Know, O prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars. Hither came Conan the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.
INSPIRATION
I was exposed to Savage Sword of Conan comics at way too young of an age and have wanted a 1/6 Conan figure ever since. Though there are plenty of Arnold movie Conans out there, I was determined to create a fantasy-painting-style Conan figure to commemorate those amazing comics.
MY APPROACH
Anyways, I've worked on some form of this figure for over 5 years. It's gone through many iterations, originally being much more cartoony, but the current iteration was done in the last 2 years. In that time, I learned to sculpt and paint better and even do light 3D CAD work to solve customization issues. Those in turn have opened up the possibilities of customizing for me (teach a man to fish & all that). I hope that you like it.
(Sorry for the hodge podge pictures. I really need to setup a proper photo station & get a good SLR
INSPIRATION
I was exposed to Savage Sword of Conan comics at way too young of an age and have wanted a 1/6 Conan figure ever since. Though there are plenty of Arnold movie Conans out there, I was determined to create a fantasy-painting-style Conan figure to commemorate those amazing comics.
MY APPROACH
- On a fantasy Conan figure, the muscles / physique are the whole point of the figure. They're not a supporting player, but the star of the show. A Phicen body will not do, it's too small, too realistically sized, too soft. I don't mind visible joints either as long as they are tightly fitted and keep the silhouette of the figure. I ended up spending oodles of time creating a massively muscular body by combining parts from several figures + sculpting what I couldn't find.
- The headsculpt doesn't need to look like Marvel/Joe Jusko artwork but must achieve the same feel: Robust facial structure yet a little gaunt (ie, not that well fed). Not old, but not so young that it looks naive or soft. Serious and sullen-eyed but not evil-looking. Naturally, a glorious lion's mane of hair is needed, and only real hair will allow the range of motion needed.
- Clothing must accomodate the body, not the other way around. Since most commercial clothing and gear wouldn't fit on the huge body, I ended up scratchbuilding much of it instead.
Anyways, I've worked on some form of this figure for over 5 years. It's gone through many iterations, originally being much more cartoony, but the current iteration was done in the last 2 years. In that time, I learned to sculpt and paint better and even do light 3D CAD work to solve customization issues. Those in turn have opened up the possibilities of customizing for me (teach a man to fish & all that). I hope that you like it.
(Sorry for the hodge podge pictures. I really need to setup a proper photo station & get a good SLR
