Inanimate Objects

Where can I purchase Pro Create?

I have purchased Pro Create on Amazon. (read more...)

What is Pro Create?

Pro Create is another epoxy used for sculpting. It’s a two-part mixture that takes about 4 hours to cure. The cured result is much like a tough rubber or plastic. I find it best suited for creating delicate but flexible details like hair. It’s very sticky, but you can help (read more...)

What are silicone sculpting tools?

These look like brushes with rubber tips in various shapes. They are indispensable for sculpting! I wish I had found these sooner. They are excellent for shaping details like hair in the sculpting medium of your choice. These are recent additions to my tool kit, but now I can’t work (read more...)

Should I apply anything after Dullcote or am I finished?

I use Dullcote to bring the various lusters of paint into line with each other. As you might guess by its name, Dullcote’s sheen is flat, not at all shiny. So I will follow with a LIGHT coat of Testor’s Gloss. This give the final effect of a slight shine, (read more...)

Why do I need a hair dryer?

To swap parts, of course! Most figures consist of two kinds of plastic. ABS is the rigid plastic, usually found in torsos. PVC is more flexible, usually used for heads and limbs. (None of this is true across the board on every figure.) The idea is to soften the PVC (read more...)

Where can I find rare-earth magnets?

More magnets than you can shake a metal stick at can be found at Applied Magnets. I strongly recommend you order more than you think you need because: 1) They’re cheap. 2) You’ll go through them faster than you think. 3) If you don’t order enough, they’ll slap you with (read more...)

What about semi-gloss sprays?

When the figure is fully painted, I apply a coat of Dull Cote first, followed by a very light dusting of Testors semi-gloss. This give the figure just a tiny shine, enough to make it look like manufactured plastic, preserving the illusion! [Update] Testor’s semi-gloss has become difficult to find. (read more...)

Can I use enamel paints?

I strongly recommend against the use of any enamels. They simply don’t work well with plastic, and they rarely dry fully. Your figure will forever be tacky. (read more...)

How much time and money goes into each figure?

Well, from the initial desire to make the figure to the final product can literally take years. Sometimes I’ll want to make a character, but the means of making it won’t exist yet, or might be too costly at that time. Other times I’ll have a hard time figuring out (read more...)

How can I get vibrant, smooth colors with acrylics?

It takes planning and thinking ahead. In general, you want to paint darker colors on top of lighter colors. The quick and dirty solution would be to spray a figure with white primer, and then paint everything on top of that. But that can have some downsides. Maybe you don’t (read more...)