Tomio Tsuji’s Blog

When planning and designing a figure it’s best to work what props would go with it, to increase it’s appeal. My first production figure will be Lupic, an 11 year old robot girl. The prop which is going with this figure is a futuristic bike. As reference I’m assembling a Tamiya 1/12th Scale Honda NR .

This bike has just what I’m looking for, including enclosed exhausts rather than exposed, a sturdy frame, a single seat cushion and a V4 engine.
My bike will come with two wheel options - either 2 spokes or a filled wheel unit.

I’m designing the futuristic bike in 3D before modelling it in clay. The 3D designs will provide exact measurements and templates to work off.
Studying these part sheets is valuable in terms of seeing how a professional modelling company goes about creating cost effective pieces. Having bulky or solid resin parts increases the cost substantially. Hollowed parts brings down the final sales price, making the model more affordable to collectors and hobbyists.

I normally take a day or two to assemble a model to completion, but this time I’ll take longer as each part will be examined for detail, attachment to other parts, the ability or viability of merging parts together, how the resulting moulds will behave, in terms of reproduction, etcetra.

This reference model is also good for scaling purposes, although my futuristic bike is to be a 1/8 while this is a 1/12.

More updates on this later.

Here are a few of the drawing pens and pencils I use.

From left to right

1. Pilot Drawing Pen - DR Pigment Ink
Thicknesses - 01, 02, 03, 05, and 08
Density of black and line integrity is good.
Highly recommended for manga art and technical illustrations.

2.  Uni Pin Fine Line
Water and Fade Proof Pigment Ink
Thicknesses - 01, 02, 03, 05, and 08
Density of black is very good. Line integrity can be dodgy at low pressures.
At pressure line integrity is very good.
Highly recommended for manga art.

3. Pentel 120 A3DX 0.3mm Clutch Pencil - A313 (red clutch pencil)
Vital for artists requiring high detail. If you haven’t used a 0.3mm pencil yet, now is the time.
Highly recommended for manga art and technical illustrations.

4. Pentel Super Fine Point Permanent MF50
Super black ink, but poor line integrity.

5. .35 Rotring Rapidograph
These are normally used when airbrushing over line work. Ink is pricey.
Essential if you are working and re-working artwork and you don’t want the line art to be affected. Used for architectural and technical applications.

6. Pigma Micron 01 0.25mm (cream colored pen)
The waterproof and fade proof ink make it the pen of choice for artwork that is kept for a long time.

7.  Pilot Fineliner
Only good for scribbling.

8. Pental Pen - Green Label NMS50 Fine point Permanent Marker
Very good for large scale sketches.
Recommended.

9. Pilot v7 Hi_tecpoint 0.7 Black (With gold  on black label)
Pure liquid ink and ball ensures smooth drawing.
Excellent for cartooning.
Recommended.

10. Schwan Stabilo Point 88/46 (Yellow and white colored pen)
Only good for scribbling.

11.  Staedtler Radett 528 63 Extendable Eraser
Not bad, but I have another preferred technique for erasing pencil.

12. Staedtler Lumocolor non-permanent  F Marker
Pretty goor for cartooning.

13.  Faber-Castell Finepen 2001 Document
Bit stiff when drawing.
Not recommended

14. Pelican Liner 52 F Fine
Decent cartooning pen.

Silicone Mould Max and Catalyst

The catalyst is mixed 1/10th of the silicone being used. For professional moulds it’s best to use a vacuum machine to degass - remove the air from the silicone before it is poured. Degassing the silicone will ensure there are no air bubbles - especially near or on the detailed parts of the object. This is absolutely essential for smooth accurate moulds. Vacuum machines are affordably priced and can be obtained from a laboratory equipment retailer.

The Silicone and catalyst must be mixed thoroughly and it’s best to use cheap cups.

Wooden tongue depressors are the best for mixing the silicone and catalyst together. Chop one end off to form a straight edge.

Petroleum jelly or vaseline is essential for making two part moulds. Smearing the jelly over an object or on a silicone mould will prevent a silicone pour from adhering to the object or mould. Silicone naturally adheres to itself so a barier cream is necessary.

More about mould making later.

Epoxy Putty Resin and Epoxy Putty Hardener

Each of these tubs contain a ball of a putty-like substance.
The resin is grey and smells like window putty.
The Hardener is brown and smells like strong chlorine.
Both are mixed together in a 1-1 ratio. A face mask must be worn to prevent smelling the fumes from the hardener. It smells very dangerous. Once both are mixed the smell is reduced substantially.

After mixing, one can work with the epoxy for about 15-30 minutes. As it is solidifying it becomes more difficult to work with - large changes must be done straightaway.
As the putty is tough to work with only approximate shapes can be achieved and these will droop while it sets. Drooping lessens greatly after 30 minutes. A sphere of epoxy will form a slightly flattened base if left on a hard surface.

Detail can be added and carving of the epoxy can commence 3-4 hours after mixing. Carving is best done 3-10 hours after mixing. 10-48 hours after mixing the epoxy becomes extremely hard, just like a rock.

The primary technique of carving the epoxy is with a Dremel or similar grinding implement.
Epoxy is a frustrating material to work with, but with enough effort results can be pleasing.

Best for -

1. Objects with straight edges.
Architectural, structural shapes, clips, panels, blocks, frames, boxes.

A lot of skill and precision is needed for making anything curved, and sanding down a shape can be a laborious task.

FIMO Clay - Classic or Soft

Fimo Clay is a polymer clay and contains chemicals which allows it to solidify when baked in an ordinary oven. Once the shape has be modelled into the clay, it can be placed in an oven and baked at 130°C for 30 minutes.  The object will be rock solid, water resistant and varnish can be applied for a glossy sheen.

FIMO comes in many colors and they can be mixed together to achieve any color. When modelling figures, clothes or props it’s best to select a color that shows definition, shape and form ,well. For this reason I use Copper, Cognac and sometimes Lemon. FIMO smells like a stink beetle, ie. unpleasant. But the smell is localised and at a half arm distance the smell is hardly noticeable.

FIMO is a high-quality professional clay and very good results can be achieved.
Buying large quanitities however can be pricey but the payoff is good.
It is ideal for clothes.

Before using one has to knead the clay. Initially it will be bittyor clumpy, but a smooth workable clay is achieved after 2-4 minutes of kneading, depending how new the clay is. Old clay may be almost unuseable as the chemicals can leak out, but this is typically after a few years. Always wrap up the clay you are not using in some cling wrap or in a plastic packet.

Chavant Y2-Klay

Please see previous post for details.

2-1 Epoxies Adhesives

I will cover these in a later post.

Here’s an overview of prototyping materials.

Modelling Clay.

Characteristics -

1. Very cheap
2. Very mouldable
3. Traces of clay transfers to your fingers
4. Holding an object can make an impression or distortion
5. Smells like plastercine close-up, but no smell at half-arm distance.

Good for -

1. Quick object shaping to acquire scale
2. Basic posing (for impression only)
3. Creating walls for moulds.

Patternmakers Putty

Characteristics -

1. Holds impressions very well.
2. A wax-like consistency.
3. Translucency makes it difficult to discern object definition.
4. Medium-soft at room temperature, very soft at higher tempartures.
5. Putty transfer to fingers is rare.
6. Lots of care must be taken when handling an object as details can be soften, objects can distort, etcetra.
7. No smell. (even when close-up)

Good for -

1. Quick object shaping to acquire scale
2. Posing - handle with care, use a few wire props
3. Playing around as moulding into a shape is quick and lack of material transfer and smell make it ideal for goofing around.

Chavant’s Y2-Klay
Chavant’s Product List can be downloaded HERE.

Characteristics -

1. Very hard at low room temperatures, hard at room temperature.
2. Mouldable temperature is at 58°C.
3.  Can mould detail at 30°C, but heating up is necessary for large changes.
4. Details can be carved into surface - good detail retention.
5. Slight graining at room temperatures. ie. small pieces come off.
6. Can be smoothed with fingers, curved clay tools or water.

Good for -

1. Prototyping - one of the best materials for pre-production prototyping as object handling is safe (although care must always be taken) and detailing can be very accurate.
2. large scale final models 1/7 or 1/6 to 1/1.
Detailing a smaller scale model can be difficult or impossible.

Wire is used for delicate parts that need a framework to maintain their form, eg. fingers, hair strands, archery bows, etcetra.

Always bend the wire over and attach a blob of clay onto the end of the wire so it doesn’t poke you in the eye while handling. This can happen easily so always take the precaution.

An example of a dollfies head at initial stage of prototyping using patternmakers clay.
The shape and form is difficult to see with this medium which is why Y2-Klay is the prototyping material of choice.

In order to produce figures or vehicles with great accuracy or high detail one needs the right equipment. The following is what you need to get when starting off. Dremel 300 Series or similar. A Dremel is like a handheld angle grinder, except it takes many different bits for cutting, polishing, engraving, etcetra. It revs up to 33000 RPM.

These come with the Dremel.

These don’t come with the Dremel. You have to buy them separately. The three on the left inable one to fit bits that have varying stem diametres and are essential. The fourth and last two are for polishing surfaces. The rest are for fine detailed work.

This is a clamp for holding objects while you work on them. It also has an attachment so you can fit the Dremel to the clamp to keep it still instead.

This is a router table for the Dremel. The Dremel fits below the centre, underneath the transparent guard. Good for cutting straight edges.

Steel wire - 0.91 and 1.25 guage. 1.25 is used for joints, 0.91 for fingers. and thin pieces. Some people prefer copper wire as it’s easier to work with.
I prefer the stronger steel.

Putty scraper - used for mixing putty with the hardener.
Mini-pliers for careful bending and cutting.

Modelling Clay - cheap and soft.
Great for quickly making shapes and establishing form, but as it squishes easily, not the perfect solution. However, ideal for creating the wall for mold making.

Pattern Makers Putty - a lot like wax.
Used for capturing the detail off objects but can be used for modelling.
Excellent for establishing scale and shape - better than modelling clay although 3 times the price.
Always have to be careful when shaping as you can flatten details you previously modelled. Sometimes it’s best to stick wire into the object beforehand and hold the object using the wire when the detailing is near complete.
I like this putty a lot but the translucent and bright yellow nature does make it difficult to see the shape of the object at times.
However perfect for scaling and deciding on poses.

Hobby Knife Set.
This is used to carve the modelling putty which I’ll cover in the next post.
Always make sure the blades are as sharp as possible.

Graded sandpaper.
P800 is almost gritless. P320 has grit but won’t stick too much.

Work box for containing bits and pieces. Absolutely vital. More items to be posted shortly.

Here is a very likeable figure by Moon Toys.

She comes dressed in a Kimono but this can be taken off to reveal the above casual outfit.
Both are nicely done.

What I like about this figure ..

It’s an old world styled piece and there are not too many old themed figures around.
It’s has a real quality about it rather than a super-heroine, warrior or fantasy figure.
The face is quite charming.

What I don’t like about the figure ..

Her left arm looks slightly bent inwards.
The scooter’s handle should have some type of grip - One wonders where the accelerator is.

Summary

Excellent figure, virtually flawless detailing. Just the sort of figure to acquire to add that extra bit of variety to your collection. Highly recommended.
9.5 / 10

Where to get it ..

BeNippon $142.23 - LINK

Kid Nemo Company $127.99 - LINK

TiSinc99 $135.99 - LINK

Hobby Link Japan $122.77 - LINK

At last I have Alvis, a very sweet figure made by Alter.

Here are some Youtube videos of Alvis ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fegIjoZub7o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWdeR23xmJA

Here’s Episode 5 Part 1 & 3of Last Exile ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoWOtrPy5gs&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZU6IhAH3Ys&feature=channel_page

That’s all of the episodes I could find on Youtube, but should give you some idea of the anime.

This figure has presence on par with the best figures available.
There’s just something about her cuteness, the pose & colors that make her stand out from other figures.
I did find her to be slightly small for a 1/8 scale figure.
The head doesn’t meet the hair perfectly on the left side, but her saluting hand hides this area making it unnoticeable to anything but intense scrutiny.
Besides these two points the figure is perfect.
Well done and charming to behold.

10/10 Highly Recommended!

She’s available for a very affordable $39.95 at Otakufuel.

Buy her today at Otakufuel >> Link

As previously mentioned I’ll be posting coverage on my own figure making using clay, silicone moulds and resin casts, and painting the final assembled model.

The first step is to purchase suitable clay. Not all clay is good for making figurines.
The rule is - the harder the better. Y2-Klay (the above) has a hardness rating of 9/10, only J88 is harder at 10/10. You can hurt your knuckles if you rap the side of a roll, and one of these rolls would quite easily qualify as a blunt object in a crime scene. Clay with a hardness of 10 is normally carved, but more about that type later on.
One of these rolls weighs 800g so it has about the same density as water.

With regard to using clay, certainly with the above clay, Chavant’sY2-Klay, you can only make large scale figures. I wouldn’t attempt making a 1/8 figure. Reason is that the clay does grain - little pieces can come off when you rub or craft it. The softness of the clay means that when you slice the surface you take quite a bit off, while a hard material, corrections would be subtle and more details can be applied. The clay when bent can develop cracks.
However I thought I would start these articles with Y2-Klay as it’s ok for prototype / rough figures or large scale figures like dollfies. Just don’t expect to get high detail or flexibility on small parts - you will be disappointed. For practise this is a good medium as it’s cheaper than the professional material which I’ll reveal later, after two case studies using this and another yellow harder clay.

As this Y2-Klay is extremely difficult to mould at room temperatures, you will need to buy either a hairdryer or a heat gun. Heat guns are a lot more expensive so a dryer with a 3 step control is the best bet.

A dryer with more speed sett ings is better as they can be too windy otherwise.  3 temperature settings are essential.

Y2-Klay is totally mouldable at 58°C. But if you try to heat up a roll of clay it will take considerable time so it’s best to slice up the roll into little chips.

Of all the knives I’ve tried for cutting clay this is the one to choose.
A thin flexible knife buckles all the time. It’s difficult to achive leverage with a long knife.
Clay builds up on the the teeth of a serated knife so a rounded short knife is no. 1.

Slices with a thickness of 3mm is ok. These you can heat up quickly. Best heat them beyond mouldable temperature - can get very hot but it will cool down slower.

Once you have sliced up a whole roll or two, place the slices in a bag and fold it up to stop the clay smell from pervading your room.
Take out what you need and start working the clay into the shape you want.

To add detail the tools above are most useful.
The top one is great for cutting. The third one’s pointy end is perfect for adding lines and indentations, and the curved side of the pointy bit is the best tool for smoothing the clay, unless you choose to use water and your fingers.
The bottom one is used to create a flat area on a shape - by swiping it across at a set height you can shave off excess clay - works well.

Next part is about planning.

This figure is now available for preorder.

Toyslogic >> Link to Pre-order page

What I like about this figure -

It’s an archer.
The detail is there.
The skirt pleats and dress are very well done.
The gold trim straps on the dress are nicely moulded.
The hair piece is quite striking.
The eyes are nice.
The hand grip on the sword has accurate detail.
The color grading on the hair is very pleasant.
The sleaves and shoulder drapery is excellently executed.

What I don’t like-

The two arrow pose although unique looks clumsy.
The overall pose could have been a lot more dynamic.
The bow seems to be two colored - generally white with a bit of brown in the middle.
I would have like to have seen a difference between the string color and the bow - they seem to be one.
The silver pieces of the sword look blocky - I would have adapted the design slightly to be more refined, and the chain looks out of place.
The two round spheres drooping from the front of the shirt look odd and heavy. I would have refined these a lot or added some tapering or design work.
The swirling hair looks overdone.
The dynamics of the hair does present a problem with handling the figure.
The bow is about 30% bigger than I would have liked.

Summary

This is a decent figure. Except for a few points mentioned, the detail isn’t lacking.
There are handling concerns and cleaning or dusting the figure may be a challenge.
Overall this figures gets a thumbs up.
Recommended.