Dark Horse 1x4 scale Model Figure Nova Alien Dancer
Original Character created with Dark Horse. 38mm 1x4 Figure, She is based on Farrah Fawcett, Pamela Anderson and Victoria Vitre with inspiration by Boris Valejo and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
She is more of a figurine than a model kit, in my opinion, with just her right arm to attach, (not including my customisation or the diarama base).
Cast in resin, her head, shoulders and left arm are solid, however, the rest from the waist down is hollow cast, with a thinning of the resin in places that required filling due to holes, so, not a great quality cast kit!
There was also the usual case of air bubbles and pin holes, with some details lost, such as the tip of the nose, one of the eyelashes and finger tips.
I replaced the missing areas with 2 part epoxy resin and superglue, sanding and blending until complete.
Additions for her species are;
plastic fins on the sides of her fore-arms and calfs and a tail made from tapered 6mm pvc piping with copper wire insert for posing and attachment, the tip is a plastic dart, cut down and reshaped to a point.
For her skin, once thoroughly cleaned, I applied several coats of olive green semi-matt enamel, which is the base colour, then, when properly cured, I sanded it to a smooth finish. (This served to fill any pin holes, and seams etc. and to provide the green hue of her skin, it was easier to sand than the resin, also, when applied by brush, the paint contains impurities that require sanding to give a perfectly smooth finish)
Once all repairs and the base coat was completed, I then applied the cream flesh colour, gave a light sanding, then, to complete the skin tone, applied a wash of the olive green to the recesses and hollows of her skin and finally, a black wash to creases and deeper hollows.
(For the paint washes, the paints are thinned and applied with white spirit)
I pre-painted and completed her head, face and arm in the same process, (leaving the stump bare on her arm for joining), along with her tail assembly.
Her hair is achieved by firstly adding and sculpting epoxy resin to the casting, (I wanted the Faharra "big hair" look!), then applying golden yellow base coat with matt brown streaking and a brown wash for the lines of shading, then white dry brushed highlights.
Her eyebrows are done in the same gold yellow with white highlights.
Her eyes are green/white with metallic gold irises and brush bristles to make pupils, then clear acrylic coated to seal them on.
Her nose has holes instead of nostrils and I put three small holes next to her eyebrows.
Her lips and eyeliner are metallic gold with acrylic seal.
Once her skin is complete, I proceed with her jewelry and accessories.
I cut down the gun sculpted in her right hand and reshaped it to look a more futuristic weapon
.
Her cloth is painted to resemble velvet, with red metallic and black wash shading.
Shoes are painted with acrylic metallic gold and sealed with acrylic clear gloss.
Her nails are cut to shape gold plastic from trimmings.
Bangles and rings are brass wire and keyring wire with tin.
Her body jewelry is made from food tins, pressed and cut into shape.
I chose this because there is already a light gold coating on the tin, I wanted the metal to look different to earth's gold, lighter, more of an alien alloy and the finish is much better than metallic paint, which tends to fade and discolour with time. Tin is fairly easy to bend into shape and file down (but very sharp and hazardous to work with, I cut myself several times!!)
I used a teaspoon and plasticine to press the tin into the required shapes, then cut and filed as necessary to finish, being careful not to scratch the surfaces. After fitting, all the tin pieces are sealed with clear gloss enamel varnish.
(A lot of trouble, but well worth the result!)
For assembly, I had to complete a diarama, because the figure is leaning on something, not free standing. (with the kit comes a resin base and screen in two pieces which she is designed to be resting on.
The base and screen were poorly cast and flimsy, so I discarded them.)
I decided to replace this with railings. (using standard towel rail for the pillar and fixtures cut down for the rails)
I had to drill a hole in the cross rail to take a pin in her arm.
Once the stand was complete, I used two part epoxy resin to join her arm along with a cut down nail inserted in the stumps for strength.
Her arm band jewellery covers the join seam. Before the epoxy set, I had to line up her arm and the pin to the hole in the rail to secure her.
She is also pinned to the base with a brass nail.
The base is a baking tray mounted on a plastic chopping board which is the base for the case attachment.
I bolted the pillar through the tray.
Original Character created with Dark Horse. 38mm 1x4 Figure, She is based on Farrah Fawcett, Pamela Anderson and Victoria Vitre with inspiration by Boris Valejo and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
She is more of a figurine than a model kit, in my opinion, with just her right arm to attach, (not including my customisation or the diarama base).
Cast in resin, her head, shoulders and left arm are solid, however, the rest from the waist down is hollow cast, with a thinning of the resin in places that required filling due to holes, so, not a great quality cast kit!
There was also the usual case of air bubbles and pin holes, with some details lost, such as the tip of the nose, one of the eyelashes and finger tips.
I replaced the missing areas with 2 part epoxy resin and superglue, sanding and blending until complete.
Additions for her species are;
plastic fins on the sides of her fore-arms and calfs and a tail made from tapered 6mm pvc piping with copper wire insert for posing and attachment, the tip is a plastic dart, cut down and reshaped to a point.
For her skin, once thoroughly cleaned, I applied several coats of olive green semi-matt enamel, which is the base colour, then, when properly cured, I sanded it to a smooth finish. (This served to fill any pin holes, and seams etc. and to provide the green hue of her skin, it was easier to sand than the resin, also, when applied by brush, the paint contains impurities that require sanding to give a perfectly smooth finish)
Once all repairs and the base coat was completed, I then applied the cream flesh colour, gave a light sanding, then, to complete the skin tone, applied a wash of the olive green to the recesses and hollows of her skin and finally, a black wash to creases and deeper hollows.
(For the paint washes, the paints are thinned and applied with white spirit)
I pre-painted and completed her head, face and arm in the same process, (leaving the stump bare on her arm for joining), along with her tail assembly.
Her hair is achieved by firstly adding and sculpting epoxy resin to the casting, (I wanted the Faharra "big hair" look!), then applying golden yellow base coat with matt brown streaking and a brown wash for the lines of shading, then white dry brushed highlights.
Her eyebrows are done in the same gold yellow with white highlights.
Her eyes are green/white with metallic gold irises and brush bristles to make pupils, then clear acrylic coated to seal them on.
Her nose has holes instead of nostrils and I put three small holes next to her eyebrows.
Her lips and eyeliner are metallic gold with acrylic seal.
Once her skin is complete, I proceed with her jewelry and accessories.
I cut down the gun sculpted in her right hand and reshaped it to look a more futuristic weapon
.
Her cloth is painted to resemble velvet, with red metallic and black wash shading.
Shoes are painted with acrylic metallic gold and sealed with acrylic clear gloss.
Her nails are cut to shape gold plastic from trimmings.
Bangles and rings are brass wire and keyring wire with tin.
Her body jewelry is made from food tins, pressed and cut into shape.
I chose this because there is already a light gold coating on the tin, I wanted the metal to look different to earth's gold, lighter, more of an alien alloy and the finish is much better than metallic paint, which tends to fade and discolour with time. Tin is fairly easy to bend into shape and file down (but very sharp and hazardous to work with, I cut myself several times!!)
I used a teaspoon and plasticine to press the tin into the required shapes, then cut and filed as necessary to finish, being careful not to scratch the surfaces. After fitting, all the tin pieces are sealed with clear gloss enamel varnish.
(A lot of trouble, but well worth the result!)
For assembly, I had to complete a diarama, because the figure is leaning on something, not free standing. (with the kit comes a resin base and screen in two pieces which she is designed to be resting on.
The base and screen were poorly cast and flimsy, so I discarded them.)
I decided to replace this with railings. (using standard towel rail for the pillar and fixtures cut down for the rails)
I had to drill a hole in the cross rail to take a pin in her arm.
Once the stand was complete, I used two part epoxy resin to join her arm along with a cut down nail inserted in the stumps for strength.
Her arm band jewellery covers the join seam. Before the epoxy set, I had to line up her arm and the pin to the hole in the rail to secure her.
She is also pinned to the base with a brass nail.
The base is a baking tray mounted on a plastic chopping board which is the base for the case attachment.
I bolted the pillar through the tray.
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