Incom's customs: 6 inch Alpha ARC update

Incom's customs: 6 inch Alpha ARC update
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Custom WorkstationHi everyone, Incom here, hailing from the Netherlands! I've been customizing figures since early 2006, but have mainly worked on Star Wars themed projects. Since a year or two I've been branching out to other themes as well, though. And since I'm one of those guys that always vigorously start new projects, but finish them in quite a slow pace, I thought I'd set up a WIP thread right here at FR!
First up: Ulthane. Ulthane is a character from the Darksiders game, a favourite title on my PS3. I love the artwork by Joe Madureira and the overall look and feel of the game:
Here's a reference pic I'll almost completely base my custom figure on:
Using the body of a MU WW Hulk (awesome base figure!) and the legs of a MU Juggernaut, I quickly had the base to work with. After that, it's been all about adding Fixit. Lots of Fixit
, as you can see in the pics below:


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Incom on Saturday, July 30, 2011
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Figuring out how to create the range finder. I'll use a tiny piece of clear acrylic sheet in which I will fix a neodymium magnet. The magnet in the picture is too big, though, at 2x1mm. Ordered a bunch of 1x0.5mm magnets off eBay, which will be perfect.
Here's a first look at a She-Ra I'm making for a dear friend of mine. Her husband already received that Wolverine I did some time ago and because she "happened" to be my 100th fan on Facebook, she gets a custom figure of her choosing. Let's just say I'm glad she didn't pick a Care Bear (another favourite cartoon of hers
This She-Ra will be more of a fan fic version, based on a couple of drawings I found on Deviantart and such. I think I'll even go with the head of the base figure (Hope Summers) and paint her hair blond, instead of the well known long hair.
Update on Satele Shan. Got off to a bad start, but now she's coming along nicely:
And here's an WIP shot of sculpting the details on the 6 inch Alpha ARC trooper:
Grand Admiral Thrawn, based on 'digital' customs by fellow customizer DarthSinister. He used Photoshop, I use more traditional tools
Jedi Master Ven Zallow v4 (I guess I'm doing something right, since this is my fourth version and also my fourth commissioned version of this character):
Jedi Master Quinlan Vos, based on his looks as "Korto" Vos (his undercover alias in the Star Wars Republic comics):
Calvin and Hobbes. I've had this idea to make some sort of Joe-verse/Marvel-verse figures of the famous duo for a while now:
More pics can be found here:
Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/1124540582301 ... bout/p/pub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrblackscustoms
Working on Joeverse version of North, from Rise of the Guardians:
I'm also designing a not so common spacecraft from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. This ship was present during quite a few missions in the 90s PC game X-Wing and iirc in the X-Wing Alliance game as well. Anyway, I've always had a soft spot for this boxy ship and I felt now is the time to try my hand at scratch building it in 1/25 scale. For the design phase I will use Google Sketchup and so far I'm quite pleased with the result. Pretty cool to have found a Sketchup model of a Stormtrooper as well
One of the reference pictures:
Designing the torpedo bay/engine unit:
Many more pictures can be seen here: http://s740.photobucket.com/user/incoms ... 0DX9%20ITT
I plan on making this out of foamcore and styrene sheets. I might even look into building a just frame out of that and have the detailed panels printed in 3D.
Not much time lately for customizing, but I did manage to continue on my two commissioned Jedi:
Rachi Sitra: soft goods an sculpted clothing. Sleeve test, which I will definitely need to redo. This really won't do
Ven Zallow: sculpted the belt and the chest belt. Placed magnets in the shoulder and shoulder pad. That way Ven can have his shoulder armour on with or without his cloak.
- brush handles
- "dentist" tools
- exacto knife
- tooth picks
- small screw drivers
But I'm really fond of my set of clay shapers (or paint shapers).
Out of curiosity could you take a shot of your sculpting tools? What do you use?
As always, I've got more figures in the works, one of them being a Twi'lek Jedi Knight.
Earlier WIP pic:
Today's pic:
Also started on yet another new project
Inspired by the Mexican 501st Skull Garrison: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 477&type=3
Been busy with boring real life things, but now that summer vacation is at an end, I can get back to the cool stuff.
Here's a new commissioned figure I'm working on: Jedi Master Ven Zallow, version 3. The first two were also commissioned, so I guess I must be doing something right with this character
Reference pic:
And since I broke out the ol' Fixit, I picked up a few other projects again:
Or one of these Vipers, and do the same:
As for the boots and pants.... very hard to find a match. Lots of pants-tucked-inside-boots available, but always army style, you know. At least, what I could find. That's why I picked the SS legs and shoes.
So, I think I'd like to make the upper body as close to the real thing as possible, and will do the legs comletely different.
For the hood, try and find a Resolute Zartan:
IMO one of the best hoods available, and my favorite. It's so versatile. With minimal modding you can do almost anything with it. This is what I used for my Azrael figure. As for the other parts, I know I've seen a figure that had boots very similar to that, just can't remember who... the arms you chose look good. Pants will definitely need to be modded/sculpted. The torso too, I don't think I've seen anything like that reference pic.
First parts fitting and so far I'm pleased. Looking for another hood, though, maybe a POTJ Obi-Wan's will look better.
Here's a reference picture:
I've got the following in WIP status:
- Darksiders Ulthane and Death (Ulthane ready to be primed, if I can get his braid right, Death in sculpting stage)
- Speeder Bikes with Bikers (assembly stage)
- Old Republic Jedi (ready to be primed)
- Badass version of Tinkerbell (primed and ready to be painted)
- Trandoshan hunter and Wookiee adversary/mini dio (figures ready to be primed, diorama not started yet)
- Heavy Mandalorian (still sculpting)
- Afro Samurai project (still sculpting)
- Tekken's Eddie Gordo (parts assembly)
- Novoc Vevut's son (Ghes Orade) (parts assembly)
- SA Emperor's Royal Guard (working on softgoods)
Projects I'll start this year:
- customs bases on characters from the "Arrow" TV series
- X-Wing "then-and-now" museum display
- Luke vs. AT-ST (based on Marvel comics)
- Darksiders War
- Jedi vs. crab droid diorama
- Rise of the Guardians inspired "Santa" figure
- Masters of the Universe She-Ra for a friend of mine (already have the new Marvel Legends Hope Summers which I'll use for this)
- Transformers Bumblebee repaint (45th Anniversary Camaro edition)
- Magneto vs. Wolverine vignette/mini dio
Things I'm considering:
- Jawa transport using a Wall-E truck as a base vehicle
- Couple of Transformers repainted in WW2 deco (still looking for an affordable HFTD Highbrow!)
- Transformers Sideswipe vs. Sideways
- SW/Transformers crossover: Luke on Arcee (repainted in R2-D2 colours) (inspired by Packratstudios)
The pic is a sneak peek of what's to come. I've got a couple of excellent bikini and hot pants torso casts from fellow customizer Stocos on the way
Anyway, since I can't keep to one custom at a time, here's a very, very early mockup of what will eventually become a custom heavily based on the Rise of the Guardians character North (Santa):
I'm looking for a G.I. Joe 25th. Sgt. Bazooka body (without arms and head is fine), because the one you see here belongs to my Heavy Mandalorian
So much for using FB for hotlinking to my pics then
Anyway, recap of what's now missing from my previous posts...
Darksiders Death and Ulthane:
Very alternate version of Tinkerbell, working name "Tinkster":
I'll make sure to use PB links again, since that whole FB thing crapped out on me.
Wish I had loads more days off from work, so I could really sit down and do some quality customizing time....
Countpichula, the hammer is mostly styrene, but the grip and rings were sculpted. I used my exacto knife to carve the dents and scratches on the hammer