Tuesday 16 January 2024

Face Off

In this post I would like to show I go about transplanting the face from Hornet Models onto a head from Alpine Miniatures. This approach is faster and particularly effective because only the face needs to be changed and it allows me to retain the fitting between the neck and the torso of the original figure. 

For the best results, investing in a good set of chisels is a must. I highly recommend the ones from GodHand. They are extremely sharp and hardy and have served me well over the years.
 
Begin by shaving off the surface of the original face. Repeat this shaving process until the desired depth is achieved. Shaving off thin slices of resin requires less strength and allows more control over the chisel, reducing mistakes and injury.

A round head chisel is used to thin out the inner brim of the helmet.

The Hornet head is trimmed at the neck and above the brow line with a pair of sharp nippers.

It is trimmed until it resembles a theater mask.

A blob of epoxy putty is placed into the cavity to serve as both an adhesive and filler for the face.

The excess epoxy putty is trimmed and the irregularities are feathered away with a wet brush.

The completed result.

Cheers,

Calvin



4 comments:

tom said...

great work, would it be possible to do a post about what reference books you use for uniforms? there is a black an white photo on the bottom of your blog but its hard to see what those books are. I would be very curious to see your research library.

Mike Good said...

Calvin,

I thought I was the only one who did this!

As a professional sculptor, short-cuts like this are a regular part of my sculpting repertoire. If I don't have to sculpt new ears or headgear, it puts me ahead of the game.

Mike Good

Mike Good said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Calvin Tan said...

Thanks Mike! It seems that this is the most logically efficient way to save time and effort. The best part is that I can reuse the original neck for the collar.

Calvin