Ms HotRod 2004 (a kit bash)

[redrage]

Okay here’s a kit-bash that I’m really excited about despite the fact that I’ve been working very slowly on it for over a year now. It started way back in March 2004 when the April 2004 HotRod Magazine came out. Being the Kustom Kulture freak that I am, Ms. HotRod 2004 with her HVLP gun really looked like a subject that I needed in my collection of Pin-Up figures.

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/cover-1.jpg

There were only 2 problems:

1. Such limited appeal figures would never be sculpted by any kit manufacturer even in the niche market arena of garage kits. It simply was not going to happen ever: period. Not having the cash to commission such a sculpt I looked at my other option.

2. Sculpt her myself. That leads me to the second problem: I can’t sculpt! :ninja:

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/mshotrod-1sml.jpg

I promptly filed the idea away in the part of my brain reserved for future projects where it was quickly forgotten…

(To be continued…)

[redrage]

One day while surfing I located this 1/5 scale Raychel kit and I realized that it wouldn’t be that difficult to scratch build a 1/5 scale HVLP gun and adapt the standard pose of the kit to reflect the image of “Ms HotRod” unzipping her painting coveralls. There was only one problem with my plan: the base kit was an OverDard sculpt. The only delicate way to describe the original sculpt would be to say that it was highly stylized and just a little top-heavy for my tastes. I bought it anyway thinking that I could make it work somehow…

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/sml_front.jpg
http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/sml_side.jpg

(To be continued…)

[Arieanna]

ooo can't wait to see more! :D

[redrage]

Clearly “reduction surgery” was going to be required in addition to any reposing. Although this work would represent only a small percentage of the overall figure I knew that it would have to be done well because lets face it; after reviewing the figure’s eyes and face the viewer would ultimately be drawn to her body since it is the central focus of the composition. Having never done this involved of a resculpt I was concerned that I was about to create an expensive pile of resin dust.

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/004.jpg

Oh well, since I wasn’t a huge fan of the original sculpt of her chest I hoped that anything I did would be an improvement. With that thought in mind I timidly began sanding and reshaping the original sculpt.

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/005.jpg

After a little work I thought she looked much better but clearly I wasn’t going to achieve the look I wanted by simply sanding and reshaping. I went to my old silver-smithing tool box from my college days and got out my trusty jeweler’s saw…

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/006.jpg

About 20 minutes later I had a suitable base torso to begin the rebuilding process with. :blink: There was no turning back now…

(To be continued…)

[redrage]

In addition to resculpting her chest I was going to have to remove the bustier from the original sculpt and add a bikini or bra top. (Oh goody! More stuff to sculpt) It finally began to dawn on me that this was going to be a little more involved than I initially planned on.

I began by sketching the rough shape I wanted using a soft pencil and got out some milliput white to rough things in. If I recall I did the base sculpting shown here with about 3 or 4 individual applications of milliput; it was hard to work with because the putty was soft so it was easy to distort the work I had just applied. I had to wait for it to cure and add more putty slowly. Since I am working on a finished, white resin figure as a base I assumed that using sculpy or some other "baking" clay would be out of the question.

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/007.jpg
http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/008.jpg
http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/009.jpg


(To be continued…)

[FilmMkr]

Outstanding! I'm glad to see you doing a WIP on Miss Hot Rod.

I was lucky enough to see this beauty last spring, after Red had done substantial work to her, um, bosom. I can tell you that she looks even better in person!

I dunno that I would have attempted his conversion, but then again, I'm a chicken. (Cluck-cluck!) :blink:

[ChairmanMeow]

<looks around for a whip>


Go...faster...build. :D

[Arieanna]

we're waaaaa-aaating! :wub:

[redrage]

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/crop006.jpg

Scratch built 1/5 scale hvlp gun from billet aluminum. All hand cut and formed.

“Take a ride on Heavy Metal. It’s the only way to travel down that road. I get high on Heavy Metal…”

(To be continued…)

[redrage]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a160/red_rage/raychele/PICT0161cropped.jpg

(To be continued...)

[Arieanna]

ooo she's looking good! ^^

[kaylamew]

wow she is comeing along! It was really a nice WIP to see the reduction also! way to make an overzeolous bust into a Hot Rod one! :D

[redrage]

More updates…

http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/crop1054.jpg http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/crop1061.jpg http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/crop1068.jpg http://www.gkjapan.com/gallery/files/7/crop1070.jpg

Nothing else to see here right now.

(To be continued...)

[ChairmanMeow]

Good to see she is still a go.

Nice crisp mould and moulding. HVLP gun you have scratcbuilt is an outstanding piece of work.

[Arieanna]

casting looks like it went really well. makes me even more eager to get to casting my stuff. ^^