For my first submitted custom to figure realm I chose Leonardo an expert in the ways of ninjitzu , it started out as Raphael but I Have a different base to work with for him. This guy was such a huge learning experience in custom making and where my comfort levels are with materials and techniques. I took inspiration from the sculpture "way of the sword" but changed a few details like the head sculpt.

Recipe= head from a walmart talking Leonardo resculpted, metal ribbon for the bandana, body from a ufc figure with sculpted shell, arms combination of a wrestler and a walmart Donatello hands cut and reshaped to articulate added veins to shoulders biceps and forearms, legs combination of two wrestler figures the walmart Donatello cut and reshaped for articulation, feet were 90s classic ninja turtles bootleg figure casted them then sculpted on top. I spent a lot of time casting cutting sanding and drilling for articulation. I used nail polish all over skin then took a needle to make like a rough skin. air brushed the paint and a super fine paint brush for some tiny details the straps are made from a fake leather material I had in our cosplay material bin with little wire rings from a dollar store necklace. The weapons were Leonardo's two signature Katanas made from skinny popsicle sticks a thin plastic coat hanger and pieces of some plastic butter knives, the holsters were two plastic pens cut to size pinched then wrapped with the same leathery material as the belt and straps, the chain weapon was from the same dollar store necklace and some custom scrap, the ninja stars from are made from sheet plastic. I also made the mutagen ooze canister and the mutagen ooze was a happy accident haha, I tried to color my casting resin with food coloring but it turned into sticky goop that never hardened but being so cheap with my resources gave me this little win haha.

Total sculpting was done in nail polish, puff paint, sculpy and epoxy.

I want to give my thanks to my sister for the photography she took alot of awsome pics of poses with different lighting and angles, I wish I could have posted them all cuz she made some look like they were scenes in a movie but i wanted to show off the details.

The points of articulation in the figure are the head and neck (my invention i think, another happy accident was a triple ball joint as i like to call it i might post a tutorial cuz it gives the head a lot more poseabilty and pretty easy to make), the waist (swivel), the upper legs (ufc figure ball joint with a swivel attached to the thigh), knees (double knee joint), ankles (swivel), feet (turned a ball joint into the newer marvel action figures type swivel), the shoulders (swivel attached at the chest with a ball joint and two swivels lol hard to explain sorry still don't know all the names of action figure joints) Biceps (swivel on the top), elbow (single joint), wrists (Swivel under the straps), and hands (single joint) and last but not least the bandana is extremely bendable to hang down, flow in the wind or flow with action poses to look like movement.

Really wanted highly articulated ninja turlte figures with a 6-7 inch height that took a gritty realistic look as apposed to the nick toons ones which are cool but the look like children in a costume next to my dc, marvel and other figures and the classics line are still cartoony and wide this is the first of a set of nine figures which include the turtles, splinter, slash, tokka and a new turle and mutant snail based on my own designs.

Well I hope you enjoy the figure as much as i did making him and when i make an instagram, facebook page, twitter account or blogg for my customs I will be posting all the pictures.