DC Designer Series Statues General Discussion

[jadekite22]

Originally Posted by Josh-a-tron

Are talking about this


There is no shading on this piece. There is light casting shadow but no color gradient and no shading. These are flat single colors.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nYBcRHtViaI

I don't know how many more times I can say "it's whatever" so I'll just explicitly bow out at this point. It's one thing to argue which approach looks better to your eyes, but it's another to just ignore the flesh tones and paint variation here in favor of a process that is literally single-colored pieces assembled together to form the finished statue. DCC's approach for me works fine for cartoony interpretations or, like with Manapul Flash, statues they can add a cel-outline effect to the wrinkles; but people are catching on with the Hughes Designer Wonder Woman where details are being lost due to the colorcast resin. Koto's paint is subtle, but it brings out details instead of muddying them or making entire features like noses and ears invisible under certain light. The fact that the colorcasting is there go-to approach for all statues and even figures when they specialize in different artist style representations that vary in how they would benefit or suffer from it (which is the only reason a Neal Adams statue could ever bear resemblance to a Cho or Conner piece) proves it's a cost-cutting choice, just like Koto's selectively flat paint or colorcast PVC for the aforementioned hairpieces on Bishoujos of late.

[Josh-a-tron]

Originally Posted by jadekite22

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nYBcRHtViaI

I don't know how many more times I can say "it's whatever" so I'll just explicitly bow out at this point. It's one thing to argue which approach looks better to your eyes, but it's another to just ignore the flesh tones and paint variation here in favor of a process that is literally single-colored pieces assembled together to form the finished statue. DCC's approach for me works fine for cartoony interpretations or, like with Manapul Flash, statues they can add a cel-outline effect to the wrinkles; but people are catching on with the Hughes Designer Wonder Woman where details are being lost due to the colorcast resin. Koto's paint is subtle, but it brings out details instead of muddying them or making entire features like noses and ears invisible under certain light. The fact that the colorcasting is there go-to approach for all statues and even figures when they specialize in different artist style representations that vary in how they would benefit or suffer from it (which is the only reason a Neal Adams statue could ever bear resemblance to a Cho or Conner piece) proves it's a cost-cutting choice, just like Koto's selectively flat paint or colorcast PVC for the aforementioned hairpieces on Bishoujos of late.

You keep saying "okay whatever" and "]bowing out, then typing a further paragraph. So I'm going to into one more time. This piece and the latest ArtFX statues are a single shade of each color used. No shading, even in the video you posted there is no shading. The faces are a single flesh tone. I'm not ignoring it, it's what's there. Now you can see on the edge of the cape where the blue meets the tips a slight gradiation from blue to black. The rest is single shades, White, Black, Grey, Flesh and Yellow. Now personally it doesn't matter on the 1/10th scale Animated series pieces, they're supposed to look like that.

However, back to the original conversation about Koto ArtFX 1/6th and DCC Designer series pieces, The reason I say the value is better is because price wise you're getting, in my opinion, since you want to hear that so much, for $20 more a statue made from a material that casts better, hence no seam lines like we've recently seen on Koto pieces, and again, in my opinion, have better more interesting sculpts and even though DCC isn't heavy on the shading or hues either, better paints as the colors do not look as flat as the Koto Pieces recently.

So, if DCC for 120-150 can produce a piece that casts better and has more vibrant paint apps, then why would I pay a little less for flat paint and crappy casting? I wouldn't.

Now if Koto were to do more to their ArtFX and insure that the casting was better and up their paints...I'd be a buyer again.

Example, The original Photo is Griffon's from the Koto threads, the recolor is a photoshop mock up of what I would do with an airbrush if I were so inclined and if the seam line was gone.



And that's my final word on it.

[Griffon]

Originally Posted by Josh-a-tron

...the latest ArtFX statues are a single shade of each color used. No shading... The faces are a single flesh tone... the colors do not look as flat as the Koto Pieces recently...

I respectfully disagree Josh, Kotobukiya's ARTFX Flash & GL paint apps are not a single shade, here are photos i took in room lighting, further away from a window:









Final Kubert Batman lost the darker shading (from Gothamite's posts):



...compared to the paint master:



Also final Manapul Flash doesn't have gradient/shading to begin with (AlizAbef pic)...



Like it's paint master:

Originally Posted by jadekite22

...eBay is filled with listings for chipped or broken Tarr Batgirls and Kubert Batmans...

Originally Posted by jadekite22

...Koto's paint is subtle, but it brings out details instead of muddying them...

Originally Posted by Josh-a-tron

...Now if Koto were to do more to their ArtFX and insure that the casting was better and up their paints...I'd be a buyer again...

I collect DC Direct/Collectibles plus Kotobukiya products & both companies have their pros & cons. Personally more confident buying Koto's final DC ARTFX's since those are closer to the promo pics. However in the GL thread i agreed with BurningRage wish some seam lines can be better hidden http://www.statueforum.com/showpost....&postcount=162

I'd buy DCC Designer statues if the final products looks closer to the paint masters with less quality control issues - breakages like jadekite22 mentioned & Gothamite shared in the Tarr Batgirl thread http://www.statueforum.com/showpost....76&postcount=7 (aware this depends on how the sender packed it & the shipping company too) that i'd have to inspect pieces in person before purchasing.

[Gothamite]

Chotto chotto chotto! Leave me outta this convo!

[Josh-a-tron]

Originally Posted by Griffon

I respectfully disagree Josh, Kotobukiya's ARTFX Flash & GL paint apps are not a single shade, here are photos i took in room lighting, further away from a window:









Final Kubert Batman lost the darker shading (from Gothamite's posts):



...compared to the paint master:



Also final Manapul Flash doesn't have gradient/shading to begin with (AlizAbef pic)...



Like it's paint master:









I collect DC Direct/Collectibles plus Kotobukiya products & both companies have their pros & cons. Personally more confident buying Koto's final DC ARTFX's since those are closer to the promo pics. However in the GL thread i agreed with BurningRage wish some seam lines can be better hidden http://www.statueforum.com/showpost....&postcount=162

I'd buy DCC Designer statues if the final products looks closer to the paint masters with less quality control issues - breakages like jadekite22 mentioned & Gothamite shared in the Tarr Batgirl thread http://www.statueforum.com/showpost....76&postcount=7 (aware this depends on how the sender packed it & the shipping company too) that i'd have to inspect pieces in person before purchasing.

I can see the slight tones in the face of GL, but that green is still one shade with Light casting subtle shadow. If they can do it on the face, there's no reason they can't use a darker color to shade and lighter color to highlight. Especially on a character like GL.

As for the Flash, I've seen it in person, and your looks much brighter than the ones I've seen in store. So while I'm respectfully not going to say you used photoshop on the pic, the red was way more washed out than that on the ones I've seen. And it still has no shading on the red.

Even though the Manapul flash is also lacking paint shading, I'll take it's superior Sculpt, and detailing over the Koto any day of the week especially at 119.99 vs. 99.99 for the ArtFX and the highly visible arm seam on the Koto.

Again, I have Koto's in my collection. I probably still will buy some smaller Koto's, but no way am I paying full retail for what they provide at this point. As I pointed out, there are way too many issues that people overlook on Koto's and then say that Other companies have QC issues. Do some have Issues, yes, However finding a Koto without seam lines anywhere, and then to have to repaint it also, yeah I'll take my chances with DCC. Especially at 1/6th scale.

[Josh-a-tron]

Originally Posted by Gothamite

Chotto chotto chotto! Leave me outta this convo!

I also, would like this thread to get back to DCC Designer Series discussion instead of Koto vs. DCC, so that's the last I'll say on it no matter who responds.

[grphyx1]

Regardless of your views I like that you both approached it in a civil way.

Anyhoo, I was not interested in the Flash at all but the more pics I see the better he's looking. I could easily display him at christmastime.

Originally Posted by Josh-a-tron

I also, would like this thread to get back to DCC Designer Series discussion instead of Koto vs. DCC, so that's the last I'll say on it no matter who responds.

[Josh-a-tron]

Originally Posted by grphyx1

Regardless of your views I like that you both approached it in a civil way.

Anyhoo, I was not interested in the Flash at all but the more pics I see the better he's looking. I could easily display him at christmastime.

I had him on order but had too many Statues coming in so I cancelled. I'm probably going to order him soon though. He looks terrific.

[jadekite22]

Originally Posted by grphyx1

Regardless of your views I like that you both approached it in a civil way.

Anyhoo, I was not interested in the Flash at all but the more pics I see the better he's looking. I could easily display him at christmastime.

Yeah, that Flash has some awkward elements for me, but they're easily overlooked if displayed at the right angles. It's hard to go wrong with a Jonathan Matthews sculpt in terms of representing the artist well.

[Gothamite]

Originally Posted by jadekite22

It's hard to go wrong with a Jonathan Matthews sculpt in terms of representing the artist well.

So...you want us to look for a bad Jonathan Matthews sculpt?