Bloodshot Bloodsucker
Here is a kit with a lot of Nosferattitude! Not only that, but it actually graces the Castle Gore as part of the spooky decor on the shelves of the legendary horror host's dungeon. How's it done, you ask? Well, if you are willing to cross the bridge to the Land of Phantoms, I'll show you . . .
This week our kit comes from Geometric Designs, one of the oldest monster model companies around and features one of the oldest movie monsters around, Count Orlock . . . otherwise known as Nosferatu. It is a simple bust, which means it fits nicely on a desktop or amid dozen other monster models when it is done. It also means that if you have been wanting to start the hobby, it is an easy kit to do!
Confused about a term used in this article?
Go to the
model builder's dictionary.
The first thing you have to do with a resin kit is assess what needs to be done to prepare the kit for paint. Wash it in grease cutting dish soap to remove release agents and allow it to dry. Use a hobby knife to cut away any excess resin (called flash) and in the case of a kit like the Nosferatu, use a fine grit sand paper to smooth rough skin where possible.
It is often useful to apply a light coat of sandable auto primer at this stage. It will help expose any minor flaws or areas that need filling.
There were a few little places where the bust needed attention, but most of it was simple sanding and filling. However, the kit had a small air bubble in one earlobe and needed to be amended.
After cleaning out the bubble (I ended up cutting away quite a bit), I took a two part modeling putty (Wonder Putty is the brand I use most often) and remolded the features using a toothpick and the edge of my hobby knife. Just be patient and use the other side of the face as a reference and it will all work out.
Once I had prepped the kit to the point of satisfaction, I had to make a decision about the eyes. I knew I had some glass eyes lying around that were pretty big and might fit, but it is difficult to make such a judgment reliable by "eyeballing it," so to speak. You can purchase glass eyes from taxidermy suppliers online. Try Wasco or Van Dykes.
Ideally, you would want a set of drafting or medical calipers, but if you are careful, a pair of small scissors will do. Using the points of both blades, I established the width of the eye and then quickly checked it against a ruler.
Rats! The glass eyes that I had were a little large, but overall I thought it would still work out, so I clipped off the eyeballs with a pair of cutters and drilled a 1/4 inch hole in each side. After a little widening with the hobby knife, they fit in the holes, but they looked too bulging, so I took more Wonder Putty (you can get it here) and shaped lids over top of them by pressing little strips into place with a knife blade.
Now, before beginning the paint job, I do one last preparatory step. Using a product known as a liquid masking solution (the brand name is Parma, which you can get here), I paint a couple of thin layers of the substance directly on to the eyes. This is essentially latex and will easily peel off later while protecting the eyes from primer and paint. I just wait for it to dry, hit the kit with a light blast of primer and I am ready to paint.
I used an Iwata HP-B airbrush and an air compressor set between 10-18 psi to do the base coat paint work, but it cold be done by hand if you are light with your touch. I like my Nosferatu a kind of bluish shade, so I went with a light sky blue for the base coat and a dark grayish blue around the eyes, lips and in the recesses in the cheeks, ears and head.
I use a dark reddish brown for the coat and a rusty sort of red for the ascot (the color of dried blood . . . so as not to draw unnecessary suspicion.) The sides and back of the bust are painted flat black and the whole thing is allowed to dry and then sealed with Testor's Dulcote, which you can get in cans in most hobby and craft stores.
At this point, I start working on details . . . mostly with a small brush. The buttons were painted antique gold (see finished bust). The hair around the ears and eyes gets a coat of flat black and then I drybrush a light gray over top of them and a cream color over the teeth. To drybrush, dip a small amount of paint on to the tip of your brush and pull as much as you can off of it with a rag or paper towel. Then, lightly stroke the surfaces and this will reveal the details.
You can also see that I went back over the kit with light blue at this stage, but you know, honestly, I do that sort of thing a lot. It can take a few layers and a little experimentation to get the colors blended right, so I find I go over it a few times lightly to integrate color.
Of course, this means touch ups too, but that is the way the hobby is done.
When I am finally satisfied with the basic paint job, I am anxious to see the red/orange eyes that wait beneath the paint. However, I have to spray another coat of Dulcote on it first because once I uncover the eyes, I don't want anymore spray paints or coatings on the model.
Using a toothpick, I gently push at the edges, then pull up around the sides to loosen the Parma. It works very well, but again, you may have to do a little tight touch up work if the liquid mask has covered areas you were not intending to cover.
Geometric busts come with nice silver mounting rods and resin discs and nameplates for each kit. However, I wanted something special so I used a "skull pile" cast by Buzz Works as a foundation. I simply drilled a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the metal rod and did a little touch up painting where necessary before gluing the two together with superglue.Okay--that's all there is to it.
For the beginners reading this column, let me encourage you to do more than just admire the kit and say, "I wish I could do that." With a little patience and practice, you can create admirable showpieces and more importantly, have some fun with your monster fetish. Heck, you can even do it with a creepy monster movie on in the background!
In fact, you can pick one up from us using through Paypal at $5 off the MSRP in the USA. And, you can stock up on painting and assembly basics at your local Wal-Mart (well, after all we are creating monsters) for less than $30 and start a new hobby and/collection.
Feel free to email me if you want to talk kits or need some encouragement.
The Rules:
- Actually PRACTICE your hobby. Just do it because it makes you happy and don't worry about it. Geeze . . .
- But DON'T BUY RECASTS. Artists need support to keep doing it and recasts are typically crappy anyway.
- If you want to use some of our images, cool by me . . . just credit the source as www.creaturescape.com
- If you want to link to us, knock yourself out. Use our banner if you like and contact us so we can return the favor.
- If you find an error, problem, bad link or foolish statement, let us know, but don't be a butthead.
- Support our sponsors because that is how we stay afloat.
- Support horror hosts at www.horrorhosts.com by buying their products
- Support rockabilly radio at www.rockabillyradio.net by giving them money
- Fight the power, wash behind your ears and for heaven sake, if you are surfing the web right now, take a minute to think about how cool monster models are and go immediately to our sale page and buy a kit!
© 2007 CreatureScape, All Rights Reserved Callahan