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  • Bride of Frankenstein model kit

    Bride of Frankenstein model kit

    Styrene figure model kit assembly and detail paint

    From start to finish, a production-made styrene model kit is a considerably larger and more time consuming project than a typical resin prop kit, such as helmets or weapons. Dozens of various sized parts are assembled per the instructions and seam lines filled and cleaned before each piece is painted.

    For a highly detailed piece like this, many steps are involved to create all the life-like textures and colors that turn a plain styrene kit into a finished work of art.

    BOF

     

  • Heath Ledger “The Joker” Bust

    Heath Ledger “The Joker” Bust

    Life-like Organic Finishing

    This wonderfully sculpted full scale bust of Heath Ledger’s “Joker”, was finished using a combination of hand and airbrush application of acrylic paints.
    Inspired by the makeup look from the infamous “pencil trick” scene, thanks to the exceptional likeness to Ledger, this bust was an absolute joy to finish.

    Heath Ledger "Joker" Bust
    Heath Ledger “Joker” Bust

     

  • The TARDIS – Full Scale Replica

    The TARDIS – Full Scale Replica

    Large-scale prop and set piece fabrication

    This massive, full scale prop replica was painted using multiple layers of paint to achieve the aged and worn look seen throughout the 2005 to 2010 run of the series.
    The overall color scheme was carefully practiced on scrap wood to determine the best technique to achieve the final look.

    Painted almost entirely in latex house paint, the first “base color” is a light shade of blue, thinned down so that it brushed onto the wood like a stain; this technique helped to accent the wood grain and also allow fallowing layers of dark washes to deepen the look without hiding the natural wood grain.

    Each painted piece was then sprayed with a semi-transparent furniture dye to help blend and tone the overall color.

    After sanding sealer and final sanding, each piece was completed with a topcoat for a furniture quality finish.

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  • Mjolnir – Hammer of THOR

    Mjolnir – Hammer of THOR

    Prop kit comprised of seven parts; the hammer head, cap, handle and strap plate were “cold-cast” in metal powder. The raw casting required standard trimming/sanding and then buffing using multiple grit Scotch-Bright pads to bring out the natural shine of the metal embedded in the casting.

    The handle was hand painted using a custom-mixed paint to match the screen-used prop as closely as possible.The handle strap was screwed into place and the strap plate was also screwed down to re-enforce should the prop be handled by holding the strap.
    A dark gray wash was used in all the recessed areas to bring out the details and some subtle weathering and antiquing added to the surface using the same wash with buffing techniques.

  • Rocketeer Helmet

    Rocketeer Helmet

    Faux metal finishing for raw resin castings

    Every raw casting starts with trimming and refining before it’s ready for paint. While each project is unique in what it needs, this authentic replica kit illustrates the various stages involved in transforming a resin casting with detailed trimming and various layers of paint for a truly authentic metal-look finish.

  • Ralph McQuarrie “Concept” Stormtrooper Helmet

    Ralph McQuarrie “Concept” Stormtrooper Helmet

    This prop helmet design is based on original “Star Wars” concept artist Ralph McQuarrie’s original drawings for the proposed look for Boba Fett’s helmet, which was originally intended to resemble the Stormtrooper design.

    This helmet was trimmed and painted using Acrylic Polyurethane paint and custom decals.

  • “Jurassic Park” Raptor Claw – Prop Replica

    “Jurassic Park” Raptor Claw – Prop Replica

    This one-piece resin casting originates from the original molds from Stan Winston Studios. These claws were used for the full-size Velociraptor animatronic dinosaurs used during production. The claw was prominently seen during the sequence in the kitchen, where the Raptor uses the claw to tap on the floor to alert the other Raptors.

    After the initial mold flashing was trimmed and sanded away, the unique organic textures had to be re-created in areas where the flashing was. This was achieved by using small rotary tool cutting bits to cut the details back it.

    For the overall paint scheme, I decided that the natural color of the raw resin was a perfect base color.
    I began with a clear glaze for adhesion promotion of the acrylic paints – all done with three colors of washes, starting with orange, brown then extra-dark brown.
    The final piece was clearcoated with a satin varnish and a custom display base was created using cement, which was also finished off with a wash of black paint to punch up the texture.

  • “White Ranger” Helmet – Prop Replica

    “White Ranger” Helmet – Prop Replica

    From the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” television series, this gorgeous fibergrass-resin kit was supplied to me without a visor and at the request of the client, was to be designed as a display piece only and was not modified to open up along a seem line added into the casting.

    Although a seemingly simple paint scheme, painting this helmet is a time consuming task.
    Starting off with the basic trimming, refining and primer, the entire helmet is painted white in durable acrylic polyurethane paint. The gold area is carefully masked off and painted, the silver and black areas are hand painted to avoid masking directly on the cured gold paint. Everything is sealed with heavy gloss coats of acrylic polyurethane.