Loon's Custom Plateosaurus

[Loon]

I've been trying to build up a more diverse collection of Triassic species for my collection. Unfortunately, there are very few good reconstructions of species from this period at any size I collect. So, I decidedly to venture into that territory I have dreaded so much before, customizing...

After trying my hand at two horrendous customs last year, I encountered an idea so good that I just had to give it a second go. I wanted a Plateosaurus, but there aren't many uncompromised options out there. So, I decided to take the best parts of the Safari and CollectA figures and Frankenstein them together to make a pretty alright, modern Plateosaurus.

The two donors awaiting the transplant.


CollectA had the overall more accurate body, but that snarling head didn't scream Plateosaurus to me. The bulbous shape of Safari's head just looks more accurate. I also reposed the hands to remove the pronated look, and I grinded down the outer claw on the feet. Not wanting to let the other parts go to waste, the CollectA head was transplanted onto the Safari body.


To smooth over the transitions between the cut parts and cover the hot glue, I used Milliput. I've never really sculpted before and I won't say it's great, but it's not terrible for a first try.


This is my favorite part of the process, at least in the videos I watch. I always love to see a figure with new parts painted that uniform white, it makes it all look like it goes together. Though, this also served as a lesson in the necessity of mixing paint before using it.


I even did a little sketch to see what colors I wanted to apply. I wanted to homage the German heritage of many Plateosaurus specimens and took reference from the Chamois that inhabit the Alps. However, I noticed that a good amount of paleoart gives Plateosaurus a distinct white head, which I didn't want to replicate (oh, how foolish I was). I thought a good solution would be a green head, that would almost give the figure a tree-like look.



Have you ever prepared for something so much and, when it finally happens, you mess it up completely?

So, here's the finished product and... Well, I will never complain about slightly below standard paint aps again, because those people are artists. How they do it, I just don't know.

My lack of patience combined with an unsteady hand resulted in some pretty poor eye paint. I tended to misjudge how frayed the brush tip  could get and it got here and there. I've bought some paint markers to see if I can improve on fine details like this.


I actually think this back section turned pretty alright. Nothing fantastic, but hey, better than the rest.


With some recent by catch I might just use for practice.


I do think this is a marked improvement over my first attempts at customs. I think there is a bit more nuance in the paint and I was a bit more patient. I even attempted layers! So, I've graduated from a kindergarten to 1st grade level painter. That's not to say this is done. I really like this idea and may attempt to revisit this figure again, but until then, let me know what you think.

[BlueKrono]

I think it looks good overall. The secret to factory paint apps is airbrushing. There's a learning curve to using them.

[Dusty Wren]

I think you're being too hard on yourself, Loon. The transition between the body and the new head is seamless, and the chamois-inspired colors work very well on this figure. They look naturalistic, and the black cross on the back and the ring around the neck add some visual interest. The sculpt and the paint are cohesive, which is harder to do than it sounds. I think if you keep adding layers gradually, you'll get it where you need it to be.

For the eyes, you need a brush that can hold a fine point without fraying. That usually means a brush with natural hair over one with synthetic hair. They can be pricey, but at the smaller sizes you'd need to paint figure eyes they're not too bad. Outside of natural-hair brushes, I've also had good luck with Princeton's mini detailer series. They don't hold as much paint, but they're sturdy workhorses.

[Shonisaurus]

I think you've done a great paint job. It's not bad at all. That application of white paint on the neck of the plateosaurus has turned out quite well. You shouldn't criticize yourself so much. Honestly, in my case, I don't have the expertise that you or other DTF members have when it comes to repainting dinosaur figures.

[Loon]

I think it looks good overall. The secret to factory paint apps is airbrushing. There's a learning curve to using them.

Thank you. I think my problems would probably be solved by picking up an airbrush. But, seems like most are pretty expensive, so that'll have to wait for a bit.

@Dusty Wren I appreciate all the feedback. Yeah, I'm probably just being hyperbolic. Looking back at the post, I think I was too hard on it. Not to toot my own horn too much, but I agree that the seam between the head and body does actually look alright. I'll also check out those natural brushes. I'm sure a decent coupon at Michaels or wherever will probably help out with the expense. I did pick up some paint pens, so maybe those might also help for the smaller details.

@Shonisaurus Thanks for your kind words. I definitely was too hard on my work, and I'm happy you liked it.