I was driving yesterday and thinking about customs. Bad me. What is considered a "masterpiece" version for a customs? Is there a minimum articulation count? Does it need to be scratchbuilt? Curious to see what some of you think clarifies a custom into the "masterpiece" category....

For example...If I were to take an existing transformer, add articulated hands, ball joint the head, add LEDs to the eyes ; is it a masterpiece version?

 

I class it as a size along with scout, deluxe etc. Masterpiece bein nuts big and expensive.

 

I see, so a masterpiece Bumblebee would need to be 9+ inches tall? I didn't think size had anything to do with it.

 

For me, anything that I do, that has my heart and soul in it is a masterpiece. Including this very secret project that I am working on. Heeeh!

Hah! Camshaft was my first custom. And although he's pretty much butt ugly, I personally still think highly of him as my very own Masterpiece!  

 

Well I'm only talking about the likes of Prime, Megs and Grimlock that were produced in a line with the name above it. So a person could do a 'masterpiece' version of BB, just like folks do them in Alternators. But thats Has/Tak taking a buzz word and selling it.

S'pose for a custom, it could be anything you make, if I could manage an even coat of white, I'd be enclined to think it was a masterpiece. Sabsabby is right I think.

I think maybe aspiring towards a 'magnum opus' is more fitting.

 

good points, but I suppose I'd need to rephrase the question then.

From a collector or general fan's perspective, what classifies a custom as "masterpiece" class or stature?

 

It is a beutiful work of art scuplted,built,painted,forged,ect.ect.by a master craftsman,artist,sculptor!If it was not made by a master then it is not a masterpeice.Hell I have small pewter figures that are only an inch and a fourth tall and those are masterpeices.Pretty much anything can be a masterpeice just depends on who does it.

 

Ahah! Well, then I feel that it must be aesthetically pleasing and highly desirable to an individual regardless of how it looks  

Heheh. I suppose that this thread http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-general-discussion/225333-custom-arcee.html is an excellent example! hahaha.

 

Aside from bein hellah cool!?

I'm stumped, I'll be honest. Actually I'd put it down to hellah cool factor. As these are toys I imagine durability and fun are key. Put those into it and it'll be the critics who decide. That said if it's your own work and you went above and beyond to make it, then you have every right to call it one.

 

I tend to think of Masterpiece as a pinnacle of detail, fit and finish, and also capturing the "soul" of the character represented. MP Prime is the epitome of Prime, capturing the essence of who he is. Size tends to play a part in so much as the detail, fit and finish can be brought up to the MP level. I would call your Defensor a Masterpiece. I would call Jin or Macross' Shockwaves Masterpieces, even though the size may not represent one's idea of Masterpiece . I would humbly consider my Bruticus Minimus a Masterpiece (when finished), even though we're talking Legends Class I believe it will capture the "soul" of Bruticus. 

 

This. The Masterpiece versions from the Brave series aren't that big but they're packed with detail, features and articulation. The car (Exkizer) is shorter than THS-02 Convoy for example.

 

a masterpiece is, when yourself like it!

 

I think it´s the very own point of view for "What is a Masterpiece?".
For some people it´s their first Repaint or an other Repaint/Kitbash of them and for some others it´s a unbelieveable Masterpiece kitbash.

 

I think it has to be heavily involved. Whether it's a repaint with a meticulous amount of detail and quality that is either on par or exceeds the quality of a higher end collectible. Or a heavy mod/scratch build.

 

If I were to define 'masterpiece' it would be a piece done by someone who's done something others could not (easily) do, unless they've had tons of experience and used every single bit of that experience to craft something unique.

Basically, it's about quality in every aspect of the art, in this case custom kitbashing or scratchbuilding.

It would be about everything from insight, creativity and the required effort to do so, tool/partmaking, (re-)painting, sculpting, to whatever elements are in it and how well those are executed.

Perhaps one could look at innovation (see creativity) and improvement as well, but in general it would be about how much skill would have to be involved in order to create something.


I would not consider just a straight repaint a Masterpiece kitbash - regardless of how beautifully it was executed. Similarly, I would not consider adding just a few joints to something to increase articulation a Masterpiece. Those would simply either be on the same level or slightly above the original piece and are as such amongst the easier of derived works.

No, the Masterpiece for kitbashing would be to take one thing and bring it to a whole new level, to such an extend that the quality shines off it. The difference with the initial product and the improvements made to it and the overall brilliance of the piece would determine if something is a Masterpiece. If something is scratchbuilt (ie no previous incarnation), then the amount of work and refinement would help determine if it's a Masterpiece as well.


Someone may think their own work, for themselves, may be a masterpiece. I'd say it's a personal record, but not a Masterpiece unless it's obvious not everyone but a dedicated, skilled craftsman had worked on it and excelerated at what he does, certainly compared to other works.


This is why I pretty much hate 95% of modern, abstract arts with a passion as even a child could do it and does (better) often enough... Kids just have less of a sales pitch. Heck, I think there's a lot of fanart, commercial art, comic art and even kitbashings that could receive a fine place in a museum. But alas, anything with a commercial ring to it won't find itself in a museum because it's 'cheap, popular, mass culture' and instead one is better off buying or visit art galleries full of, what I'll define as 'crap' and 'industrial waste'. =p The irony of course is that most of these so called abstract artworks are mass products that each happens to look slightly different, but were made nearly as fast as you can fart.

 

If we are referring to Transformers, I would say it is one that has a high level of detail and on size order of MP Prime since that seemed to set the standard.

I do think that the term gets used a lot more than it should. People may post that their creation is a MP or call another someone's else's work a MP, when I would not give it that level. Those kind of things boil down to personal opinion though.

 

I believe Takara is going for highly detailed, highly articulated, toon accurate, enlarged versions of the original G1 figures for their "Masterpiece" line.

 

If you want Takara's "definition" then ^this (along with near perfect transformation = little to no partsforming). If you want for a customs point of view then I think Quintesson #1 pretty much sums it up. Pretty much masterpiece is considered the "ultimate" rendition where it's very hard to fathom a better version.

 

f_r, just to clarify, do you wish to discuss what defines "masterpiece" or what would a custom have to be in order to fit in the "Masterpiece" line? Those are two separate discussions.

 

Size has nothing to do with it! It's how you use it....WAIT!

To me, if both modes are toon accurate and detailed then it's a Masterpiece. It doesn't have to be too complex. MP Prime seems to have a simpler transformation than the others. If size were an issue then Unicron, Primus, and even that horrible ultimate movie Bumblebee would also be "masterpieces".