Niners Defense : custom, sculpt, paint
 

Hi,

So my next project is to complete my Niners team, doing the defensive squad.

This time, the work will be a little diferent : I'll make the 11 players in the same time (the offense has been done in three stages : first try with line center, then linemen, then scorers).

I'm currently googling to find the names and pics of the starting players for each defense position...Remember I'm french, so... I don't know every player :rtfl:


For that project, I'll use FF.net stock poses and custom poses, then as usual I'll resculpt some things (helmet, arms muscles, bellies, faces).

The faces will be done the easy way, with xacto sculpting to speed up the job.

The jersey numbers will be printed on decal paper, it will be my first try for home made decals. The goal is to speed up the team setting, once again.

Finally, my goal is to finish that team during holidays/beginning of january. After that, I have to complete a steelers team for the 20th january (my brother's birthday).


To be continued...

Do you have any plans for what players you will use for each position?

I keep it simple !
 

I simply refer to the position chart Reginald made on his website :

http://footballfigure.net/StockPlayer_2.html

Then, I search for photos on internet for each player I want to reproduce, and compare to the stock FF.net figure. Then, I make the adjustements needed (sometimes I completly rebuild the fig ! ), or even let the figure in stock position, directly out of the bag.

I'm always searching for two things, even if I 'm still unexperienced in gaming : making the figure good looking BUT eficient on the field : so I stay away from too dynamic or exotic poses.


Finally, for the "real" players choice, here again I keep it simple, and simply use the starting squads 2009 roster ;)


Dimitri

Good luck
 

You are amazing with how you are so organized. Keep up the outstanding work. I also use photos of players when i do a team for someone, or myself. Even though i remember basically what they looked like,I like to see a photo of them to keep it real. Thanks for the passion you bring to this great hobby. thmbsp$ thmbsp$ thmbsp$ thmbsp$ ppls$ ppls$ ppls$ ppls$

Dimitri if you need any help with the roster
 

you give Ol' Nat'l a holla................

I will steer you in the right direction.

Like Frank said, you are so organized....LOL

keep churning out top notch work, you have helped elevate our hobby!!!!



Nat'l

thank you both ! thmbsp$

For the roster, yesterday evening, I made my squad, you'll tell me if I'm right :


first line :

Isaac Sopoaga #90 , defensive end (left)
Aubrayo Franklin #92 nose tackle (center)
Justin Smith #94 defensive end (right)



second line :

Manny Lawson #99 outside linebacker (left)
Takeo Spikes #51 middle linebacker (left)
Patrick Willis #52 middle linebacker (right)
Parys Haralson #98 outside linebacker (right)



third line :

Dre Bly #31 cornerback (left)
Dashon Goldson #38 free safety
Michael Lewis #32 strong safety
Shawntae Spencer #36 cornerback (right)


Am I right ?

No spencer
 

Nate Clements is our 80 million dollar man, and was off to a pro bowl type of season til he was sidelined by an injury!!!

Nate Clements #22 is the starting CB

You are okay with Bly at the other spot, but he is actually behind
Walt Harris who went out in pre-season. But Harris is as old as I am, and won't be around much longer.

I think #25 will be the other starter....(can't think of his name tho:dohdh: )


You are good tho, just take out spencer & put in #22 Clements


Nat'l

PS

Do a heckuva job on #52 Willis, he is the best LB in football right now!

OK, thank you thmbsp$


I'll do my best ;)

I'm not fat, I just have heavy bones
 

Hi,

To pass time before Christmas dinner, I made my first figures rough customizing. I listed the bare figures I used, and modifications I made, perhaps it will be helpfull for beginners.

From left to right :

justin smith (def right end) ff.net def. right end
chest


aubrayo franklin (nose tackle) ff.net def. left tackle
legs (heating/bending), chest

Isaac Sopoaga (def left end) ff.net def. left end
legs, right hand, right arm, head, chest, left arm


to be continued ! I'll try to make the complete rough customization before dinner. Tommorow, I'll make first sculpting stuff and try to have all the figs ready to paint sunday.


Dimitri

Deuxieme ligne !
 

Here 's the second line of figs, from left to right :



Parys Haralson #98 outside linebacker (right) ff.net right LB
chest, right arm, right hand

Patrick Willis #52 middle linebacker (right) ff.net middle LB
legs, left arm, left hand


Takeo Spikes #51 middle linebacker (left) ff.net def RT
chest, head


Manny Lawson #99 outside linebacker (left) ff.net left LB
stock version


to be continued...

Last figs
 

And to conclude, the last customized figures, also from left to right :


Nate Clements #22 cornerback (right) ff.net def tackle (I guess)
legs, chest, arms, head



Michael Lewis #32 strong safety ff.net free safety mixed with strong safety
legs, right arm, chest, head



Dashon Goldson #38 free safety ff.net strong safety mixed with free safety
legs, chest, head


Dre Bly #31 cornerback (left) ff.net left cornerback
legs spacing (stance)

modifications
 

Today before Christmas lunch with my brother, his girlfriend and my mother I made a little modelling to change my mind. Here's the power of creative hobbies, I believe.

I modified some of my figs, trying to make them theorically more eficient on the "battlefield".

I modified my left defensive end, to make his right arm more inside. First, I thought to make his arms more open, but I'd certainly loose some accuracy for loop blitzing/pressure for example because of his arm. The figure itself is placed on the bottom of the plateform, so the figure will mainly make it job by the base (round proline for blitz, square proline for block) without fig interference.

So I came back to a classic "push" position, more "boring", but...


Then I modified my free safety. The pose was pretty cool IMHO, but the figure was clearly unbalanced to the right. To make a more usefull figure, I remove the stance so the gravity center of the fig should be better centered.


Here's the attached pics. Sorry for the pics quality, my camera doesn't work great with plain white things.



Dimitri

face sculpting
 

Hi,

this afternoon I sculpted the faces of my defense squad. Technic is simple, just use an Xacto, then put a lighter on faces to remove little flashes of plastic. It 's also a good way to smooth the sculpting (making noses rounder, for example).


Now, I'll attack the anatomy sculpting. I'd wanted to go fishing this afternoon, because it's sunny (and my fishing license expire the 31 december!) and wanted to take a breath, but my "fishing friend" doesn't answer to phone calls and I don't want to go fishing alone :(

SO...I'll work on the figs. Hopefully modelling hobbies exists to pass time ;)

Belly sculpting
 

The "fatization" of the first line has been done ! I 've done them not so fat, by the way. But the real athletes are not so fat also (but quite big). SO I kept them relatively thin.

And to be honest, if you make them too fat, you have to re-do the entire chest to make it looks right and proportioned (look my first WIP on offense squad)...Since I'm in a "speed customizing process", I try to make as less sculpting as possible.

Now, I have to do the arms muscles (and bigger hips for some of them, really too thin for their position) on the 11 players.

I don't know if I'll make the sculpted chinstraps, this time. It's long and boring. The result is good, but I believe the technic is more adapted to "one shot" showcase figures.


to be continued !

oups...
 

I made a mistake, I "fatized" the wrong figure (the one in center : it's my left MLB) :D

The doctors proceeded to a little liposuction on him...

ppls$ ppls$ ppls$ nice , good catch, cant have too heavy linebacker.:D

thank you !
 

The completed squad has been fixed with green stuff modelling paste. Since the paste is very sticky, it's also a good way to reinforce the weak parts of the figs I cutted off.



Now I have to make the improvement sculpting (muscles, hair, details).


Dimitri

muscles
 

Hi,

This morning I started the muscles sculpting. I made my two middle line backers and my free safety (in the center of the pic). You can also see that the MLB on left needed the biggest sculpting work of all the squad.

As usual, my athletes seems to come from a super heroes comic book or a pro wrestling team...I think it's fun that way !


Tonight I'll finish all the muscles, then I'll be ready for painting.

five more figs
 

Now, there is 3 figs left to sculpt...I keep the right corner back for the last, to give it a special attention (since National said me that it was THE defense big star in that team).


Here's a little pic of the WIP. Nose tackle and left end are quite huge, even compared to the other muscles men in the team.

Sigh!
 

I can't seem to get my team's muscles to look like that. Mine end up looking like knots on a stick. :rtfl:

all is about good tools
 

You know Don, with the good tools and paste, that type of customizing can be easier than you might think.

Here 's a little pic of the only tools I need to make that muscles. A metal sculpting tool (quite expensive when I bought it, about 30USD, but now it's easier and a lot cheaper to find since a lot of wargame minis companies sell modelling tools) to make the rough shape, then I finish the job with a "colour shaper" wich is a rubber/silicone brush.

The paste is some "green stuff" also called "duro" or "kneadatite". Easy to find in wargames/minis hobby store or eb*y.

The other thing is to try to "read" the figure before making the muscles. Even if you're not a anatomic specialist (I'm not one too), simply try to follow the natural line of your figs arms. A straight arm will not be the same than a bended arm.


The last key is to practice, again and again. Like all other things in the world, and even if some people are more gifted than other, with hard work anyone can obtain good results IMHO.

Hope it helps !

muscles stage completed
 

Hi,

I finished the muscles sculpting ! Now I just have to make Sopoaga hair, and the figs will be ready for undercoating.

I didn't make any sculpted chinstraps...make me save about 1 day of work :eek:


Here 's some pics. The 2 first figs : cornerbacks (1: right 2: left), the third : strong safety.

Dmitri, I have those exact same tools. I'm going to have to listen to you and practice, practice, practice. thmbsp$

Like we say in France...
 

AU BOULOT, DON ! :D

hair cuts
 

Hi,

TOnight I made the hair cuts of the long haired athletes.

I did sopoaga (first pic) and Goldson (second pic) hair cut. If some 49ers specialist knows other long haired defense players (see my roster in first page of the topic), please indicate it thmbsp$

you are going to have to test those guys for major steroids!

they look awesome!

they 've got a famous soviet doctor...Doctor Frankeinsteroid ! :rtfl:

Undercoat
 

Hi,

the figures has been undercoated this afternoon. More or less undercoated, I should say, since I didn't have enough spray undercoat to cover them perfectly. But anyway, I'll just make more paint coats :D


to be continued (tommorow, when the coating will be dried). After all, perhaps I'll achieve my objective (to finish the whole defense squad before 2010) !

speed painting
 

Hi,

today I started the painting of the figs. I'm trying to make it as fast as I can ;)


As usual, I'm making the skin the easy way. So I 'm making one tone for white skin, one tone for black skin and one tone for taned skin ( Sopoaga, wich is certainly from fidji island or something like that, I presume).


I think I'll achieve the basic coats tonight, and tommorow, I'll make the effects (highlights, shades, etc...)

I have to design and print some decals too. By the way, I'll paint the defense team in the "conventional" white "away" jersey, to make it simplier to play.




to be continued...

First 2 coats has been done. Now, I'll paint the jerseys, socks and shoes ;)


Here's a little pic of the Hulks ! It's my idea of good defense : intimidating :D

I'm "half-joking" (not sure of the expression...) : as a former wargamer, sometimes impressive pieces make great things on the battlefield, only because the opponent will be focused on them.

So the same in MF I hope ! Put an impressive defensive line, and the opponent will be afraid for his QB integrity, and so, will modify his schemes to protect him for example....etc, etc....you get the idea :D

I posed first washes on pants, first jersey coat !

After 4 coats (ouch!), the white jersey are done. I started to paint the helmets too.

speed painting part 2
 

HI,

Today I painted :

helmets, base coated chinstraps and helmet details. Need to make the helmet stripes and logos, and eyes.

pin stripping between arms and jerseys, pants and jersey, pants and socks : completed. Need to make last details (necks).

The pants, socks and shoes : completed

The arms, arms details and gloves : completed

the hairs : base coated completed

I need to do the numbers too...Tomorrow I'll make a try with the decals paper I've got.

detailed pics
 

Some details pics before I go to bed !

(since the figures are showed from front side, they are inversed from left to right = sopoaga is on the right side of the pic, smith on the left, etc, etc...)


First pic :

Isaac Sopoaga #90 , defensive end (left)
Aubrayo Franklin #92 nose tackle (center)
Justin Smith #94 defensive end (right)


Second pic :

Manny Lawson #99 outside linebacker (left)
Takeo Spikes #51 middle linebacker (left)
Patrick Willis #52 middle linebacker (right)
Parys Haralson #98 outside linebacker (right)



Third pic :

Dre Bly #31 cornerback (left)
Dashon Goldson #38 free safety
Michael Lewis #32 strong safety
Nate Clements #22 cornerback (right)

making decals
 

Finally, it's not so hard to do...I achieved a really decent result with only a free software (INkscape) and a cheap inkjet printer. See the result in the attached pics !

Great!
 

Now how do you print out white numbers?

The only way to print white is to be a pro and have a pro printer with white ink...

For us (hobbyists), the only way to print white numbers is to use white decal paper, and print around the number to match the jersey color. In one word, in the graphics software, you make a rear layer of the jersey color, and pose white numbers in a front layer. Then, you print it on white decals paper so in fact you'll print around the number, making the illusion you printed in white.

The trick is to match the jersey painted color with your printed job... ;) What I would do : I'd scan a piece of paper with some jersey paint on it, then pickup the color in the graphics software. So the result should be pretty similar to the paint...but it's not an exact science if you don't have real pro tools.

It's why pro print graphic designers 's got 5inks print machines, and calibrated screens ;)

last painting before decals
 

Hi,

Waiting for the decals drying, I'm painting the last details on the figs.

I made the eyes and mouth, chinstraps (fake chinstraps : I just painted them, but it's look like pretty good), helmet details.

Now I just have to split with white the red stripes on jersey (to make it look like 2 very fine red stripes), and make the helmet stripes too.

The numbers and logos will be made with decals ! thmbsp$


Another new technic I tried, is to partially varnish the fig : so I have many less fixes to do at the end (since I often remove some paint with my big fingers). You can see my mat varnish (Vallejo Game Color) is quite "satin" effect, especially with bright light.

decals
 

What decal paper did you use?

I can't tell you the brand for now. It's a french friend of mine who gave me a couple of sheets. I know it's decal paper dedicated to inkjet printers : I'll ask him what brand it is tonight. ;)

THe printer is very important too, I believe; I made some tries with my old printer (epson, but I can't remember the reference) a few months ago, without any good result. Today everything worked great on first try with the HP printer. I don't know why :D


On the HP settings, I set up the paper type to "gloss paper". On other printers, I believe you should choose "photo paper", coated paper, or something like that.