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Hi Adrian
In lugnet.build.minifigs, Adrian Carpenter wrote:
> Excellent work! I've never thought of using epoxy putty to build up a custom
> lego element, but it seems perfectly suited to the job - I do use it for all
> sorts of other household repairs. Love that stuff.
It is an extraordinaryily useful substance, isn't it? :) If you haven't seem
my discussion on making custom elements, have a look here for lots more
techniques and suchlike:
http://news.lugnet.com/build/minifigs/?n=1501
> When painting that small, do you use stencils or masks of some sort?
Nope - all my work is done freehand with a brush. Mind you, much of my hobby
work over the last 30 years has been on wargames figures roughly 25mm tall, so
Lego minifigures seem _huge_ by comparison. :) Also, I've found that with
practice I can control my brushtip sufficiently well that masking and stencils
seem like a lot of fuss for a not especially better result.
There are a lot of figure customizers that use computer-generated stickers or
transfers, but I very much prefer the more personal feel I get with a brush[1].
I may go nuts on occasion trying to draw something, but when it's finished, the
figure is all my work, not half mine and half Microsoft's. Other peoples'
mileages may vary, of course, and so long as the creator is fulfilled by the
result, that's the most important thing.
> I often
> draw at an incredibly tiny scale using micron 005 pens, so the scale isn't
> entirely daunting to me, but paint is so unforgiving.
I find that acrylic paint over Lego plastic is actually rather forgiving. If
you make a flub, a quick scrape with a craftknife and the offending paint is
gone. Of course, this trick doesn't work if you're painting detail over top of
other paint, but hey, that's what practice is for...
> I'd very much like to get
> into minifig customization as soon as can develop some techniques.
> As such, your post is much appreciated.
I think the most important thing is to jump in and try to do _something_. Don't
start out with anything too elaborate (like an anime character... ). Instead,
try something relatively simple like a new jacket or sweatshirt for a town
figure, or suchlike. Be prepared to see a learning curve over your first dozen
figures, and don't go crazy trying to achieve perfection[2]. Do the best you
can to achieve neat work, and never abandon a piece half way through, even if
it's not turning out just the way you'd like.
Anyway, if you've got specific questions, I'd be happy to answer questions about
them on the forums. Thanks for taking time to reply to my post.
Regards,
Norbert Black
[1] Another important advantage of the old-fashioned methods is expense - I
don't own a modern printer (I don't think my 1984-vintage dot-matrix counts...)
, and my computer is a 486 running DOS 6.2. It would take hundreds and hundreds
of dollars to upgrade to the technology and software necessary to go the
computer-aided route. Whereas, I can buy a couple of really good quality
brushes for under $30, and paint is $2 a bottle (and I'm still using bottles of
acrylic I bought back in 1986...).
[2] _I_ certainly don't think I'm anywhere near perfection, and I'm good enough
that people are crazy enough to pay me to do figures occasionally...
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