The Making of Babs Gordon
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Oops! What's that? Why nothing but a little flash - easy breezy!
A slightly different view of the underarm area. Normally this might be a pain in the, um, booty, but let's use one of Filmy's secret weapons, shall we?
A few very minor pinholes and bumps. I probably won't mess with these because they'll be hidden by her cape. Note the brass rod for handling.
Again, minor stuff that's easily fixed, but often overlooked because you can't see it if you aren't looking for it. This is one of the benefits of using a guide coat. Its also the kind of thing that - if ignored - will ding you on the contest tables. Its details like this that separate models that win Gold or Silver from those that get a Merit of a Bronze.
Here I've pinned her arms. Because of the dynamic action of pulling on her gloves, its imperative that you get everything lined up BEFORE you paint. The cuffs have to be centered perfectly or the arms will look lopsided, the the glove material must fit in between her thumb and forefinger.
Here you can see the fit a little better.
Another view showing the alignment. Check the lineup from all directions, not just from the front. Judges will look for stuff like this! Note the pinhole in the glove on her left hand.
Ahhhh, where did that seam come from? That's why I use a guide coat. See the ridges and notches on the glove? We'll fix that with some Aves.
Here you can see the gap that's caused by a combination of factors. When the sculptor cuts up the sculpt so that it can be molded and cast, material is almost always lost. This is where good engineering comes into play. The other reason for this gap is because I aligned the fingers with the pulled material from the left glove. We're gonna fxi this with a technique called mori-mori.
Gap, pin, and seam along her left breast. Nothing to it!
Now this surprises me. The rest of this kit is really well done, but to me the boots look like they were rushed. As you'll see in the next couple of pix, the seams are going to require a little work. Not a problem, but when compared to the rest of the kit, this is kinda puzzling.
Again, this looks hurried to me. The flaws are inherent in the sculpt, but the judges won't care. It has to be fixed or you'll get dinged.
Using a variety of sanding pads, paper, and nail blocks I gently remove the primer from the surface of the model. Here I'm using a 150 grit sanding pad that I cut from a larger sheet I picked up at the Big Orange Box. Note the tool marks from the sculpt as they become visible.
Here's an example of a seam that I discovered after removing some of the guide coat. I did not see this when I first looked at the kit. Note how you can see parts of the seam as it runs downward toward the lower right corner of the photo.
Its better to find and fix this sort of thing now than discover it after you've laid down your paint!
This is a foam nail block that I picked up at a beauty supply store. They come in several different grits and work wonders because they're so flexible. I love 'em!
Another view. This is pretty easy to take care of, so lets do it!
One of my secret weapons - Mr. Dissolved Putty! I picked this up in Japan while attending Wonder Festival Japan. I stocked up while I was there, but I've also purchased it at a local hobby shop here in Houston, and I know you can buy it online as well.
Using a micro brush, I glop the Mr. Dissolved Putty into and around the pinholes. I noticed after looking at this picture that I missed a couple.
A little cheese on the cape. Mr. Dissolved Putty to the rescue!
Break out a scriber and gently, CAREFULLY re-scribe the seam that runs down the back of her calf.
Remember Dymo label tape? Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (when I was a kid) my teachers used this stuff to label everything. This is a present-day version, manufactured by Scotch. Like Dymo, it is a flexible plastic tape with a nice rigid edge to it. Cut a small length off of the roll . . . .
