Character Creation: Duck-Billed Platypus Part 1

By Meg Sugden 
Modelling the Character 
Once we had all of our pre-production complete I moved onto beginning to model out the characters. I used the same technique that I did for the alien and made sure that I used my character turnarounds for reference before beginning from the foot upwards. 

I started with the foot, modelling the lower leg and the first toe before adding in the other two. This was fairly difficult as the turnarounds were not quite symmetrical and I had to alter one side so that it stuck out a fair bit in order to ensure that it didn't go onto the other side of the grid; meaning that when it comes to flipping it, it becomes very easy and I can simple mirror this half of the model over hopefully without any trouble. At this point I didn't know what to do with the webbing in between the toes so I decided to leave it for now until I could ask for help.

I then worked my way further up the leg, making sure that I stuck to my references and ensuring that it didn't go over the half way point, so that it didn't mess up the model once I was mirroring it, and so far I am happy with the look of it. I then worked my way up the torso, ensuring that I made the stomach prominent and making sure that it follows the shape of the body correctly.

I then worked my way down this half of the tail of the platypus. This was quite difficult, but I managed to get it to loo okay in the end, although the turnaround again were a little off making it more difficult that it should have been. I started by adding in the basic shape of the tail before adding the finer details as this gave me a good starting point for it.

I then added more detail into the tail, adding the end part to it and then sculpting it so that it had more polygons in the tail to give it more shape.

I then worked further up the head, adding the in neck detail and moving onto adding in the beak. As he doesn't actually have eyes that stick out like normal human eyes, these were rather difficult to add in as I just had to leave a face for them to go in and hope that it will look okay when it will be textured, if not I will have to add in some form of eye later on in the modelling stage.

I added more detail into the face and ensured that the beak fit into correctly into the area and also looked good; which I am really happy with. 

I then lastly moved onto modelling the arm and hands to complete this half of the model, before adding in any further smaller details in the end. So far I am very happy with the look of him and it looks like how we wanted at the moment, the tricky part to come is when I have to add in the details like the loin cloth and the pieces of cloth attached around him.

Here is the finished arm/hand. I am extremely happy with the look to it and really think it suits the design of the character, again I haven't added in the webbing as I want to double check the best method for this before doing it.

And then here is the finished first half, without the extra details added on. I really like it and think that it conveys our chubby little character very well and gives him all the right characteristics. There are a few more details that do need adding on like the clothing, but these will be added on in the next blog post.

I then also had a quick look to see how he was looking in a smooth preview, and again it looked great and is definitely heading in the right direction.

COP 2 - Practical: Callum's Customs

With all my customs complete, and my journey from just starting out to creating new unrecognisable figures is complete, I decided to put them all on display instead of in a plastic bag in the corner and I am so glad I did, because I think they look fantastic. Although it cost alot of money, I feel it was worth it, seeing some of my favourite characters, as some very unique artwork, all together with their heights all to scale in the same style is something that is very satisfying. I really feel I can appreciate the work they do better and think I have divulged in this idea perhaps a bit too much, certainly for my budget. I am proud of my work here, and think I will keep them on display.

COP 2 - Practical: My Custom Figures

Green Lantern

I feel this was so effective because it was mostly easy to make, I found a half decent Green Lantern figure in the DC Unlimited line, I don't know why but the boots gloves and torso all had great detail, however the arms, legs and face were pretty bad. Clearly not much effort had been put in here, so I decided to buy it, take the parts I liked and put them on a Marvel Legends Gambit figure that I had painted completely black besides the head. I replaced the lower arms and lower legs before peeling off the rubbery green vest and placing it on my custom. Then I had a little hard part, I sliced off the mask from the face of one figure, and placed it on the face of the other, making the eyeholes symmetrical was especially difficult, but I feel I did id to a good level. I then gave him another quick paint job, just to tie everything together nicely and he was finished. I feel this may be my best yet, I think almost everything I have learnt was woven into this figure and the result is something I am very pleased with.

Original

COP 2 - Practical: My Custom Figures

Catwoman

This is one of my favourite pieces, I used only two figures, a Marvel Legends Storm and a ML: Amazing Spiderman 2 Black Cat figure. The full catsuit on storm already leant itself perfectly for a Catwoman body, the only problem was a lack of cleavage. Catwoman is a femme fatal, a villain who uses her sexuality and cunning to get what she wants, although she can put up one hell of a fight. As I thought this was an important part of her character, I used the Black Cat's cleavage. I took a saw to her and hacked it out, I did the same to the storm figure and placed the Black Cat's upper half in, I then removed the Black Cats hair and created a mask and Cat ears from an old Catwoman figure I had. To finish I gave her a slight paint job to cover any mess I made with glue. I think this is one of my most successful customs so far, looking feeling and having all the proportions of the character. I feel it is an accurate and brilliant representation of her and in my opinion is yet again, better than the figures they sell of her. 

Original

COP 2 - Practical: My Custom Figures

Sabertooth

I enjoyed making this one, Starting with the ML: Age of Apocalypse Sabertooth figure, I wanted to add more too him, make him more feral and animalistic, like his nature. I used part from a Marvel Legends Sandman figure, the coat from a DC Direct Rorschach doll, a mane from a Marvel Select Sabertooth figure and the barbarian features I had left over from the Hulk figure. I used these tribal necklaces to decorate the character, giving him more of a animalistic, carnivorous look. I think I have improved the figure, although this is not particularly my best work, I feel it looks sloppy and rushed compared to my other customs. 

Original

COP 2 - Practical: My Custom Figures

Supergirl 

Supergirl is a very light hearted character, bright and bubbly. I wanted to convey this but keep with my same ongoing style that I had been, I thought for this custom I would show my process so you can get a better idea of how I am doing this. Firstly I collected the figures I would need to create the character, using the top half of ML: movie fantastic four Invisible Woman, ML Elektra's boots and lower arms, and Princess Leia's legs. I cut them apart using a knife and hammer, placing the knife down before hammering it down to cut the plastic up. 

 I then used Super-Glue to put the basics together, and made her a red skirt from the same material I made Superman's cape from.

I then printed out the 'S' symbol and PVA glued it to some bent plastic, before supergluing that to her also.

I then made her cape from the material and she was complete. The process is fairly quick once you have the pieces, however it's one that takes very careful movements, one wrong cut and you could have wasted a lot of money. I think she has turned out very well, and since a decent Supergirl figure was never sold there isn't much to compare it too, however I am pleased with this one, I enjoyed using a range of materials and mixed media techniques to get the result I wanted.

COP 2 - Practical: My Custom Figures

DareDevil

I feel Daredevil is essentially Marvels answer to Batman, despite the gadgets. However he is mostly shown in a completely red outfit, which I am not a fan of. So I opted for a more recent design that has been released for him, something I feel suits him much better. Since I saw many similarities between him and Batman, I decided to use the same starting point, I used a Marvel Legends Captain America's gloves and boots, to add red, and brown buckles and belts to toughen him up, also from the Captain America figure, I then removed the Black Panthers ears, and stuck them in a more front and central position, to look like little devil horns. Now for the hard part. I carved out the bottom half of the head, leaving the cheeks in, and did the same technique to a Lord of the Rings figure, so I could match both halves of the faces together to create his mask. I then painted the horns, eyes and logo onto the figure to finish, and I was very impressed with the result. I feel I have created a better DareDevil figure than the studio could produce, and without using any parts of a DareDevil figure to make it.

Original

COP 2 - Practical: My Custom Figures

Magneto

Magneto has a very interesting history, as a young Jewish boy being subject to Nazi Germany, losing his parents and finding his powers at the time. In a world were people discriminate against mutants (Humans born with Super-powers) he fights for the rule of Mutants over humanity, and wants to wipe out humans, as he believes mutants are the superior beings, which is all ironically very Nazi. I wanted to show this Nazi side to him in my designs, but without hinting at it too far. I liked the ML: Xmen Classics Magneto figure, as he was nor too old or too young, and his very angular costume looks quite Nazi-esc. Although I do think the figure looks too small and fragile for Magneto, who is this big bad of the Xmen. I used parts of the Xmen Classics Magneto and Juggernaut, to give him heavier boots and gloves and add some much need red into his costume, I also used parts of the Marvel Select Magneto, as I thought the purple rim was quite signature for him. I then re-painted over my mistakes and sharpened everything up. I think my gaining skill share becoming ever present in my final results.

Origninal