Customizer's "How to" Guide

[Fujis]

Yeah, the only thing I did to the template was add the grid for the first Concept Design Contest. Timbo's right though, the original file is better, the outlines on the one that I altered seem to be faded.

[Totalus_Kat]

No, I know no better, I am in denile I cant see the file ya linked so I wouldn't be aware of what it looked like.

They're faded because I removed a lot of the wash that happens when ya save a file as a jpg. or something else it annoyed me as when your trying to keep both sides the same theres nothing worse than having stray colours.

cheers,

Tk

TBT, was just jesting with ya

[TBT!]

TBT, was just jesting with ya

Ditto!

T.

[Blizzardfury]

thanks!

[Lurch77]

Here's a cleaned up Design Sheet and some different blank body templates.

[Fujis]

Those are great Lurch, thanks! And the control art sheet looks wicked - can't wait to use it!

[drgnrbrn316]

help me add some see through colour to a clear minimate!

What I've been doing is using a colored Sharpie and just coloring the area I wish to add color to, then wiping it back off with a paper towel or something similar. It may require a few layers to get the tint you desire.

I'm sure someone else has a better way, but that way seems to work for me.

[boyd]

What I've been doing is using a colored Sharpie and just coloring the area I wish to add color to, then wiping it back off with a paper towel or something similar. It may require a few layers to get the tint you desire.

I'm sure someone else has a better way, but that way seems to work for me.

That's what I do, too. With so many different colored mini-Sharpies out there, it's easy to find the color you need.

[Glomit]

Okay, I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have a second Green Gobby on his way and since I already have one, I thought I might make a custom Hobgoblin out of the second.

The only issue I have is how to paint onto certain parts of the Mate without getting paint on parts I want left alone.

Thanks!

Glomit

[Mauro Rodriguez III]

hey does anyone here know how to animate a minimates' face? cuz i've actually got my own type of minimate it's just that i don't know how to make the face or anything. lol. so if any of u know how could u message me. considering all of u a customizer's

thanks in advance

[Cappy]

PAINT AND TAMPO REMOVAL

Well, I'm certainly no expert, there are others on this board and elsewhere with far more experience, but this is what I've learned with some trial and error. I could keep you all in suspense, making you sit through a commercial break or two, just to keep you riveted to this piece, but no, let's jump right to the chase. My secret weapons in the fight against unsightly paint and tampos are nail buffers, acetone, and a tiny screwdriver, backed up by Brasso and/or Goof Off. None of these are original ideas, but the how is as important as the what. Here then is a gruelingly detailed description of how I went about it.

Important Note: these techniques are for removing paint and tampos from plastic. I haven't tried them on tampos or paint applied over a base paint, as you would find on the DC 'Mates, so I can't vouch for their effectiveness or final effect. But if you want to get down to a clean, shiny layer of base plastic, then off we go!

Okay, first and foremost is my tool of choice: the nail buffer. You'll find them in the beauty section of your average drugstore, sometimes called nail polishers. I've got several in a variety of shapes, my favorite being a tapered nail-file sort of thing. These buffers are synthetic abrasion pads, and generally come with at least three levels of polishing built into one tool. I hesitate to the levels grit, because they are so fine I can't even feel a texture on the two finishing levels. The packaging/instructions will describe them with terms like filing, buffing, and polishing (from coarsest to finest).

Tampo Removal: plain and simple, polish them away. Start with a coarse pad on the nail buffer and start rubbing. NOTE: If the pad feels anything like a sandpaper grit, it's too coarse! It will cause scratches in the plastic that all the buffing in the world won't take out. Yes, it takes a while and requires some effort, but it's a good activity to do while catching up on your Stargate DVDs. Be patient. At first it'll feel like you're getting nowhere, you might some fading around the edges of the tampo. Then all of sudden it comes off in a rush.

If you're polishing down something other than a head or torso, there's bound to be seams and joints the nail buffer can't get into. Here you can use Brasso, which really is working on exactly the same principle: mild abrasion. I've found that just scraping with your fingernail will usually get those last little bits of tampo. Again, it takes a bit of effort, but it's safe, since a fingernail (mine at least) won't mar the plastic. If there's a really tight or stubborn bit of tampo, bring out the screwdriver. Use one of those small jeweler's screwdrivers, something we call a "tweaker" in the electronics maintenance world. I filed the sharp corners off of one because they caused more inadvertent damage than not. You want to level the edges of the blade sharp still, for scraping, but get rid of those corners. Using the tweaker is a dangerous step. Use the lightest touch you have, in the smallest area. Never use a knife or razor to scrape off details -- you're guaranteed to cut into the plastic.

Now you've abraded off all the tampo and scraped out tight spots where needed, but the naked plastic looks dull and maybe somewhat marred. That's where the finer levels of the nail buffer come into play. Buff away with the mid-level pad, just like the instructions say for fingernails. This step is very rewarding because it happens fairly quickly and restores your faith in the project. As the blemishes disappear, lighten the pressure you're applying until you finish with a feather's touch. The point of this step is to remove the surface damage you did with the first round of abrasion. Finally, go the polishing pad and do just that: polish. This level brings out the gleam, creating a shiny surface that sometimes looks better than new. Seriously, keep an eye on the original plastic surfaces of the figure -- they aren't always glass smooth. It's quite possible to make your work zone shinier than the unworked portions of the 'Mate.

Paint Removal: Sadly, paint dust will only clog the abrasion pad, so you can't dive right in with nail buffer on painted surfaces. Brasso or Goof Off work nicely for small areas, but since both are liquids and -- like all these techniques -- require a bunch of rubbing, overspill into areas of detail you're trying to keep can be a hazard.

Luke Cage's skull cap was a good test of skill. It covers a large area with lots of paint (I know: it's a MiniMate head, how can that be large?) and the edge comes right up against facial features I wanted to keep.

So I went with acetone. Diluted acetone. Also known as nail polish remover (or nail varnish remover, our UK friends would say). Even as nail polish remover, the acetone is too strong and needs to be diluted further. I messed around with some water/remover ratios, but finally stumbled on the following technique that works like a champ: use a wet rag (not a paper towel), I use nothing more than squares cut from an old cotton T-shirt. Wet the rag down, then squeeze out most of the water so it's just damp. Then dip the rag into undiluted nail polish remover -- the diluting happens in the rag.

Apply the diluted acetone to your painted surface and let it soften the paint for a minute before you bother rubbing. Then start rubbing away the loosened paint. The saturated rag will not soak up or absorb the dissolved paint, so you need to constantly move to clean areas on the rag or you'll end up smearing paint around to places you never wanted it. Establish a routine of rub, find a clean spot, dip into the remover, rub. Keep the rubbing light to minimize damaging the plastic.

Ah yes, the damaging the plastic. We all know that acetone, while it's great at removing paint, is more than happy to dissolve and etch the plastic underneath too. Diluting the mixture helps, but when you're free of paint, you're bound to have a dull, marred surface. Now where have we seen that before and what can we do about it?

That's right: the nail buffer! After you've used acetone to remove the paint, polish away the acetone hangover with the nail buffer, going through the same buffing and polishing steps described for removing tampos.

It's the magic of that final polishing step that will give results to swoon for. However, keep your final project in mind: decal applications work best on smooth surfaces, but a slightly rough surface would be a better base for paints. "Rough surface" is a relative thing -- you still want to hit it with the buffing pad, just don't polish it down to a diamond shine.

So there you go, professional results and tired fingers in under an hour. *whew*, I'm spent

[Alpheon]

Okay, I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have a second Green Gobby on his way and since I already have one, I thought I might make a custom Hobgoblin out of the second.

The only issue I have is how to paint onto certain parts of the Mate without getting paint on parts I want left alone.

Thanks!

Glomit

Well, first and foremost, you can find an expendable Minimate to use as a "holding dummy." Meaning: say you want to paint just a hand, and it's too difficult to just take it off and set it on your desk (it rolls around too much). You can take the hand and insert it into the correct socket in your disposable Minimate, and paint away--without worrying about damaging the "holding dummy."

Second, use tape. If you're using spray-paint, or an airbrush, masking and modelling tape is an invaluable tool. You use it to tape off any part near to your current work space that you don't want painted. It's also good for making clean, straight lines with brushes. This is the kind I use: Tamiya Masking Tape. It's really good stuff, and comes in tons of sizes. The smallest, I think, is 6 mm wide. And, it's pretty cheap--3 bucks for a "refill" roll, or about 5 for the roll with the really good dispenser. If you have problems with the paint bleeding through underneath the tape, IT'S NOT THE TAPE. IT'S YOU. You have to get it very tight, have it on all the way.

Hope that helps.

[She-Thing]

So... I've got a few more questions/problems for you decal users.

First, Illustrator. Now I'm working with Photoshop, and made the full design and all for dah minicustom. BUT. Before I do any printing, I want to know which is better; Illustrator or Photoshop. What are the advantages of both?

Why didn't I use Illustrator first? because, basically, I don't how to use it. I'm missing a lot the pen tool in Illustrator, which mainly I use in Photo. The pen tool is a very important to me... is there any way I can replace it in Illu?

If anyone can help me, I'd appreciate it.

[wtf this isn't Sparta]

What I want know is how to loosen joints that have been painted shut.

I've made a trade for a Nightcrawler minimate, but apparantly both hip joints were painted shut.

How should I make them move again?

[-Minimator-]

Quick question, see this Kitty (From another topic) http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/5/11...g&srv=img03

I have the same problem, but instead of the peg being broken off w/a leg its broken off w/an arm. My ? is, is ther some way to REMOVE the peg, and therefore reuse the arm for other mates?

[lastmaximal]

i imagine so, yes... you'd need to flick the ball out of the socket with a teeny watch/jeweler's screwdriver and/or x-acto knife or cutter tip. it'll be fiddly work, though, and you might end up cutting a finger or two, so make small, controlled motions.

[Punisher]

what do you guys use to cut down lego gun and sword handles so that they fit a minimate hand?

[TBT!]

what do you guys use to cut down lego gun and sword handles so that they fit a minimate hand?

I'd just shave then down using a sharp knife (exacto)

T.

[Punisher]

what do you guys use to cut down lego gun and sword handles so that they fit a minimate hand?

I'd just shave then down using a sharp knife (exacto)

T.

Thanks T,

And why didn't I think of that?

[maz]

Since I read some stuff about people using sharpies. A very easy way to get sharpies off of a lot of surfaces is to use dry erase markers. Not sure why this works but it takes sharpie off of dry erase boards, plastic, even the paint of my table that I built. Pretty useful idea. Mileage may vary as I haven't drawn on minimate plastic before with a sharpie and taken it off.

[Rheul]

I want to strip the paint off of Spectres cape and hood. What do I use?

[-Minimator-]

I need/want to remove a sleeve off a minimate head (specifically Batman DCD). It just doesn't budge. How should I go about it w/o damage to the mate or the sleeve?

[Rheul]

I need/want to remove a sleeve off a minimate head (specifically Batman DCD). It just doesn't budge. How should I go about it w/o damage to the mate or the sleeve?

Heat it up over a tea kettle just a little bit and that should loosen it up.

[NewGoblin23]

Im completely lost on decals so heres a few questions I have

1. Where do I get them and is there any specific brand thats best?

2. Im no expert at photoshop or anything like that so should I even attempt this?

3. This ones probably a newb question but could people that are good with photoshop maybe charge a few bucks to design what people like me who arent good at photoshop want?

Thanks

[Fujis]

I just found a great site with hundreds of images of Marvel characters done in the X-Men: Evolution style. It'll be a good resource for anyone hunting around for reference photos for their customs.

Click here