Hi all.

I've been thinking about how I could produce copies of my Hicks and Hudson busts for a more reasonable price without having to make fibre glass versions - and I reckon I might've come up with something.

I will usually cast a test version from my moulds using relatively inexpensive silicone before going in guns ablazing with the more expensive stuff. I've yet to do that with Hudson but here is an example of one of Hicks that I did:

[img]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/wilysteve/CIMG1173.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/wilysteve/CIMG1181.jpg[/img]

So would there be any interest, pending a test approval, in skin tone versions with a basic paint job (lips, eyebrows, eyelashes, and blush - eyes and teeth would have to be painted by yourselves and hair would also have to be added) with a price tag of about £275 each plus postage?

Cheers,
Steve.
'I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all outta gum'

Hey Steve,

Man this is a great idea! You are very talented mate! I hope you can sell a few of these babies! The likeness is incredible!

Fairly decent price too I think!

Good luck mate!

Bri:D
IN SPACE NO-ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM...

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/bmctoonz/AlienSignature.gif[/img]

Visit my website at: http://www.clikpic.com/britoonz/index.html

I think that's a great idea Steve. I'd be interested in a Hudson bust. let us know when you might consider doing this. If I have the funds at the time then I will definitely take one.

Cheers

Darren

I may be interested in a few months ( Hudson ), but would have to see the final product before committing...
Cheers

You've made my day!!. Deffinitely I would be interested on a Hudson display bust (I don't know: I might even want a Hicks bust as well: it just looks so excitingly great!). I wouldn't even need it to be pre-painted: I'm a seasoned kit builder and painter myself and I'd love to give it a try and paint it. These are great news!!!.

i'll be interested in the busts if the price is right...

I'm also interested maybe in both of them. They looks too damn good!

I'd have to save for months to do it, but I'd be interested in Hicks.

Would it be hollow so you could just buy glass eyes and add them that way rather than painting them in?

Russ

Edited by: [url=http://p220.ezboard.com/bthealienslegacy.showUserPublicProfile?gid=rook3>Rook 3[/url] at: 6/6/07 4:24 pm

wow the busts look great would love to c a fully finish one would def think of buying one keep up the good work

Great, thanks guys! I knew there had to be a way!



Thanks Bri, you're extremely kind! And your suits looking excellent by the way



So heres the plan:
I'll probably be able to get one of each done within the next month or two for all your approval, and then I'll start an official list of who is definately interested so I know how many to produce thereafter. I would ask that you could each pay £100 up front and the rest when ready to ship, which I would guess with the current numbers to be about a month later. And don't worry if you can't committ straight away, when you can just let me know and I'll try and make one for you as soon as I'm able. I'll look into postage before you all committ also. Sound like a decent plan?




Thanks Jose, glad you're excited About the painting - the reason I'm supplying them painted is that I plan to use special paints designed for use on silicones as ordinary paints don't work as well. But if you have a way of painting silicone then I'd really love to see what you can do with the busts and I can lower the price down to £250 - same goes for anyone else who wants to paint their own busts


Cheers,
Steve.
'I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all outta gum'

Sorry Russ, I forgot to answer your question

The busts are hollow so you could dremel a socket for glass eyes if you wanted to
'I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all outta gum'

Hi, again, Steve:

I was thinking on a mix of acrylics (for the basic skin tones a gross shadows) and pastels (for the most delicate shadows and blush): they're not as aggressive as enamel, and, based on my use of them on vinyl, they offer a very convincent look, that is, if you are able to get the appropriate mix of colors to reproduce skin tones. Also you may use acrilic varnish to give the lips a wet look, and, since they're 1:1 scale, maybe regular make-up could be used.

Yes, I am, indeed, very excited (it's probably my hot, mediterranean roots), and I'm just dreaming on the possibilities: punching hair, jsut like in the movies, using acrylic teeth and crystal eyes... Also, the timing is just right: by mid July I'll earn what we call here in Spain an extraordinary salary, so I think I'll be able to purchase the Hudson bust for the price you set (plus shipping and handling). What payment method would be OK with you?. Will you accept PayPal?. I've been using it for a couple of years now, and it has been very comfortable and has worked wonderfully.

Of course, if you ever produce 1/6 scale Hudson heads (there's a guy in the net who produces a great 1/6 scale Hicks head, so I already own a more than decent version for my Hot Toys action figure), I'll be game for that too!.

Thank you very much for making one of my wildest, most cherised dreams come true... Just when I think that maybe within a couple of months I might be able to display my Hudson armour with Hudson itself...

If I had the cash and the armor to display these with . . . Id definately be interested in one of these incredible looking busts. The likeness is unreal. Im definately still down for a 1/6 Hudson head though

excellent work again Steve, you're a true artisan.

Thanks again Jose! It makes me very proud to hear your comments To my knowledge though, acrylics don't work very well on silicone. The paints usually have to be mixed with the silicon itself in order to stick properly, much like Bri has done on his superb Aliens costume. Oil paint, white spirit and clear one part silicone (the silicone sealant that you use around the edge of a bath or sink) works quite well. And makeup would also probably work but I'm not sure how permanent it would be. I don't want to put you off painting it because it would be very cool to see what you do, but I must tell you that its not the same as painting vinyl. Also, just to clarify everything - the eyes and teeth will just be plastic so if you wanted to replace them with glass eyes and acrylic teeth then you would have to cut the plastic ones out from the back.

Congratulations on your new salary! Can I ask what you do? Paypal is the method I prefer also.







Thanks Eifion, you're very kind!
Just to let the both of you know - I just ordered a Hudson figure so I'll be sculpting a head for it in a couple of weeks time

Steve.
'I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all outta gum'

Oh hey I ordered up a hot toys Hudson too! I should get it within the next 3 days. A new head for it would be a great idea! Im interested in a 1/6 scale head too!

As for the 1:! scale busts they are totally awesome. Best likeness ive seen on the net! I'm glad your getting some great interests!!



And no worries and thanks for the nice compliments too mate!;)

Keep us posted!

Cheers

Bri:)
IN SPACE NO-ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM...

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/bmctoonz/AlienSignature.gif[/img]

Visit my website at: http://www.clikpic.com/britoonz/index.html

Cool, I'll post some pictures of him when hes finished.

Thanks Bri!

Steve.
'I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all outta gum'

Thanks for your advice: the same adherence problem you mention happens some times with certain types of vinyl and resin): Maybe a priming layer with oils (for adherence), and then the diverse acrylic layers to paint the lights and shadows in the bust would be the solution, but then, I don't know what the long-term reaction between silicone, olis and acrylic would be... Anyway, I guess I'll have it pre-painted, after all: I certainly don't want to ruin the great likeness of your wonderful bust with a lousy work, or some kind of unwanted post-effect: You're the master here and, judging from the results of your Hicks bust, you really master the painting as well: your paint job is soooo lifelike...

I am a physician, and it's not a new salary: it's just a bonus salary which everyone here in Spain earns at the beginning of the summer (maybe one of the only good remains of Franco's dictatorship), and I must say that this year it comes right on time.

A physician Thats the one A level exam I completely failed

I think its best that I give it the basic paint job, and then perhaps you could highlight it with makeup or oils? I'll send a test piece of silicone with the bust for you to experiment with first if you like. Oils shouldn't have any kind of reaction with the silicone over time because silicone is an oil based product itself. And oils never really dry so there shouldn't be any cracking as long as they're mixed with a little silicone and thinned with white spirit for flexibility...
'I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all outta gum'

Yeah, great. I may test on a small spare piece of silicone, and then, if successful, I can try on the bust itself.