# Unbelievable custom Frank on eebay



## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

It's not often I'm stunned speechless by custom jobs, but this one did.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRANKENSTEI...838?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c22986486

Don't know who did this but Sir, my hat is off to you!


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## Frankie Boy (Feb 28, 2002)

Wow! That _is_ worth pointing out.

The custom base is excellent, but what I really like are the arms. I think the model actually looks better with the arms slightly lowered the way they are.
Which begs the question: Would the modeller have been able to accomplish that without any resculpting or having to make use of a bunch of putty?

It's been a long time since I've built a Frankenstein (although I have one sitting in a box) I can't remember if the arms are capable of being repositioned like that or if there are locator pins that would require you to put them in the traditional position. Although if there were only locator pins in the way they could easily enough be removed, and then I suppose you could reposition away.


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## wolfman66 (Feb 18, 2006)

Sadly this kit you posted of a auction was painted up by a well known Recaster better known on the UMA bOARD AS dIRTYHORSE.


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

I had NO idea. Mods, feel free to delete this thread if you like, I accept Wolfie's word on this.


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## wolfman66 (Feb 18, 2006)

frankenstyrene said:


> I had NO idea. Mods, feel free to delete this thread if you like, I accept Wolfie's word on this.


 No Problem you didnt know:dude:!Just hate to see anyone get burned by this guy.


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## Stoney-VA (Oct 19, 2011)

Gee Whiz,

I'm glad you guys were able to point this out. I was almost ready to hit the Buy It Now button. I went back and looked some more and it seems that you can buy kits like this for about $20.00 on e-bay. What a relief.


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## Night-Owl (Mar 17, 2000)

It is a cool looking build up.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Frankie Boy said:


> The custom base is excellent, but what I really like are the arms. I think the model actually looks better with the arms slightly lowered the way they are.
> Which begs the question: Would the modeller have been able to accomplish that without any resculpting or having to make use of a bunch of putty?


I don't think so. It's been a long time since I've built one as well, but I recall the joints where the arms meet the shoulders being very specifically shaped. If I _am_ remembering correctly, even a slight adjustment would require some resculpting and at least more putty than would usually be required to simply hide the seam.

Regardless, based on those photos it looks like the modeler (whoever he/she is) did a nice job of it; someone unfamiliar with the kit probably wouldn't even know the arms had been adjusted or that the base had been so heavily modified.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Someone else here on this board did a custom conversion where they lowered the arms. As with most figures you have to do some filling and sanding.


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## IanWilkinson (Apr 23, 2010)

Great paint job and kitbash!... i cant understand why anyone would want to recast a plastic Franky kit?.. or is the seller a recaster?...


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

IanWilkinson said:


> Great paint job and kitbash!... i cant understand why anyone would want to recast a plastic Franky kit?.. or is the seller a recaster?...


Hey Ian, I think Wolfie means the guy produces recasts and offers them for sale on UMA site. It definitely wouldn't be worth recasting one of these Frankensteins that you can buy all over the place for a few bucks. Saying that though, the build is very nice and the mods make it much better than a straight kit build. I don't know though if he will get anyone to pay for it as his price is relatively high, at least in my mind. I'm going to watch and see if he sells it out of curiosity.


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

Well, just on the merits of the kit: The guy's skill is way out of my league but the only thing I would have done different is turn the head slightly to either side and have the arms swinging a bit more naturally, opposite the motion of the legs, to make it look even more lifelike than it already does. But still, it's a 10/10. I can't get over the paintslap on the headstone...too cool.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

I know that most of you guys are just average builders, and painters of this type of medium, but this kit is in my PROFESSIONAL OPINION is par as far as kits like this go. I've seen a LOT better by lesser known people on other forums including this one. Whoever did this used a lot of the same colour overall without any variation to it. This is mostly dry brushed, and lightly so to give it the overall treatment without any other highlights. Very average as far as decoration in my book. As I said before - I've seen better because I HAVE! This is WAY OVER PRICED. Anyone could make a stand for this, and sculpt their own gravestone, and other details, but the paint job is nothing to write home about as far as I'm concerned. 

I may be biased since I cut my teeth on painting figure kits long before I ever got good at anything else. I went to college on a special youth program for gifted artists. This is the first time I ever sculpted anything. I learned a lot there. Anyway, this is a very average buildup - not studio quality by any means, but still nice to look at, but I wouldn't buy it at any price. As you can see - the ground, the gravestone, and the figures' clothing are all the same basic hue, as if they didn't know what colour these things should've been in person. I'm going to guess that they were trying to make this look like a black and white photo render instead of colour? JUST MY OPINION. :tongue::roll:


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## Frankie Boy (Feb 28, 2002)

Dyonisis said:


> I may be biased since I cut my teeth on painting figure kits ... As you can see - the ground, the gravestone, and the figures' clothing are all the same basic hue, as if they didn't know what colour these things should've been in person. I'm going to guess that they were trying to make this look like a black and white photo render instead of colour?


That's a rather odd ending? If you're guessing that they were going for a B&W photo rendering — which seems like a pretty good guess to make, and if not that specifically, then how about that they were trying for a monochromatic treatment at least (also a reasonable guess, I would think) — then why make the criticism that it looks "as if they didn't know what colour these things should've been ...".


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## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

I always did think highly of the Aurora Frankenstein sculpt.Not perfect,but still relatively good.Just shows what you can do with simple modifications to the base,and a terrific paint job.A little imagination sure goes a long way.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Wow.........


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Dyonisis said:


> ...I may be biased since I cut my teeth on painting figure kits long before I ever got good at anything else...


Dyonisis,

Sounds like you know your stuff. I didn't see any posts in the members Photo Album; anyplace else we could see some of your work?


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## aurora fan (Jan 18, 1999)

The artist did a great job. Thanks for posting. Better than Ive been able to do in many attempts but Ive only been at this for 40 some years. Love to see your work, Dy. :thumbsup:


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Frankie Boy said:


> That's a rather odd ending? If you're guessing that they were going for a B&W photo rendering — which seems like a pretty good guess to make, and if not that specifically, then how about that they were trying for a monochromatic treatment at least (also a reasonable guess, I would think) — then why make the criticism that it looks "as if they didn't know what colour these things should've been ...".


OK. I see your point. I don't always word things the way I'm thinking them. What I meant to say was that it looks as though this was idealised as to what it would've looked like while filming, but that they weren't sure since there are no colour photos of this. I would've just done everything in gray scale with varying hues of black, gray, and white. It seems that it would make more sense rather than to paint it the way they did with half gray scale, (flesh parts) and half colour. I should've said it like that, but it was late, and I wasn't thinking too clearly. 



Mark McGovern said:


> Dyonisis,
> 
> Sounds like you know your stuff. I didn't see any posts in the members Photo Album; anyplace else we could see some of your work?


 I'm up on modelermagic.com I don't have the link. I painted the Terminator figure, and made the weapons in the pictures. I realized that the shotgun was missing something since it didn't look right. I was so impressed with the quality of the wood finish on the stock that I completely overlooked the fact the barrel should've been there until after I took these pics. I've since changed this to have a separate barrel, and pump tube. Now it's correct. This was a commission for "Coffee Addict", but he never paid. It sits on top of my T.V. set now. I tried selling it, but no takers despite all the hard work I did to make this as realistic as I could. I posted it here, but that thread is now long gone. I have a Darth Vader that I need to make a cape for, and a stormtrooper that might need a repaint since the colour is more off white now than it was thirteen years ago. I'll post pics of these as soon as I can get to it. 

~ Chris​


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## Frankie Boy (Feb 28, 2002)

Dyonisis said:


> What I meant to say was that it looks as though this was idealised as to what it would've looked like while filming, but that they weren't sure since there are no colour photos of this. I would've just done everything in gray scale with varying hues of black, gray, and white. It seems that it would make more sense rather than to paint it the way they did with half gray scale, (flesh parts) and half colour. I should've said it like that, but it was late, and I wasn't thinking too clearly.


I understand what you're saying, or were trying to say, but I didn't/don't see it that way at all. I took it that they were doing a monochromatic thing - in sepia, if you will - not in a grey scale, but rather a brown scale. The jacket, the pants, the grass are all in browns. Thus, the flesh tones are in keeping the sepia/brown monochrome. The only non-brown scale variants to that are the neck bolts, the skull clamps, and the arm brace, which are in silver ... and taken on the whole are rather inconsequential with respect to the overall colour scheme.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

I did this just for you, and no one else. I respect what you're saying, and I understand. This TRUE sepia - I did this on photobucket with their software. This way you can see the difference. It hit me like a brick wall when I went on the site - maybe they were going for a coloursplash effect? Otherwise there would be all brown shades - no silver, or black, gray, etc. Either way, you see what I mean now.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

..............................................................................................................................................................................................


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

Dyonisis said:


> Here's the link to my build. I can't find the thread here, so it must be buried. It's too bad, since I posted in progress shots with it.


Here is your original thread relating to that project.

*T-800 Terminator (Finished)*
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=29670


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

Dyonisis said:


> I know that most of you guys are just average builders, and painters...but this kit is in my PROFESSIONAL OPINION is par as far as kits like this go... Very average as far as decoration in my book...the paint job is nothing to write home about as far as I'm concerned. ...I went to college on a special youth program for gifted artists...Anyway, this is a very average buildup - not studio quality by any means...



Having followed the links to your Terminator, Dyonisis, I think that your judgements aren't very well supported.


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Cro-Magnon Man said:


> Having followed the links to your Terminator, Dyonisis, I think that your judgements aren't very well supported.


 So far you're the only one who thinks so. I haven't heard this from anyone else on any of the forums that I posted this on until now. I suppose you could do better?


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

...pride goeth before a fall Dionysis.....
I was also a "professional" modeller. I did it for over 20 years, yet I consider myself an average modeller. Some of the builds here on HT easily blow my stuff out of the water! If you want to check out some of my stuff look in my photos.
Do you have more of your work that we can see?? No offense- I think your Terminator's pretty good but I wouldn't call it outstanding...
This Frankie's excellent IMHO. It's a real pity that the guy's a recaster....

Chris.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

xsavoie said:


> I always did think highly of the Aurora Frankenstein sculpt. Not perfect,but still relatively good.


I concur. It's clearly based on the Monster's appearance in _The Bride of Frankenstein_ rather than _Frankenstein_, but out of all of Aurora's kits based on movie monsters it's arguably the best likeness when compared to what was seen on screen. I know a lot of modelers were disappointed that it didn't look like the box art, but I've always liked the fact that it resembled Karloff as the Monster.


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

Once again I apologize for the existence of this thread.


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## Frankie Boy (Feb 28, 2002)

Dyonisis: I not sure what the sepia overlay is supposed to prove — it's an overlay on an already painted model. I can can see the difference you created, but not the point you're trying to make. And I did say "... sepia, _if you will_." The far more important description I offered was "a brown scale", which still holds true.



Auroranut said:


> No offense- I think your Terminator's pretty good but I wouldn't call it outstanding.


I'm afraid I have to agree here.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

One of the ebay pics have him in blue jeans. All the other shots are the usual colors. I wonder why?


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## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Auroranut said:


> ...pride goeth before a fall Dionysis.....
> I was also a "professional" modeller. I did it for over 20 years, yet I consider myself an average modeller. Some of the builds here on HT easily blow my stuff out of the water! If you want to check out some of my stuff look in my photos.
> Do you have more of your work that we can see?? No offense- I think your Terminator's pretty good but I wouldn't call it outstanding...
> This Frankie's excellent IMHO. It's a real pity that the guy's a recaster....
> ...


 Sorry - I STILL don't share your sentiment with something that doesn't have a lot of detail. Anyone can take some sculpy, and a few clay sculpting tools, and make this base, and dry brush different shades all over it.  

OK. I understand that some of you don't think this is all the great - I didn't say it was. It's the only thing that I have pictures of right now. But I STILL have yet to see anyone here, or anywhere else do what I have done with this same kit. The pictures aren't the greatest, but I didn't have a lighting booth that I could that I could've used, so the sunlight was all that I had. I put this on my kitchen table with the backdrop that I made on my computer to block out the background. This is much more impressive in person than it could ever be in pictures. You can't see all the subtle nuances of colour, which is disappointing. I worked DAMN hard on this kit to make it look like actual leather, in the correct sheen with the hair, skin, and boots. As well as the blood colour, and wetness (gooey) inside the wounds, and dry on the outside as you'd see in a real accident victims. The shirt even looks damp around the wound area. I'll tell you all what - for those who think they can do a lot better - go to ebay RIGHT NOW, and buy one. Build it, then paint it, and do all the things I did BETTER than I did!  

I haven't seen anyone here replicate leather perfectly, or build the weapons that I did FROM SCRATCH. I didn't go to feebay, and buy resin, or rubber made shit - I MADE the weapons that are in those pictures from shapeless styrene, wood, and aluminum tubing. I painted this to make it look as realistic as possible with the correct hues, sheen, and design that this should've had from the beginning.

This is the ONLY forum where anyone has expressed any disappointment with this build. I'm only guessing that such comments are the result of me hitting a nerve here with the other members who ARE indeed average modelers? I didn't say this to offend, or blow my own horn, but most of these people have jobs, kids, families, and other things that distract them from their daily activities on this forum. I'm NOT faulting them for that, or looking to! I know that what I did wasn't fantastic - this wasn't MY sculpt, it was Horizon model that I was commissioned to build by "Coffee Addict" along with a Star Trek "The next generation" tricorder that I still have, and didn't pay for it. Why, I don't know?! He also did this on the rpf, and was banned for not paying. I haven't talked to him in over a year. He was impressed, and he loved it! That's all the matters to me. It's just a damn shame he'll never own it again. 




frankenstyrene said:


> Once again I apologize for the existence of this thread.


 Not nearly as much I now do. I don't see what all the hub-bub is about! This doesn't blow my skirt up. I only said what I felt, and not to start a pissing match. I guess that all these other people who saw this are easily impressed? Of course you'll all bash me because of what I said, more than what I showed. Maybe this is the only way to "get even" with me? I deleted the link to my thread on MM so as not to offend everyones sensibilities. I wish I never looked at this. I'm just sick of people posting threads like this only to see something that I'm not impressed with ALL THE TIME. I guess I reached my limit on "AWSOME" build threads? 



Frankie Boy said:


> Dyonisis: I not sure what the sepia overlay is supposed to prove — it's an overlay on an already painted model. I can can see the difference you created, but not the point you're trying to make. And I did say "... sepia, _if you will_." The far more important description I offered was "a brown scale", which still holds true.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm afraid I have to agree here.


The sepia picture is to show the differences between the two shades. If the original modeler was trying to replicate this effect - it would have to be shades of brown, and not gray, black, etc. I think it's pretty self explanatory when I posted the same thing above.  

You're entitled to your OPINION, as I said before - it was MY OPINION that the Frankie build was very average quality. I've seen far better because I HAVE! You guys can easily bash what I did, or said, but I STILL have yet to see any of you do any better. My skills are more than exemplary - you'd know this if you even looked that the original thread that I posted this build in. Cromagnon crybaby said he looked at BOTH threads - which isn't possible, because the other link's DEAD!



kdaracal said:


> One of the ebay pics have him in blue jeans. All the other shots are the usual colors. I wonder why?


 Because that was an "artist rendition" from a recaster on feebay. I copied a few of these photos into my photobucket account for comparison. Theirs are horrible, and it's easy to see! I'll post those here for all to see. Maybe you'll all think a LITTLE differently when you have something to compare my build to? Maybe not. You all can go to feebay to see what I did - I'm done here. :freak: I'll go drag my knuckles somewhere else.. Uh..huhg...uh...huhg...gaaaa!!


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Chris, if you are going to dish out criticisim and again talk down to your fellow modelers then you should be able to take criticism yourself if you choose to show your work.

Just because _you_ think your Terminator figure has a perfect leather sheen and wet looking blood doesn't mean everyone else sees it that way. But, most of us are just average modelers anyways and not PROFESSIONALS........


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

I'm not critiquing the quality of any work here one way or another, but with all that's being said, I think that particular Frankenstein project would be criticized by some as being too simple, even if the modeler had indeed gone for complete grayscale, or sepia... But let's face it, Franky was never known for his colorful wardrobe or rosy complexion :lol:. When something is plain, sometimes you have to make it plain. At that point, contrast becomes the defining element. But this is a sculpture not a picture, so it wouldn't necessarily carry over in photos... Just for the record, that is my own "professional" artistic observation.


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

And on that note, I'm locking the thread. Hopefully, _everyone_ will take a step back and cool off a bit.


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