This entry was created for
GlassCabinetFilms.com and
Heroclix Hideout message board.
So, I have the honor of writing to you about my 'process' for modding and repainting Heroclix figs. Let me once again state, for those of you who have not read my earlier post, that I am probably not the person who should be teaching others as I am still a novice myself. But, in order to help others get over their fear of screwing pieces up, I will do my best.
My first thought was to show you all my workstation, how I keep everything organized, and what materials I use. Then I remembered I don't have a dedicated workstation, my paints are NEVER organized, and I use whatever materials are handy. But, here's a look anyway.
With plenty of overhead light; my workstation consists of a fold out table, a scrap of cardboard or newspaper to catch the paint on, a small container of water, bottle caps I use as my palette, wax/silicone paper to mix colors on (they don't suck up water or dry out your paint a quick as regular paper.), and a magnifying glass for small detail. The arms on the magnifier are also helpful for holding pieces together when waiting for superglue to dry and cure. The Paints I use are Reaper Master Series Paints, which are meant for gaming models, but any acrylic paint will do. I have used the cheap tub paints from Hobby Lobby/Wal-mart in the past and they worked fine; a warning though, you will have to thin them out a bit more than with the Reaper paints. I use a variety of brushes from a wider brush for laying out large swathes of color, to a 30/0 extreme detail brush that I mostly use for eyes, or trim lines.
I was asked by 12punch from the Heroclix Hideout message board to turn a She-Hulk fig into the Red She-Hulk pictured above. She originally requested the Gravity Feed version of this fig, but since they pop off their bases so easily I decided to use the cheaper version since it's the same sculpt. Some people will pop the figs off their dials before painting them, and if I were planning to USE this dial I might have, but I find having the figs attached to the dials makes them easier to hold while painting, and it's less messy. In fact, in this case I even touched up the green paint from the factory on the base, and a white scratch on the side of the dial since I had the black paint out.
The first thing I had to do after getting the reference material was find a head with suitable hair. I could have sculpted the hair myself out of sculpy, but I'm lazy and wanted to find a quicker method. After searching through the spares bin I found a matching donor, and alterations soon began.
Meet Polaris [insert picture], or at least what's left of her. She was kind enough to join in our little experiment and I think she'll do just fine. Now her hair isn't as long as in the picture provided of Red She-Hulk, but I think it's close enough to the intent of the art. The picture above is just a test fit, the head will be better attached later, AFTER the painting is done. I like my figs to be as separated as possible when I paint, that way I don't miss any spots. So now what to do? LETS MAKE IT RAIN BLOOD!!!!!! I mean, lets paint everything in a nice thin coat of red. (Or four in this case.)
I coated the figure and the head in several thin coats of red paint. In case you wonder what that is on the head, [top insert image] I used a small ball of clay stuck on a toothpick to hold the head while I painted it. This way I could coat all the sides that would show on the figure, not have to worry about getting paint all over myself, and make sure I didn't accidentally rub off the paint I had just applied. I also thin the paint out so I don't lose any of the detail in the figure. Notice that even the hair got painted red [bottom left] A) as a 'primer' coat for the black, to help cut down the shine from the green hair underneith, and B) because I knew any thin or blank spots in the black coat would let the red peak through and give it a nice effect.
After the red paint had time to dry I started adding the black details, including the leotard, gloves, and hair. I was careful with the hair to try and leave her red streaks in, and some other hints and traces of the red that really tie in with the character. I did have to go back over the streaks with a thin detail brush just to enhance them a bit.
Finally, I added in her yellow eyes. For those wondering, I did attempt to add in the blue/purple in her suit, but it just didn't come out right, so it got washed back over with black. 24 hours or so of curing time later, and the figure will get a coat of clear sealant to make sure the paint doesn't wear off in play, or in transport. Eventually I may go back and try to add in some more detail to her; but for now, I think she's ready to do battle.
I know this hasn't been as informational as it probably could, or should have been, but I do hope you enjoyed the project. I will go over the tools and paints I use; thinning the paints; and some of the techniques I use in later posts.
Until then, Happy 'Clixing!
- OtakuR
