Creating Steve Largent in Real Time

[Reginald Rutledge]

It's about 6:09 pm and I am still playing "Santy Clause" to people around the world. I've got people in Australia, Turkey, Iraq, Italy, Germany and the US wanting their Christmas gifts. I thought I would have some time off to just enjoy the holiday but duty calls.

I've got orders for custom players such as Eric Dickerson, Jackie Slater, Steve Largent, Gayle Sayers, Dick Butkus, Art Donovan, just to name a few. In all, I've got about 200 custom players to create and paint by week's end. Not to mention, I've got to paint the Dolphins (72) and the 68 Jets. All in a days work!

But I've got this impending player to paint and was looking for the proper look for him. I Googled and did not find great images of him so I went to the NFL website and found an image of Max McGee catching a TD pass.

For this HOFer, Steve Largent, this was a picture complementary of his skill level.

Here goes:

1. Locate the picture of interest

[Reginald Rutledge]

2. Next, I look at stock poses most closely resembling this player. It's between the Speed Demon pose and the Freak pose. The Freak is arguably the most versatile display pose I have.

I decided on the Freak pose because his right leg is naturally extending up. the only changes I may have to make is the hands and the twisting of the uper torso and the look-back of his head.

[Reginald Rutledge]

The plastic is not hard so using this box cutter with a little pressure makes the cuts easy.

What I find that may work better for this particular figure is to cut all extremeties and re-position the player. I may have to use arms from another player because Largent's shoulders were not broad.

[Reginald Rutledge]

I will use this accelerator and glue. This can be found at your local Hobby Lobby or Michaels.

[Reginald Rutledge]

to raise the receiver higher in the air. Then apply the glue and accelerator. You will next apply the upper torso but turn it slightly for the look-back position.

[Reginald Rutledge]

Is applied with the aid of the glue. This is really simple!

[Reginald Rutledge]

The fire and ice are two resources used since the stone age! Imagine, we can still draw benefits from it today. The fire is used to bend the left leg in somewhat. The ice will be used to submerse it in water. This is a common practice in metallurgical engineering. Amazing how some of the same principles I use to ask my professor, "Why am I learning this?" is still being used today in miniature football!

[Reginald Rutledge]

Watch how the leg (left) is now in. I heated the leg with the fire and immediately put in water!

[Reginald Rutledge]

Just cut a ball from the Gunslinger pose. It's probably your easiest method. Or, form it from some chewing gum or putty. That works too. Take a piece of skinny wire. You get this at the hobby stores too. Glue the wire to the ball and spray the accelerator. Then glue the hand (palm) to the wire and used accelerator.

[Reginald Rutledge]

At this point, liberally paint the face and arms. It makes NO DIFFERENCE how much you go over the shirt lines at this point. The final touches of putting on the jersey will make that mess up easier to deal with.