I had a lot to say here but I don't really feel comfortable enough yet. I think people need to think about the prices they charge...especially unknowns. Too many newcomers coming along charging US$80 for a disco sprayed Milton or similar. Crazy. I have a 10" custom done by a top artists that was US$80 and it would blow your mind to see it.
Some people need to start wearing masks when they are spraying their customs, and thats all I'm gonna say..
Do people mainly disapprove of customs (by artists other than the original designer of the toy) because they don't want to associate with "platform toys"?
some people need to start making intelligent comments that add to the discussion, that's all i'm gonna say.....
This ties into the whole "painting to sell" thing. When you do that, you have to consider the cost of the base figure, cost of materials, and how much the time spent doing the painting is worth. The last part is where things get tricky. For example, I've painted a few of the S-Taiins now (as commissions) and they're super labor-intensive. All the details have to be painted with a brush by hand. If I wanted to get paid a decent amount per hour on them, I'd have to charge (what I feel is) way too much for the finished custom. Even if they come out great and I put a ton of time into painting them, they're still custom pocket-sized figures and, I feel, their cost should reflect that. Fortunately for me, I enjoy the hours I put into painting. So, in the end, it works out. I don't really have a problem with the "newcomer charging $80 for a disco milton" scenario. The newcomer can ask for whatever amount they think they're custom is worth. I think most people around here would realize the price was off and just not buy it. Moreover, if that newcomer showed up here just to sell their stuff in their first few posts, they'd get blasted for it.
prices always change. I used to charge one price based on size, and time... Recently with Tax time, buying slowing down, etc. I charge less for figures I purchase and paint for my store. Now if a person commissions me. I still quote them my original prices but on commissions I generally add return shipping into the price. T hey are only worth what people are willing to pay. If someone wants a custom for $300, that's their money. Doesn't mean that toy is now set at that price when customized... Show customs will almost always be more cuz the store takes a cut, and your basically making less than you normally would. Now that there are more paint options available, and not just v-color, you're gonna get new jacks spraying up anything they can. If they love doing it, and they can make a couple bucks for their time. Who are we to fault them. It's when people come from nowhere and start copying paint/masking/effect techniques, that their genuine care for the figure should come into question.
i don't really care if the artist / customizer is known or not. If the work is good and different and interesting, i'll buy it.
What a dead horse topic. As for me, as long as its fun its ok. If you are looking for fortune or to get your ego stroked well... you better have a big game plan.
Wasn't there some new line of Monster Kolor paints that didn't require any topcoating at all? "Rolok" or something? Ben probably knows... But, yeah, most modern toy makers in Japan topcoat with just a light mist of gloss or matte. Anyway, I'd written this long post about "styles" and whatnot in D-LuX' thread...only to notice his link to this thread! So I'm moving my response here rather than continue derailing his thread: From the perspective of artistic integrity, there's a lot of grey area out there. People draw their lines in different spots, right? jacksauce caught hell for offering to duplicate an existing M1 Matango on a blank if someone had requested it. The openly-used term was "bootleg". But what if he changed one of the colors just slightly? Would that be enough to distinguish his work from the original and thus make it okay? I dunno...how different is the new color? Did the application pattern change at all? Like I said, it's all a grey area: if you change something "enough", it becomes acceptable. But how one defines "enough" can vary from person to person. I think that when a "true" artist takes elements from existing pieces, her or his personal *intent* is to transcend those existing pieces. It's not just an ego thing where they're simply trying to distinguish themselves or "make a mark". It's not about *the artist*...it's about the piece. A true artist wants her or his creation to be BETTER than those being emulated. So I don't think it's ever biting if that intent is sincere and devoid of ego. A true artist can innovate his own style or gimmick to blend with existing elements...or simply select existing elements that have never been combined before--that combination, itself, could be the artist's key style or gimmick. Dan had never seen split camo before, so when he painted his toy up that way, he was adding that element (the split) that he'd never seen in combination with camo before. Despite the shitshow of using that innovation on an actual Zag--let alone the fact that Gargamel HAD ALREADY DONE THAT--this spirit of innovation, itself, is what true art is all about (in my never-humble opinion). [EDIT: christ on a cracker...I didn't realize this thread was THREE fucking pages long already! I'd only read the first page, so pardon me if my post looks totally out of context! Heh...I haven't even read the other two pages yet!]
Smeone has contacted me about a paint out of Italy I think, that didn't require a topcoat. Not sure on the name tho... I do have some Matte monster kolor clear which I haven't tried yet. The one thing I'm not super happy about is that MO gloss clear has to be sprayed as a wet coat, so it will always be super glossy... Back in the day I would use Krylon crystal, you could do a might lighter coat and get a semi-gloss consistency from it, or if you did a wet coat, you could get it really glossy... I've also noticed that some colors seems to stick better... i dunno... As for finding your own style... its tough, thats for sure...
I see this kind of post all the time saying that such and such a paint system can't do this or doesn't have that, and it's really a dumb thing to complain about. So what if MK clear is gloss-only? That's great, because it means the paint is now indestructible. What's stopping you from then using some other topcoat or finish of your preference on top of the MK 'process' to finish your figure to whatever level you want. I have been painting figures primarily with MK to a matte finish for a while now using a mix of MK, acrylics, oils, and whatever other paints and supplies I have at hand. These guys are all primarily Monster Kolor, plus whatever else I needed to get the job done. No paint system is ever going to be all-inclusive, so why would you expect it to? Stretch those artistic muscles ones in a while and work for your finish. MK has awesome coverage and color choice, plus amazing clear colors and pearl effects. Nowhere in that does it require to use any of those. It works great to mix colors for model kit-like shading that can be finished flat, too. You just have to put a little work in and not settle for the least-effort approach.
Oh I agree... I use a mix of paints too, and carry basically every color, and finish MK produces. I was just saying I primarily like the Goss finish, as it does provide a very hard coat, some people just don't prefer to own high gloss figures, and some figures I do look awesome with no gloss, but chip easily in some cases... I also use brushable and spray acrylics.. I myself wasn't complaining, someone previous to this was discussing how lots of customs lately are all high gloss and about some other brand of paint..
