I've always been a fan of Pretenders but always wished we could get updates of the inner robots. I don't like the modern meshing of the bot and shell though the upcoming Metalhawk seems to be breaking that trend thankfully. Anyway here is my update for Thunderwing's inner robot along with Stranglehold, Cloudburst and Landmine...
That's really creative. A bit of advice, you really need to work on thinning out your paint - the purple on his shoulders is really really gloppy looking. Still, INVENTIVE. I like it.
Oh man, you did that with a spraycan? Yeah, that's a skill that takes time and practice. My genuine recommendation to anyone wanting to learn to use spraycans is to practice on junker parts. Disassemble a junker, and practice distance, layering, etc. before you go to town on something you just paid money for. Use slow passes at a distance, and always overshoot what you're painting. You want to put spray paint down in thin layers, moving slowly across the piece, rather than just holding it directly over the piece and hosing it down.
I got better results with Stranglehold. The brand of spray paint I got for Thunderwing's lilac has given me similar blobbing before but it was the only way I could get that colour. My usual brand seen on Stranglehold seems to give a finer finish. Overall, I'm enjoying this new side hobby and it's nice to get the feedback which is appreciated. One thing I like about the Pretenders above is the molds I used can hold their G1 weapons. I always loved the scene where inner robot Landmine frees Sky Lynx from the Mecannibals. It's just a shame the original inner robot toy couldn't hold the sword. I have to say the idea to use Hardtop wasn't mine. I saw a photoshop someone else did of Hardtop as Landmine and I liked it though I chose silver rather than the grey inspired by the Masterforce cartoon on the photoshop.
Thank you. I'm not the best at customising, there are phenomenal talents here, but I do think in terms of the basic body structure Sentinel is a good match for the inner robot.
Looks great! Two questions, respectfully. 1) Have you considered a bot a little closer in size to the others for Landmine? Say, Energon Cliffjumper? And 2) Why no green and yellow on Stranglehold? I assume you were working with what you already had? Either way, awesome concept, and excellent execution.
Thank you. As I said, I saw someone else's idea to use that mold. I'm really into vehicle scale and try to fit everything around the Diaclones which isn't easy. One thing I feel Michael Bay and Animated got right was the vehicle scale. I like how it translates to the robot modes. I think it makes things more interesting instead of having everyone the same size in bot mode. When you translate it to the original G1 lineup, the Decepticon don't seem so outnumbered anymore. As for the colours of Stranglehold, I didn't like the garish original. If I'd recolored him exactly as the toy, there'd be nothing to break up the orange. I felt the darker green and gold added to the realism. I'm very happy with the custom faceplate based on the G1 inner robot that I got on Shapeways. Hope I don't sound pretentious. It's just personal preferences. Thank you. He's still a headmaster.
Sort of a perfect match, isn't it? I'd be tempted to paint the "landing gear" panels on his chest black, just so it mirrors the black sections on the G1 toy's chest. zmog
Thank you. I was tempted but decided less might be more. I didn't want to mess it up. The same reason I left the face silver rather than gold. I really do appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm nowhere near as good as all the other customisers here who's works are always amazing. The positive responses from you all have meant a lot. I'm truly flattered.
