorama pictures which sometimes have both Hasbro production figures and other customs so I guess that would be a good place to look to see IF my customs blend with the Hasbro stuff. |
07-31-2009, 08:15 AM | #16 |
Nemesis Creator
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 2,355
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I've been doing this forever. I can paint a lot more detailed than I do normally, but I want my stuff to display in and amongst the rest of my collection. Highly detailed and heavily dry-airbrushed figures stick out like a sore thumb. I admire the technical skill that others have shown painting in that style, but the first question I always ask is "been painting Warhammer long?"
I like it when my Joe buddies come over and start searching to see if they spot anything new, and even more when they say "I didn't know Hasbro made _______?!?!". It's a very backwards compliment. |
07-31-2009, 08:41 AM | #17 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Hisstank Wrestling Federation!
Posts: 17,654
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As of now, the chinese kids in Hasbro's sweatshops are better painters than I am. But I'm working on that.
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07-31-2009, 09:02 AM | #18 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 629
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For me, part of customizing means I customize ARAH figs to look like they fit into the ARAH line. That may mean painting as many details, weathering, dry brushing, or any of those techniques, but there is a trick to making the figs look like they fit with the rest of the line. I don't really see it as dumbing down skill, just use of different skills.
That isn't to say there's anything wrong with the super high end customizing... that stuff is awesome, and I envy those guys their skill. I love looking at that stuff, its bad ass. But myself, I just enjoy combining pieces of the vintage toys, painting them up, and making "new" vintage toys. So I guess it just comes down to, do what you want. Basically, what Alyosha said. |
07-31-2009, 09:20 AM | #19 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Fort Smith, Ar
Posts: 17
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Yeah, I have been painting Warhammer minis for 10 years now (since I was 14) and I have developed a pretty good hand for detail. I typically do not use it for my Joe customs. I like them to blend into my whole collection.
IMHO there is an art to kit bashing or painting to the Joe standard, just as much as there is to dry brushing or using inks. I mean on most of Obi-Shinobi's generics I can not tell if he painted them and the look spectacular. That is impressive to me. You did however get me interested in doing a master-class paint job on a Joe just to see how it would turn out. I think the only way I would do that, that often, is if I commissioned paint jobs. Thanks for the great topic! |
07-31-2009, 09:58 AM | #20 |
f/k/a Knighthawk
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,145
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Hasbro figures go to my son. The only production figs I have are those that haven't been broken down for custom parts yet.
__________________
check me out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrBindysCustoms formerly known as KNIGHTHAWK |
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