Unicron, G1 colors with new planet maw

[Sentinel Prime]

Hi there! Thanks for stoppin' by.

I FINALLY finished up my latest, Unicron! It took longer than planned, but he ended up being a labor of love, and features a new flashing, light-up planet maw. Recipe follows the pics!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/u1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/002.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/u3.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/006.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/008.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/u2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/011.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/u5.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/009.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/u6.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d12/daredrummer/UNICRON/u4.jpg

It was actually a bit of a chore to conceive the actual vision I had. I wanted to make a version as true to the 86 movie as I could, which meant one thing: simplicity. It was really tempting to paint little gray panels, or do some improvised details, but I had to stay on task and keep it simple! I started out to make him as ancient, beat up and worn as I could, but after test pics I found I didn't like covering up that rich orange, so I went with minimal forced highlights. My goal was to paint it in a fashion where the natural colors brought out the details and hope that the pics captured it. Washes and drybrushing were used, but sparingly.

He was painted using various enamels including Orange Mist and Radiant Silver. I didn't want the washes to look like black lines drawn all over him, so I used dark washing on the orange parts with Games Workshop Dark Flesh. It's semi translucent and a brownish orange color. The wash for the silver and dark gray parts was TMMA Gunmetal. Aircraft gray and Silver was used for drybrushing, as well as international orange. The eyes were silver, then clear green.

The planet maw was created using a flashing Jager light. (I work in a bar) The "jaws" are actually one half of Barricade's weapon from the untransformable version. ( I can't recall what those were called...) I sparingly used a few clear jewels for the planet ring to simulate the light up nodes in the movie, while using aircraft gray for the rest of the ring details. I have no IDEA where his mini con went, so I patched the hole with a chestpiece from a Zoids Owl. The new planet spikes were actually wooden grill skewers coated with Future, and I drilled holes for their new home. The 2 halves for the planet mode have been bonded together using epoxy so I could make the new light-up maw, but he looks terrible with the planet halves hanging on his back anyway, and I don't know ANYone who displays him like that.

The light-up maw has an on/off button, and blinks on and off at about a 2 second interval. The light has this cool honeycomb effect which is subtle but cool.

Any comments, critiques, criticism and ideas are encouraged! Thanks for your time!

[Rattrap's tail]

Awesomeness, love that new maw!

[- Z -]

AWESOME! That is the best Unicron I have seen, hands down. Spectacular work.

[Solrac333]

AWESOME! That is the best Unicron I have seen, hands down. Spectacular work.

That's what I think too.

[speedleescustoms]

really really nice work ! your hard work has paid off ! :D

[Unicron-9]

This is nearly identical to the 7th Unicron I did except for the added planet parts.
I really like the big toothpicks in the planet sides and the color of orange you used!
I may do the toothpick spike thing to my personal Unicron.
I'm actually working on my 8th commission Uni now and the customer wants the white, orange, and gunmetal cartoon look with the collar and sculpted planet mouth. After seeing this I considered sending him my own and doing the new one for myself in metallic orange with an ink wash but my wife wont let me... I think she loves the old Unicron and 9.

Awesome work man!!

[frenzyrumble]

this is great work. Unicron's a pita to work with, been working on one for a while. this thread inspired me to get back and finish it.

[Sentinel Prime]

It really means alot coming from such an esteemed gathering of artists...thanks everyone! Glad he's well received!

[- Z -]

I just looked at it again..... and WOW. I still am amazed how the simplest details make this mold shine!

[thyvipera]

i agree, this is one of the coolest unicrons I have seen. The paint and mod work are simply outstanding. best of luck on ebay man!

[Reluttr]

@Sentinel Prime

How did you paint the legs? I am trying to do a custom with the unicron mold, and so far the pods/planet shells/missile launchers on the legs have been a major hangup.

[Sentinel Prime]

@Sentinel Prime

How did you paint the legs? I am trying to do a custom with the unicron mold, and so far the pods/planet shells/missile launchers on the legs have been a major hangup.

Major hangup? Let me know what the problem is. Anyhoo, I dismantled the legs completely. There's screws on the inside of the calves, as well as on the inside of the quarter-planet dome. If you intend for the final product to retain the leg missle launchers, then be extra careful taking that section apart. It's not a complicated device, it's easy to reassemble, there's just lots of tiny parts and tiny springs, I recommend a piece of masking tape over the internal mechanism to hold all the parts on once you've opened the pod. I didn't have all the missles, so I just didn't bother to reassemble the launchers since the missiles are ugly bright yellow anyway.

Once he was disassembled (NO DISASSEMBLE #5!) I cleaned him off with rubbing alcohol. After that, I masked, sprayed, reverse-masked, sprayed. Dark wash, wipe, drybrush, final touch ups for line integrity.

Let me know your specific problems, we'll get around it!

[Reluttr]

wait... you unicron had screws holding the orange planet piece to the leg? Mine has a rivet :S

[Sentinel Prime]

wait... you unicron had screws holding the orange planet piece to the leg? Mine has a rivet :S

Well, the done part comes off, but the other half is attached by the rivet. If you need it to be a different color than the leg, just mask it.

[Reluttr]

ahh ok. Is there any ways to paint the area between the orange piece and leg? I'm just debating on ignoring the area though, since its a really bad rub spot... Might just do some simple dry brushing with metalics to sorta mask it.

[Nucksfan]

Very cool, nice work!

[Scratimus]

Sexy