Bob the Alien (Giger inspired Alien)

[Leigh]

Thank you guys
TMG Thanks for the idea's I've had a think & a play & tried some stuff & I'm going to leave the spines as they are.

The bit I'm struggling with now is how to finish where the bottom of the pauldron meets the top of the back, I just cant get a shape I'm completely happy with atm :rolleyes
I've tried bringing it to a point from the base of the fin below the pauldron to the outside corner.
I've tried just sculpting the top of the back right across & stopping it just above where the tube would start.
I've tried it as it is in the above pic's, rounded very close to the base of the pauldron.
I just think it looks ugly from the rear & doesnt seem to flow with the rest.
What I dont want to do is just settle for "that'll have to do", I guess I'm just suffering a bit of a mental block with this atm.
The heads all done, the neck & chest is sorted, just needs smoothing & most of the back is shaped up nicely, I'm just stuck on this bit
:facepalm


Edit: Hold that thought:

They say the simplest option is usually the best, so thats what I'm going with.
I'll update with some pic's later, I'm just waiting for some PVA to dry

 

[jaybible]

Over 900 posts! Congrats... And i think it would have 10 times that, but people (like me) dont want to keep cluttering up this thread by saying "awesome" or "thats amazing" for every update

If this was 1/4 scale I would have bought this..hell even funded this project.. I really think my gf would move out of the flat if a full size alien bust moved in


I also agree with keeping the spine how you originally had it, bones tapered in nicely and came to an organic stop.. It looses the smooth line once you extend the spine all the way down
..As for the pauldron, do you have pics of your other attempts? I can see where you are getting frustrated, the finish has a slightly unnatural twist and finish to it.. I went through a Giger drawing stage in college, I'll get out my sketch pad and see if i can offer some alternatives.

Also at TNG.. nice photoshopping..it took me a few mins to see what you actually changed hahaha

 

[Leigh]

Thank you jaybible
I didnt take any other pics of the attempts I made at the bottom of the pauldron but heres what I have now as of todays effort:





I've decided to just do away with the extra shape & I've tried to flow the whole thing together.
Its the best I've come up with so far & I feel with a reasonable surface texture it'll look ok.

What do you think ?

 

[Nwerke]

Looks great to me. You could also maybe try a more concave look for the inner/lower area, to blend more with the base of the fin. That'd be in common with the area under the chest, but it would be tricky to find the best demarcations. I think as-is is probably about the best solution.

 

[Leigh]

I see what you mean Martyn, Before I start cutting here's a couple more pic's from different angles, the first two dont seem to show the shape at its best:

 

[BrundelFly]

Are F- ing kidding me?????
REALLY???

I just browsed through this..it had been a while.

NO...you could not just STOP at making a kick ass head...NOW you have to make a bust.

What's next? a FULL Body?
GOOD GOD. Stop before you give me a heart attack.
I can not believe how utterly amazing this looks.

Im struggling to sculpt a SHAUN the SHEEP for my kid, and you whip out BOB the ALIEN and make it look easy. So far, I have an over glorified Blob of Fur with eyes.


;-)

Frank

Seriously...this is one of the coolest builds I have ever seen anywhere.
REALLY nice job.

 

[Nwerke]

Leigh, yep, yep, exactly! But a tricky thing to alter and it's not like those are main viewing angles anyway. Don't go crazy! Though you seem to deliver gold every time you do, hehe.

Frank, as I recall Leigh does have some thoughts about future projects, maybe he'll share more of his thinking on that, all I can say is I reckon he's got the skills to bring off whatever he sets his mind to to a pretty fantastic standard!

 

[vaderdarth]

looks fantastic Leigh!!!!!

 

[Vader2]

Man, can you modify my HCG alien? Please!!!!

 

[Leigh]

Many Thanks for all the kind words & encouragement

Well, I still wasn't happy & I spent all Friday evening & most of Saturday pacing up & down, checking ref pic's, thumbing through books etc feeling pretty frustrated with myself.

So I flicked through my build pic's & found the pic that I'd chopped up on Window's paint to show you guy's what I was planning with the base & stand idea.

I then threw this together at about 2am this morning:








Its very rough atm but I've got a good feeling about this & I think this may be the way forward

What do you think?

 

[CynderBloc]

Someone obviously didn't get much sleep!

I like the general look of it, but at the same time I feel it's lost some of it's flow. Not too sure how you'd go about getting it back.

I would suggest something that might work, but too many cooks and all that....

 

[jaybible]

Wow you really extended that shoulderblade! I think you need a well deserved few days of sleep

Gonna have to agreed with the above.. the original had a better flow... I like the addition of the inner detail, that really works. The issue i have is with that extended concave portion that extends to the end(althought i think thats kind of more like Gigers alien, correct me if im wrong).

I'd stick with all the extra detail and go back to the stubby concave area... feck it hang on and i get out my tablet. Its easier than saying a 1000 words



EDIT*

Bit of a rush job but you know what I mean...thats pretty much what you had the other day right?haha.. Sculpting can be such a big circle sometimes

 

[Leigh]

Someone obviously didn't get much sleep!

I like the general look of it, but at the same time I feel it's lost some of it's flow. Not too sure how you'd go about getting it back.

I would suggest something that might work, but too many cooks and all that....

Yeh not alot of sleep but I need to get this right & I have to seize the opportunity when it arrives

Wow you really extended that shoulderblade! I think you need a well deserved few days of sleep

Gonna have to agreed with the above.. the original had a better flow... I like the addition of the inner detail, that really works. The issue i have is with that extended concave portion that extends to the end(althought i think thats kind of more like Gigers alien, correct me if im wrong).

I'd stick with all the extra detail and go back to the stubby concave area... feck it hang on and i get out my tablet. Its easier than saying a 1000 words



EDIT*

Bit of a rush job but you know what I mean...thats pretty much what you had the other day right?haha.. Sculpting can be such a big circle sometimes

Blindin idea! Thank you jaybible

This is very rough & I've had to keep that little concave area teardrop shaped as much as possible but.....



I think this really works

 

[CynderBloc]

This is very rough & I've had to keep that little concave area teardrop shaped as much as possible but.....

I think this really works

Yeah, that looks far better

 

[jaybible]

No problem.. Yeh thats the one, if only everyone could update this quick, its the RPF in realtime...awesomeness

Once you have everything curved right and all the final details in I think we have a winner

 

[Canobi]

Wow Liegh, your skills are just amazing. I'm sure glad you decided to give sculpting a go, you've taken to it like a fish to water, kudos to you good sir :thumbsup

 

[nick daring]

This is a great solution to the back area. Keeps it looking more insectoid and less fleshy.

I'm impressed with your perserverance more than anything. I'm much more of a "good enough" person than you. Bravo!

Nick

 

[Clutch]

This is turning out to be one legendary thread. I'm gonna have to paint some of my figures to practice for this!

 

[BrundelFly]

It looks great!! Dont change a thing!!!

 

[Leigh]

Thanks guy's

I'd have got stuck in on this area yesterday but I had plans in the afternoon & I'll be busy most of today.
I have to rip it all off again & build up the area behind it with foam both sides, then I can put the clay back on & get the shoulders looking sweet hopefully

Thanks again for the help & the kind words
I'll update with some more pic's soon.