That's exactly what I mean. The Animated version of Blitz has a very large (conical) head. By swapping in a head even a bit larger, instead of dispelling those cartoonish proportions, you're actually retaining them. The style of Animated isn't contained just in their chins... it's present in their body shapes and simplified forms.

If you're trying to convert a TFA figure into a more "classic" type, this isn't a bad mold to work with, but a smaller head will actually contribute more to that effect. Also a smaller head will make his body seem bigger and more menacing. This head instead gives him more child-like proportions, so it makes his scale seem smaller somehow. The bright yellow, while G1-accurate, also takes on more presence. In the original Blitz, it's just a hint of yellow. Here it pops, and draws attention to his big round head... which also creates a separation between it and the body... they don't look like they go together.

As well, this Onslaught head takes on slightly "super-deformed" properties, especially with his large visor. If you've been reading the recent IDW More Than Meets the Eye series, it makes me think of guys like First Aid and Tailgate, whose featureless faceplates become larger, more expressive and "cuter" in the stylization of the artwork. Of course, a faceplate isn't G1 accurate for Blitzwing, but that doesn't really matter so much.

I started a similar project... it's tricky converting all his modes to a more "realistic" aesthetic. I love what you've done with the tank especially. Have you considered removing the rubbery piece on the original head, maybe cutting it down a bit, and attaching it to the back of this head? That way it could work to cover the open area behind the cockpit in jet mode.

I find that this mold always has a sort of slumpy posture with his arms hanging down. I've noticed that shaving down the tabs on his wings so they can fold up higher on his shoulders can give him a bit more of a broad torso look, much like Blitz's G1 model. You might find it works here, especially to balance with the head more.

This is not meant to detract from the work you've done on the rest of the figure. I think he's looking fantastic. I love the dull tones you've painted him in... it really sells the purple and tan as a more credible military palette somehow. The tank mode rules. It just seems like you used the Onslaught head because it was one that you happened to have lying around, but I just think a smaller head would work better overall.  

zmog

 

I had typed a big long statement.. But this articulates everything I was trying to say much better.

And when I say I see a gobot, it's because I own this.. and I can't unsee it in this custom with that head:

 

I dig it bro

 

I see your point. Well said, I do think that a smaller head would then make it even sillier though. Maybe slightly modifying this head some more would be better.

HA! If I had know about that figure, I would have totally done that! I have updated some Go-bots before.

 

Maybe... that head has a big forehead, so you could cut it down and flatten it a bit that and it might help. But larger heads always tend to make TFs look more cartoony and childlike. Small heads tend to emphasize their size and power. I don't make the rules, that's just how things work.  

Traditionally, robots can get away with more unusual proportions... so over the years we've seen a lot of pinheaded and hydrocephalic-looking TFs, to various effects. I mean, a smaller head doesn't mean he has to look like Fall of Cybertron Metroplex or anything.

Your mileage may vary, of course. For example, I feel like this works pretty well size-wise, but everyone's aesthetic is a bit different.

zmog

 

I know, I own one of them (and would likely buy more!) 

 

See I think that head is too small. It's the right shape and looks awesome. A little bigger and it would be perfect.

 

I find that ironic considering your avatar picture.  

I happen to like my robots with smaller heads, so there is a degree of personal affectation there, but I do believe that 99% of robots look better with a slightly-too-small head, than a slightly-too-big head. The same philosophy applies to comic book heroes, who are almost always drawn with a lower head-to-body ratio than actual naturalistic human proportions.

In this case, I just suspect you may be too close to the project, but I'd suggest to look over your pictures of every single one of your other TF customs in your gallery, and look at the relative scales of the heads to the bodies. You'll see what I mean. This Blitzwing has a huge dome by comparison.

zmog

 

I never thought Omega had a small head.

 

But he does, doesn't he? Especially in that picture. It's minuscule.  

In the case of Blitzwing, I think it's accentuated by his form. The shoulders on this mold (on the torso itself) kind of slump below the line of his neck, so putting a big head on top makes it stand out a little more than if it were nestled between powerful thick shoulders. In that sense the overall height of the head works against it, so maybe if you took some mass off the top like you discussed earlier, it would settle in more.

Is that binocular bot actually a Gobot? He doesn't look like any of the Gobots I've seen before. 

zmog

 

It's perspective. If you look at a giant from the bottom up, of course his head will look tiny. Anyway, I get it. You like tiny heads on figures and I like them bigger.

 

Not trying to derail your thread, but what head is that on this Blitzwing? I want to try to make one of these for myself

 

He's an obscure gobot right next to the arco guns. they were not ones featured in the tv show.  

Solrac, got any more plans for gobots (or take comissions??)
 

 

Yeah no disrespect, I know you hate animated and it's toyline (as you've said more than once), but ya have to admit the toyline did well at capturing the design aesthetic (which personally is something I love about them), as a result, even if you're satisfied with de-animatedifying the figure, even with your mods and a brand new head, the robot mode still screams animated, just look at the arms and legs. I mean I dig what you did with it, and I think you definitely succeeded with the tank mode, but to me (as if my opinion mattered  ) didn't so much 'da-animate' as ya made a kickass 'G1/Animated' hybrid, melding both designs evenly.

*shrugs*

I hope you now realize what you are now morally obligated to do now  

 

You mean, I like stylishly scaled heads, while you like gigantic domes, right?  

Nah, I'm just kidding dude.   It's just a few people have commented on the head size in relation to the mold, so I was putting some ideas out there. I think this head could work if the high forehead were cut down, but I also understand not wanting to dive back into a finished product to make minor adjustments now. Good job on this regardless.  

On a separate note, have you considered the suggestion of adding part of the helmet to the back of this head to operate as a "cover" for alt-mode? Or easier still, even just repainting only the back side of his head to match the overall scheme would serve to blend it more in jet form.

zmog