HCG Alien Bust "v2.0" (mod)

[Freak_Zombie]

Originally Posted by Kaijuboy

Ok, so I bought the HCG 1/1 Alien bust a little while back, and like some other board members here, was a little disappointed in it. The bust itself had some REALLY good potential, it just needing some tweaking and a little TLC to really bring it out. So, I set out on this labor of love (I sure wasnt paid for this job! ) because I REALLY wanted a "proper" 'Alien' bust (I already have a Warrior). Think of it as a "v2.0" or a super exclusive EX (only 1!)...

The facial area had a fair amount of work done. The facial tubing around the dome was in very poor condition, so I replaced it (see before & after pic). Also only some of the side facial tendons are clear, while a lot are just molded on (like the chin tendons). So I cut some clear sheet styrene and heated/stretched them to match the tendons and applied them over the chin, jaw, and upper lip area. This combined with the fixed up facial tubing really helped alleviate the "horse lip" look it had initially.

I needed to make a base/riser for the Bust so that it was actually "upright", as the Bust initially is slanted, like as if the Alien was riding in a sportscar. So I got the correct angle I needed out of a bunch of wood shims, glued them together, cut the shape to match the Aliens base, sanded it, painted it, felted it, and put the Alien logo and HCG information/edition# on the bottom.

The tubes had to be hand made, so I set out with some reference material ( pics & my ever trusty 'Giger's Alien' book), some PVC, clay, putty, and good ol' ingenuity. I originally wanted to make them detachable for easier transportation, But the trade-off of making them sturdy also made them too heavy to safely/cleanly make them detachable, so I ended up just attaching them permanently. (In hindsight I could have molded them and made some lightweight casts, but thats a lot of time/$$ for just 2 tubes). They were then painted to match the rest of the body.

The original paint application was not only too bright and flat, but mine was also strangely "dusty". It looked more like and old costume and not a living creature. So I painted it (& lots of translucents blacks!) and gave it several gloss and lacquer coats to closer match the on-screen look . The dome was also tinted to closer match what was seen on screen and then super-glossed (more so than the body) to give it that carapace like sheen (see the pic of my reflection in it!). The end result is a LOT more "alive" in my opinion.

The next several posts will show various pics of these mods, so enjoy and please let me know what you think!

OMG!!!!!! BRILLIANT work there dude! I would buy that in a heart beat. Heck, I'd choose this customised piece of yours over sideshow's alien warrior bust anytime anyday! Congrats dude, now you've made me really consider the hcg bust and have someone do the exact same thing as you have done. Wonderful work there!

[Kaijuboy]

Originally Posted by Zoidberg

Very impressive!!
Was awaiting this a long time, intrigued by their claim to use original molds but could not bring myself to buy the travesty they actually made.
Your improved version would have gotten my money!
Mouth,lip,tubing,paint and dome all look like somebody with a real eye made them now.
Maybe they should have sold this as a "kit for the creatively inclined; parts missing"
Can not see from the pics, but did you address the dip in the dome, too
?

Thanks for the compliments! And as thx217 said, original molds only go so far, its the "finishing" off that makes or breaks a piece. But at the same time, kudos still have to be given to HCG for at least getting a good cast. All the paint in the world cant cover up a turd.

They just needed to have a better paint app, cut it at the appropriate angle (no slant!) and include the back tubes (they already had these available because of the 1/1 they sell). I think it would have been MUCH better received and gone down as a classic.

As for the dip, If you cant see it in any of my pics, then my job is well done!
I did no physical modification this piece outside of the base/tendons/tubes/tubing/painting.

[Vader]

what about the lip? that can't be original but they had to fix some imperfections or spaces/missing parts, in the original piece. Even the dome is not the original dome (shape is different)?

[Kaijuboy]

Originally Posted by Vader

I think the dome should have been somewhat larger. and the gums should be showing rather than having the lip go as low as it does. Also, I would have misted the dome a bit more to cover the underlying paint work.

is there any way to remove the dome without breaking it?

The dome is not easily removable. Me and 'Reverand' from the Hive boards (the only other known HCG Bust modder) both ran into this dilemma. The way its attached, and the risk of cracking/breaking it are too great. And I dont have the tools to vacuum-form something 3ft long in case something were to go wrong. (but I could do a simple gravity mold... hmmm....)

Its really hard to photograph this piece. I'm no photographer to begin with, and the really dark nature of the Bust freaks my camera out, as it tries to do all sorts of lighting/focus adjustments. The way the dome catches/reflects light really obscures the underlying "rings". See the dome pics for a better idea of what it more accurately looks like in person. You never get a clear "I see rings" shot like the camera sometimes shows.

But as for making a bigger dome or re-doing the gum line, I wanted to keep this piece as "stock" as possible. I wanted this to be "fix-up", not a scratch build (I really debated even doing the back tubes, but had to draw the line there). Otherwise, I would have loved to crack the jaw and reposition the mouth wider, replace the jaw->neck tubes (may still do this though...) and totally repainted the skull/rings underneath. But that list would be endless! Soon I'd have a motion activated hydraulic inner mouth...

Thats a project for a different day...

[Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by thx217

Stuff that came from the "original mold" still requires TONS of work to make it look right, making a cast out of the so called OG mold then expecting magic to happen is just plane dumb.

This thing also came from the original mold, but so what?


Same thing, but in the right hands.

I know. I was the first one on these forums to point out the flaws in this sculpt. Before there was any in-hand pics. But a representative from HCG kept insisting it was as accurate as can be. -Of course, he had a buisiness to run. So not to piss on parades, I piped down and hoped he was right. There are several smaller answers an original mold cannot give. And even more later in the process as Kaijuboy expertly demonstrates for us.

[Kaijuboy]

Here is pic of it in Daylight (well, as much as winter overcast will allow) that someone requested.

[GUILTY GEAR]

Originally Posted by Kaijuboy

Here is pic of it in Daylight (well, as much as winter overcast will allow) that someone requested.

[zimmermouse]

Why don't people like you work at HCG?

[Kaijuboy]

Originally Posted by Freak_Zombie

OMG!!!!!! BRILLIANT work there dude! I would buy that in a heart beat. Heck, I'd choose this customised piece of yours over sideshow's alien warrior bust anytime anyday! Congrats dude, now you've made me really consider the hcg bust and have someone do the exact same thing as you have done. Wonderful work there!

Thank you, that's high praise indeed! If you do decide you want one modified, drop me a line, I do indeed do commissions.

Originally Posted by zimmermouse

Why don't people like you work at HCG?

Would love to, but thats up to Mark at HCG.

[BigLeagueChu]

Awesome awesome work...yeah you should be doing this professionally if you aren't already...a true talent!

BTW I still have to send you my alien tail