Working on something for a friend, extremly figure modding.

Modeling Subjects Figures and Misc.
1

Ok guys, I need some help, im directing a friend on how to make a model of the hunter from l4d pouncing from a wall. (im hoping I can talk him into commissioning me to do it for him)

He has chosen this as a base

http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Buildings/MIA00035533/product.php?s=0&t=6&pg=1&ppp=24&sb=stocknumber&so=a&era=7,8&sc=35

So far what I can think of to do is to get a few figures, hack them up, sand the detail off the military pants to get them to look like just khaki or jeans. After that to get a torso and arms into the right position, sand ALL detail off of them, and the use miliput to sculpt the Hoodie sweatshirt onto him

what do you guys think, is that a good idea? Are there easier ways?

2

L4D = Left For Dead, a video game. THis looks good smeagol.

3

I may in the future do this for myself hes not sure if he is going to do it because he doesnt have the skills and itl come to about 40-50$ for supplies and shipping, I wouldnt charge him for actuially doing it, I offered to build it for free

4

Using the putty to get the general shape/ dimensions sounds about right, but I like to use something else, like kleenex for clothing. What scale are you doing this in again?

For larger scales, kleenex soaked in diluted white glue and water, will make for conviencing clothing. And I don’t think that it would be too hard for this character since the clothing lacks a lot of detail. The kleenex while wet, will let you add folds, etc, to add in the “detail” that its lacking.

HTHs.

5

It will be in 1/35th (figgured the building I linked gave that away)

My guess to the lack of detail on the clothing was that the game makes realised that you wouldnt see the hunter much at all (he attacks from heights and away from eyesight and pounces on you, tearing into you, your not paying attention to his clothing at any of those times (the other infected have more detailed clothes) plus, hoodies arent really detailed anyhow

6

well I was told that on his next paycheck he will buy and send the supplies my way so I can get started.

When I was told this I got very very nervous. I only attempted to really mod a figure once before… I know what I have to do, and how to do it, I know the techniques and almost exactly what I am going to do, but im a bit worried ya’ know?

Also, what would be the best way to attach the character to the church, he will be pouncing off (see 2nd picture) with just one foot on the church wall

7

Too easy … drill a small hole in the foot and another in to the building. Then attach figure to the building using wire. This is the same method I use to manipulate joints, etc. to change poses.

8

Thats not a bad idea, though, the only wire I have thats stiff enough is sort of thick… and the foot isnt necesserialyl going to be flat against the wall

9

I wouldn’t try to take it through the foot, but rather the heel up through the ankle. If the fig is going to be 1/35, its not going to be that heavy. Look around, you can easily find other gauges of wire that can be used, to include paperclips, solder, etc.

Don’t worry if the foot isn’t going to be flat on the building … you won’t be able to see much of the wire anyway. Besides … you can only replicate so much action in a model. At the end of the day, its going to be a 3D still shot … no matter how you try to capture the movement. Things just don’t float.

Think outside the box … you’ll come up with something.

10

I didn’t think of using a paperclip thats a good idea. only problem is its a miniart vacuform building, so I would have to put the clip through the building before I attach the rear side to it and super glue and super duper tape it into place.

Only other thing im not sure about is he isnt getting the church with a base so it wont have a stand or anything, is there any easy way to make one? should I put weights in the church so it doesnt tip? what?

11

As far as the vacuform building, I’d put something on the backside for the wire to secure to. And as far as the base … throw your buddy a bone. Wooden base are like .99 cents at your local crafts store.

12

Yeah, wooden bases are good, cork is not a bad option either I think…

Thanks, Jim

13

Here’s an option to make your life easier:

Michael Roberts mannequin available from Colorado Miniatures

14

actuially, that looks like it would create more of a problem, leaving alot of space to have to be filled and making sure I get the right thickness for the lower torso and such, as opposed to just adding a thin coat of putty to figure.

15

If I’m not mistaken … that base figure is in 1/35, right!?! I might just nab a few of those for future fig builds.

16

DANG! … I’m retarded …

… the link was right there.

17

Ok, I have another question. While I dont hve the supplies yet I dont know if ill answer these myself later.

First, do I need to glue the putty on or will it self adhere and is there any chance that itl come off at some point?

Second for small details, like a tie or a shirt pocket, should I sculpt them seperatly then stick them onto the model, or sculpt them onto the figure itself?

Oh, and how would one go about giving the texture of jeans to the putty?

18

1: It’ll stick. 2: There’s ALWAYS a chance. Pretty small one though.

I do pockets separately, from epoxy ribbon… You want those types of items to be “higher” than the surrounding surface, since that’s what patch pockets are, patches… It also allows for wrinkles and folds to be modeled easier… If you got no spare scratch for epoxy ribbon, you can get away with using tissue…

To put a cloth texture into putty, I use a piece of T-shirt and press it into the still curing putty. BUT, I only do it for fabric with very pronunced texture, like burlap sandbags, in 1/35th… In the scale you’re doing, it’d proabaly be too much… A dead-flat finish will likely be the best scale-texture…

I use straight-pins… Plenty stiff to keep your figures from bouncing everytime someone walks by, and small enough to be next to invisible… 3 bucks will get you a packet of 300 at Wally-World…

19

Straight pins… thats not a bad idea at all, I didnt think of that! Ill give it a try. My only worry is that it wont have any fit of it exactly flat on the wall except for his toes, I may have to change the position I have in my mind a bit.

What do you mean by Epoxy Ribbon?

20

well the project has been changed abit. He decided to spend a bit more money

He purchased this for the base

http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Buildings/MIA00036029/product.php?s=0-2&t=6-2&u=*-0,2,4,5,6&pg=1&ppp=200&sb=stocknumber&so=a&e=0&sc=35&man=MIA

He didnt specify anything about adding more figures, but I cant let it go without so I am probably going to add a single survivor and either some common infected or a smoker or a witch (might just work, I have the figure for her)

Just for refernce shots for you, and me later

the survivor im going to make

Example of Common

Smoker

Witch

For those who dont play or never saw the game before Ill explain a bit of it. Zombie Apoclypse, starting 2 weeks after the first infection. The infection is a mutated Rabies Virus. Some infected mutate more then others, there are 5 of these.

The hunter which can grip walls and can launch themselves with a high velocity to pounce and tackle their prey.

The smoker has two abilities, one passive one active, The passive is a cloud of smoke that he emmits that chokes survivors, the active is a long tongue it can use to snare and pull in survivors.

The Boomer which has an extremly large stomach and vomits up a bile onto survivors causing a horde of common infected to attack as well as blinding those hit (they explode on being hit, spraying the bile everywhere as well)

Then there is the Witch, she sits in one place, crying. If you avoid her your fine, but if she is disturbed (walking to close, shooting, shining your flashlight on her, looking at her) she will get angry, start screaming, then attack. She incaps a survivor in one hit and it takes her a few seconds to completly kill one before running off.

Last there is the tank, the upper body of this infected looks like it took 500 times the dose of steriods, just a mass of muscle (semi funny because the legs are normal) and it is missing it’s bottom jaw. One punch can send a survivor flying yards. It can also pick up hunks of rock and cement from udner it and throw them as well as hitting objects like cars, logs, dumpsters, and others, sending them flying at survivors to instantly incapisitate them

There are 4 survivors, Zoey (a college student) Bill (Vietnam Vet) Louis (middle managment type) and Francis (Biker gang member). They are the characters you play as, they are immune to the infection, you follow them through 4 campaigns which play like movies without narration. Any information you get about the story line comes from dialouge between the characters and graffiti scrawled on the walls though not all advice given there is correct

There are also some quite disturbing ones, the main one being when you ahve to hold out in a church, every inch of the walls are just scrolled with RIP messages

And something that always made the game super freaky to me. It takes place close to home