Nosferatu redux: the provenance

As we draw nigh to the completion of this project, I wish to share with you the provenance and inspiration for this "rework":


Yes, yes. . . I know: wouldn't it be great if there were a figure of Hutter. . . ? ;-)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the readership for their attentive viewing, and especially those who have been so generous with their comments. Any attempt at an sbs in a blog format is trying at best for all concerned, and your perseverance and patience is very much appreciated.

Back to the bench!

Augie

Monarch Nosferatu--PAINTING--Workbench Interlude (II bis)

The baker's dozen was reduced to an even 12--one of the keys did not fit on the chain. . . and it's just as well as it is rather crowded, as intended--AND THE KEYS ARE DONE!!!

Made, painted, and mounted!!! Five were scratchbuilt from steel rod and copper tubing; 4 (originally 5) were modified from a set of Barbie keys (don't laugh--they worked splendidly!); and three were taken from the Nosferatu kit, though these were suitably modified.

They were all finished in Gunze-Sangyo Dark Iron, applied as an initial base coat, if you will, that was then stippled with thickened lacquer. Once dry (~24 hrs. under a lamp), each key was carefully buffed before mounting on the chain. My initial intent was to apply some measured "old" rust to the keys, but I've decided to wait until the hand is permanently attached and finished to see if what I have in mind "works".

Sometime in the next 48-72 hrs. I will permanently attach the hand, and begin tying-off any remaining loose ends.

Getting closer. . .

FOLLOW-UP
I now have before me the quasi-finished piece. I have just completed attaching the right hand with its "garland" of keys, and I am delighted! Once I am satisfied the glue has cured (24-48 hrs.), I will begin the final finishing and weathering. . .

Monarch Nosferatu--PAINTING--Workbench Interlude (II)

The vexatious keys--all thirteen of them!--are well on their way to completion. I have six done and three awaiting final clean-up, leaving four to be agonized over. Depending on tomorrow's schedule, I might forgo painting and push-on through with the remaining keys.

Monarch Nosferatu--PAINTING--Workbench Interlude (I)

In an earlier posting, I made mention of rats:

Finally, all the rats have been assembled: the kit-provided rats remind me more of long-nosed muskrats than rats, so I replaced them all--and added some--from the Aurora Customizing Monster sets. I know this will deviate from the scene upon which I am basing the figure, but they are a must for any number of reasons.

So while the undercoated body and the primed hands are curing, I decided to start tackling the vermin.

I initially conceived of a "mini-plague" of rats, but have since decided that such an assembly would be ultimately counterproductive. So the number has been reduced to three: two fairly stock with very minor alterations, if any; and a radically reanimated third.

The latter was done by making three parallel cuts into the trunk of the body between the forelegs and hind legs, and carefully bending the body until the edges of the sections touched. This position was then tacked in place with superglue. Tomorrow, I will fill the gaps, etc. (using MS), and the third rat will join its companions for texturing and detailing.

UPDATE
The reanimated rat is now filled and curing under the lamps. . .

Monarch Nosferatu--FINE--Epilogue

When deeming the work on the figure completed, I forgot about--or chose to disregard--one remaining critical element: the hands.

Well, these are now about 80% done. There is a little more putty work to be done on the right hand; but most of the remaining work is clean-up and detailing. With any luck at all, these will be ready for spot-priming by the end of the weekend.

FOLLOW-UP
In anticipation of posting images of the completed hands, I thought I'd briefly list the changes made:

• Reanimated left hand.
• "Fleshed-out" and enhanced the topography of both surfaces of both hands.
• Detailed and undercut the nails/claws. Hollowed out the undersides of all exposed nails/claws.

The hands have been given a light coat of glazing putty, which is now curing under the lamps. They should be ready for priming tomorrow at the latest.

UPDATE
The hands are now primed and, as promised. . .

Monarch Nosferatu--FINE

Monarch Nosferatu (5): Final Finishing & Wrapping-up

I am very pleased to say that this will be the initial posting in the final bench thread of this project. Within the fortnight, I hope to have the painting thread underway.

It has been a productive couple of days. Final finishing is about 70% done: the arms have been permanently attached since Thursday, and I am now waiting for the putty to cure around the arm joins so that the sleeve seam can be finalized.

I also spent a productive hour or so on the hands today: I would say that they are about 60% done, and one or two more bench sessions should wrap them up nicely.

23.12.2009
Final surface finishing is now about 55% done. With any luck at all, I will be photographing the finished piece over the weekend in anticipation of priming.

24.12.2009
I have just permanently attached the neck peg and the leg pegs. . . the benchwork is virtually done! I am striving to complete all the remaining touch-ups, etc. by Saturday and shoot him on Sunday. Priming will have to wait until the following weekend as I will be tied-up at work all of next week. . .

26.12.2009--UPDATE
Nosferatu is all-but-done (save for the hands) as of about 20 minutes ago! I plan to photograph him tomorrow, so the final pre-priming images should be up by Monday latest.

Monarch Nosferatu (4): Finishing the head and arms--UPDATE

I am on a good pace to finish--and put away!--the head tonight! Surface finishing has been completed, the right ear is done, and the left ear about 75% of the way there.

The left arm is all-but-done, with some minor trimming and polishing remaining. I would like to have the left arm permanently attached by the end of the weekend.

Finally, all the rats have been assembled: the kit-provided rats remind me more of long-nosed muskrats than rats, so I replaced them all--and added some--from the Aurora Customizing Monster sets. I know this will deviate from the scene upon which I am basing the figure, but they are a must for any number of reasons.

FOLLOW-UP
Best laid plans. . . On the plus side, the left arm is done and ready to be attached. I still have a bit more work to do on the left half of the frock in terms of undercutting and surface finishing, but it is approx. 85% done as I write. The downside is that, save for a few minor touch-ups that I took care of tonight, the remainder of work on the head will have to be done later today.

WEEKEND WRAP-UP
Picking-up from where I left off much earlier this morning, the head and the left arm are done: once cleaned, they will be ready to be put away and permanently attached, respectively. The right arm is all-but-done: some minor reduction and drapery issues, and then on to surface finishing and mounting.

Most of the work on the frock is now done, though I still have six buttons to take care of. I am hoping that by this time next weekend, the figure will be ready for priming.

UPDATE
Just to keep you abreast of the progress since the last posting, all the putty work (including the buttons!) save for that on the hands is now done. Clean-up and final finishing will begin in earnest tonight. While I don't think I will have the figure primed over the weekend, I am still on track to have it ready for priming before Monday.

Until next time. . .

Monarch Nosferatu (4): Finishing the head and arms

The head is now just about done. I have generated A LOT of dust reworking the sleeping cap, and I am finally "OK" with what is before me, though not quite there yet. . . In the interim I have roughed-in the right eyebrow: both eyebrows now await the final enhancements with ProCreate putty.

11.12.2009--UPDATE
Save for the ears, and the wispy, untamed strands of hair on the eyebrows and at the temples. . . THE HEAD IS DONE!!!

Monarch Nosferatu -- Graphic Interlude

With the legs permanently attached, and work completed from the hem of the frock down, I now present you with the first images of this "conversion". . .



The next areas to be addressed will be the head and the arms, in that order. Once these are done, it should take no more than a few days to finish the frock, and then begin the pre-priming ritual. The hands and the keys will be worked-on while the figure is on the painting bench.

Stay tuned. . .

A~

Monarch Nosferatu (3): The Return

With the Thanksgiving holidays behind us, and the end of another year looming ever larger, the time has come to take stock of what's on the workbench, remove the distractions, and begin to plot-out what lies ahead. . .

As the Wolf Man (save for the trap and reworking the hands and feet) is in the final stages of finishing), it was time to play some catch-up with Nosferatu. As is oft the case, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was much further along than I had previously thought: still loads to do; but more at refinement than actual reworking.

This afternoon I have all but finished the arms, continued work on the drapery of the frock, and set the eyes. Tomorrow, I will hopefully have time to effectively conclude the work on the legs and lay-out the strategy for the keys.

More to follow. . .

29.11.2009--FOLLOW-UP
The left leg is now all-but-done; the right leg about 80% there. The underside of the frock (i.e., the attachment plate for the legs) has now been cleaned and finished and awaiting its "dependents". By the end of the week, I should have the legs permanently attached and the rest of the figure undergoing final finishing. FOLLOW-UP (2): I have begun preparing the leg sockets to accept their permanent residents: all that remains to be done on the legs is the surface finishing. The head is just about at the final finishing stage as well.

Images to follow once the legs are permanently attached.

Moving right along. . .

03.12.2009--UPDATE
With two dozen buttons to make--or rather, enhance--I decided to tackle the tedium in 3 lots of eight. The first lot is now curing. . . one down, two to go. . .

04.12.2009--UPDATE (2)
Two down, one to go. . . In what I hope will be a productive weekend, I have the legs and the preliminary once-over slated for tomorrow. If all goes as planned, I hope to spend some time with the camera on Sunday so that there will be ip pics up by Monday.

Back to the bench. . .

Monarch Nosferatu -- UPDATE

Hard to believe that it has been nigh unto a fortnight since I last posted anything. . .

Fortunately, that does not mean that things have been idle on the bench, though regrettably progress has been somewhat limited.

Most of the putty work is now done, with but a few areas still demanding additional attention. I have begun clean-up of the seams, and I would say I am about 60% done at this point. The key(s) are on the agenda for next week, though I suspect that this aspect of the project will not be completed until the figure has long been transferred to the painting bench. I have done but two of the buttons. . . saving the worst for last.

Hopefully things will resume a semblance of normalcy after month's end; but in the meantime, rest assured that progress will continue--painting "season" is fast approaching!

Monarch Nosferatu (2)

Things are moving right along, and I am now working on the upper torso, namely the arms.

The right arm is all but done. Little work to be done save for a slight repositioning at the shoulder (lowered) and elbow (forearm raised and rotated into body). The shoulder joint is now finished.

The left arm will take considerably more work. The arm will essentially mirror the right, while the forearm will swing slightly away from the body, gesturing. The arm has already been sectioned mid-bicep, and has been tentatively "assembled", now awaiting final positioning.

Modifications to the left hand have already begun. The right hand will remain essentially stock though it will be reworked and redetailed as called for.

That's about it for now. Images will follow sometime next week: I don't want to lose the momentum, and things are somewhat hairy at work with month-end coming up.

27.08.2009
A flurry of activity in anticipation of the weekend. . .

The left arm is now completely roughed-in and positioned. With the leftover MS, I began to rough-out the collar build-up. The collar appears to be the lynchpin article in this project: the difference is striking!

30.08.2009
"Best laid plans. . . " and all that. This weekend got kiboshed by end-of-month work 'stuff', so time at the bench was all but eliminated. Still. . . the two arms are now all-but-done (NOTE: there was a bit more work than anticipated on the right arm--all good). And the mods to the upper torso--save for the cravat--are all roughed in.

All that really remains to be done are the keys, the cravat, the buttons (all 26 of them), and the pleats on the back of the frock.

Gettin' there. . .

Monarch Nosferatu--Intermezzo: The Keys

With the head all but done; and the legs reduced, roughed-in and re-positioned, I am now able to get a preview of what the final piece will look like. Still rough, but a preview nonetheless.

This revealed a shortcoming that some might consider relatively minor, but which I feel limits the presence and atmosphere of the piece: namely, the keys. Kudos to Monarch for providing [seven] individually- and finely-cast keys (!); the problem revolves around the fact that they are all the same size--and undersized at that. Thus, they all fit perfectly on the "key ring", giving one the impression of an orderly janitor/building superintendent who took it upon himself to re-key all the locks!

I have been unable to shake this latter image for about a week, and I finally decided that I would rework the keys. I have yet to do the first key (there will be between seven and ten), so I don't know if I am going to do each one individually; or if I will make a master key, put it into rubber, and cast the required number of copies. Unless it is inordinately time-consuming (or boring!), I will attempt the former approach.

More to follow. . .

Monarch Nosferatu

I've been playing with this one since I received it (Monday), and all the subassemblies have been assembled and the working-out has begun. To date, this has been an absolute joy, and it would receive my most emphatic and enthusiastic recommendation as a first-kit for anyone who wants to experience a little of what it was/is to be a "Monster-Kid"!



15.08.2009
To date. . .

As I mentioned, the subassemblies have been completed since Thursday, and I have been playing with the pose since then. Not exactly the easiest thing in the world considering the piece is hollow, but a few things were revealed--most importantly, the right leg is significantly longer than the left! This is easy enough to fix, whichever way one chooses to go about it.

With that done, the next step was filling the subassemblies with PUR. Once that was done, I drilled and pegged the legs and boots. Now any repositioning can be done with a fair degree of certainty. The repositioning of the legs will be relatively minor; the arms, quite the contrary!

18.08.2009
A few 'bites by way of progress made. The head is now well underway. The main enhancement has been the addition of the sleeping cap. This is turning into quite the project as there are limited views of the item in question. Thankfully, my experience with sculpting Renaissance headwear will come in very handy.

With the cap blocked-in, it was time to start reworking the face. First step: removing the ears. Next step was fleshing out the face a bit more. Save for his nose, Shreck's actual face was enhanced relatively little for his early scenes, hence it is more of a straight embellishment of portraiture.

Finally, with the left over putty, I began to enhance the "hump". This will lead to a more natural relocation of the arms and achieving the characteristic "no neck", hunchbacked look of Orlok.

22.08.2009
Much has been accomplished in the last four days. The head is now all but done. More importantly, the legs have been entirely reworked and repositioned.

Monarch is to be applauded for their design of the legs/feet: the boots fit into a cuff recess of the pant leg, providing not only a positive fit which still allows for some minor adjustment by the modeller if deemed necessary; but creates a convincing undercut. The problem lies in that the pant legs are stirruped and the stirrups are attached to. . . what? The second problem is that the essentially featureless legs are significantly and noticeably roomy--think tuxedo trousers.

I thought I could solve the problem by stovepiping the distal portion of the legs and introducing some much needed "landscaping" (i.e., drapery). By the time I was half-way through the reduction of the right leg, I had broken-through to the PUR filler in so many places that I decided to strip away the polystyrene shell completely. . .

Now I have two replacement legs made of PUR. While I will have to essentially resculpt both legs (reduce and "landscape" the PUR cores), the end result will be a significant improvement over the stock items.

That just about wraps-it up for this installment. As a sidebar note, these are enhancements and modifications that I feel are necessary to realize my vision of this subject: OOB, this would be a worthy addition to ANY collection.