As I mentioned before, when I first started out, no one was really there to give me any hand holding. The sites that I have seen on 1/6 figure making, though great, can be somewhat selfish. I guess that’s a result of a lot of absolutely evil people who are in it to make money off the hobby. Some people bash and make a figure with the only purpose of selling it on eBay to make a profit. That’s fine and it’s quite normal. People sell their figures for different reasons. Heck, I’ve bought a few figures myself from other collectors and customizers, so it’s nothing bad. There are people out there who will take your ideas, put their name on it or what not, but that’s a fact of life you must face. It happens in movies, music, software, so why not 1:6 scale toy customizing? It’s sad, but true and I completely understand why some people hide their techniques and talents. Many of the best customizers have experienced this in one form or another so don’t be surprised if you don’t get that much info on other sites. Heck, I experienced this before as well.  Many of my kitbashes are easily copied and I’ve seen quite a few show up on eBay.  That’s part of the reason why I try to make my figures more and more advanced and hard to reproduce.  But that doesn’t stop it.  If someone copies your work, it says a lot about what you’ve done.  I’m not going to stop showcasing my figures because of people who can’t think of ways to do their own, but I figured I’d rather “do my thing” and continue on sharing my work for the other 95% of the people who are in it for the hobby; the ones who like to share and are willing to help others like me.

I put up this site for several reasons.  First, I like to show off my work because I like to get feedback and comments from other friends and fellow collectors. It’s nice to receive a good comment after you put so much work into it.  I’m sure you already know that.  Comments and feedback are good because that’s how you really judge yourself on whether a project is good, bad, or if it needs a little something more.

Second, I like to help people out because, with this hobby, most other collectors are mature adults who are willing to help and share what they’ve learned and I feel the same way. Had it not been for the members on the “Men With Dolls” forum, I would still have everything in its original box on the shelves with no bashing or customizing. It is the various works of art by fellow MWD members that gave me different ideas and techniques that you see here. I still frequent the various forums to offer help and ask for help.  So, it is truly my hope that you share my view and offer help if and when you can. I try to pump as much tips and information on the hobby as I can into this site to help fellow collectors out for one main reason – it is in return for the help I’ve received in the past from other collectors.

If some of my comments on the site come across as being cocky or offensive, I don’t mean it to be.  I comment on what I’ve done and most of what you read are just rambled thoughts I go through as I put up the page and pictures.  Heck, most of the time they’re just used to fill up the page or act as a backdrop for the pictures.  I don’t know everything and I don’t pretend to.  Everything I’ve learned and know are through trial-and-error, tips offered by other collectors, or things that I find freely on the Internet.  I’ve had someone ask me once why I put up so much info on the site and why I don’t “keep the trade secrets.”  In my honest opinion, customizing figures is a hobby – there are no “trade secrets.”  It’s not competition or business.  I do it because it’s fun.  I’m not here to make money and I’m not making figures for anyone but me.  Everything I do can be duplicated by you or your sister.  Just put a little thought and time into it.  The results might not be the same because our tastes and backgrounds are different, but what you essentially get is YOUR FIGURE.  That’s the true joy of making stuff – seeing it in your head one day and holding it in your hand the next. I’ve met and continue to meet a lot of wonderful friends and masters of the 1:6 art and it’s a great hobby to have if you allow it to be.

This hobby can get expensive extremely fast ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T LIKE TO MAKE ANYTHING.  And if you don’t like to make anything, you’re missing out on about 90% of the fun.  I understand there are a lot of people who just don’t like to do things and pay their way out, but customizing figures requires some work on your part.  Unless you’re a famed movie star who makes a few mils a year, buying everything for little parts can get extremely expensive.  Most often than not, what you buy will never meet your expectations, so why bother?  All I’m saying is try it out.  You’ll be surprised by how much fun it is to make something from scratch.

Another aspect of this hobby that I really like is the creativity it can bring forth from you.  As I mentioned before, little things you take for granted can be turned into a work of art.  Things such as spoons, toothpicks and even dirty old shoe polish brushes can make your action figure look good, if not better, than most manufactured items.  You might laugh, but I’ve seen it done a million times.  Let’s see if you’ll still laugh when you check out some of the other customizers in the hobby.  Empty Listerine bottles can be turned into a large tank cannon, an old cup bottom can be turned into a Gladiator shield and even used pantyhose can turn your female figure into a sex machine.  It is this aspect that blows most people away.

One of the biggest addictions with this 1/6th scale hobby is CUSTOMIZATION.  As with most hobbies, you can customize whatever you want.  There are people who collect nothing but World War II figures, then there are those who collect and customize nothing but female figures and still, there are those who do nothing but movie or TV show related figures.  The true beauty of this hobby lies just in that – you can make whatever it is you want.  Me?  My taste is so randomly scattered that I really don’t have a set pattern of things to make or a criteria to meet.  I just make whatever the heck I want.  But my biggest genre thus far is still the movie related figures.  Shoot me, but I love movies and I’ve even made a career out of it.  Again, every one has their own likes and dislikes so making or collecting whatever you want is truly the joy of this hobby.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

One of the many problems I faced when I first got into the hobby was a lack of resources. It’s not hard finding a reference site that some crazy customizer did and it certainly is not hard finding a place where collectors gather to chat and share (forums), but it is hard finding someone who is willing to truly help you wholeheartedly. I’ve been to many boards and forums, seeking help and answers to questions I can’t find elsewhere and I’ve found out several things about the hobby that you should keep in mind.

1/6 scale collecting is an adult hobby.
1/6th figure collecting is primarily an adult hobby. Heck, it says so on the box of the figures you buy. And because it is an adult hobby, you enjoy some facets of real 1:1 life in the hobby as well. You meet some wonderful friends, talented people who love to share their passion for the hobby. You will also meet a lot of people who are rude, crude, won’t share, won’t care and are in it for different reasons, so don’t take anything personal. I’ve received praises for my work on a few figures and I’ve also received foul-language emails because I’m “not true to the film” or “that is not real enough.” What should I do about that?  Get mad, sell off my collection and stop what I’m doing because some guy sent me an email about how he doesn’t like MY figures?  I’m not that narrow minded and I don’t care about things like that.  But as I’ve mentioned, I’ve seen friends and fellow collectors who wind up stopping their love for their hobby for just these simple reasons.  Don’t be the next victim of your own emotions.

What’s art to you, is not to others
And vice versa. There are some who swear that Barbie is a work of art, that her clothing and car is so hip it hurts. There are others that think anything that is not military related are all “wussy dolls.”  That’s fine, that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to one. So what if you don’t see their point? Don’t stoop to their level of intelligence to battle it out.  Use your energy to focus on your toys instead.  It’s more fun. We’re all adults here. If someone says that your bash is absolutely horrid, take it into consideration and see what you can do to better it. If not, don’t worry about it. Art is only in the eye of the beholder. When I look at my figures, I bash them until I’m satisfied – not until someone else says it looks right. Don’t take it personal. I’ve seen many good friends and customizers leave the hobby for these reasons and it is a crying shame if you let the emotions get to you. Take it from me, they’re only toys . . .

Patience man, patience.
More than anything else, YOU NEED PATIENCE.  If you consider painting a head takes four hours, sewing a coat takes a day, putting together weaponry takes another day and then weathering and all the touch ups, etc. – that’s about a week gone right?  Ideas don’t always come when you want them to.  Your painting hand doesn’t always agree with you and your eyes just don’t work right on certain days or hours.  Just drop what you’re doing and come back later.  I made the mistake of wanting to complete a figure so bad I was up all night working.  That’s a mistake because you’re rushing yourself and you see things differently when you’re tired and unfocused.  Don’t do it.

Don’t Try . . . Do.
In the immortal words of Yoda, give it a whizz. Nothing is impossible unless you don’t try at all. Innovation comes from the strangest ideas. I’ve seen figures that are made out of things you take for granted, like household tools and supplies and even kitchen utensils and recycle bin items. If you recognize something that can be used to make an item, give it a shot. When I first got into the hobby, I found out rather quickly that anything works as long as you can pull it off so don’t be afraid. Antennas can be used as sword handles, paper clips can bend into D-rings, staples can act as steel laces – whatever works, works.  Just try it.  As I mentioned before, I led a very normal life and knew absolutely zilch about sewing, sculpting, painting, mold making, web designing, taking photos or anything. Had I not tried it all out, you wouldn’t be seeing any of this.

Don’t give up, you will get better.
With each new attempt, you will slowly and gradually master whatever it is you do. That sounds totally cliched, but it is true. I look at my first bash and I look at one I worked on recently and I can see the difference and progression I’ve made with each skill. When you get frustrated with something, just set it aside and come back later. Don’t give up. Try and try again.  Browse around the site, you’ll see a lot of my old bashes and projects, earlier paint jobs and then compare it to one of my latest ones.  You’ll see that they’re a world of a difference.  That’s because I learned a thing or two from making mistakes.  No one is perfect, but don’t give up if you only tried it once.

Use it and abuse it.
Why put up a website? You have to pay annual domain registration fees. You have to pay server and website traffic charges. In this hobby, no one really knows who you are. Except a screen name like “Custom Dawg,” “CySeamstress,” or “SyxxSix6,” no one really knows your face or your real name.  I receive tons of emails from people about how to do this or that or where to buy certain things on a daily basis and I answer every email.  Most will not even remember sending me the email because all they want is a response to complete their figure, show it to people and forget about you.  Others, I’ve gone on to befriend and chat with routinely and some have even gone on to do their own websites and great custom figures.  If I could inspire such passion, I’m a happy man. In this hobby, you have no recognition or fame other than your anonymous user name, so what’s in it for you? Why start a website and incur all those charges, show people how to do different things when they only want to sell them on eBay and make a fat killing? My love for the hobby, that’s what.

Here’s another “simple but effective” base.  I did this base a while ago, early on when I first started making dioramas, but never found anything to put on it.  So, I figured I might as well bash something up right quick and throw them on.  This diorama is a very simple three-step base.  You first start out with the wallpieces you want to use.  In this case, I used styrofoam, cut it to shape, added cracks, bullet holes and whatnot, then glued them together and then onto the wood base.  Next step is to mix up some plaster, seal off the wood base with tape so it doesn’t stick to the wood parts you don’t want it to, then it’s time to lay down the groundwork.  The ground areas are lightly laid plaster with sand, gravel and dust added.  When the groundwork is dried, the next thing to do is cover the styrofoam wall with plaster so it strengthens the wall and at the same time, add cool wall-like texture to it.

Once everything is dry, it’s time to lay down the base paint – matte black.  I use Krylon’s “chalkboard” black spray paint.  It’s enamel paint and works rather well.  It takes a little while to dry but it looks great when used as a base coat.  One note you might want to consider is that enamel paint will EAT right through regular styrofoam, but in the instant case, we covered the styrofoam with plaster so it’s okay.  Once the base coat is dry, it’s time to dry-brush everything with a darker colored tan-like color.  Something not too dark, but also not too light – something like a light colored coffee tone.  Because the hightlights and last coat will be sand-colored, your first drybrush coat must be darker than whatever it is you want the final color to be.  The last and final coat is the sand color.  Just use it sparsely because your last coat is just there as a “highlight.”  If you’re going to spackle up the whole thing with one color, it will look very flat.  So, in all, there is the black base coat, a darker tone of the final color, and then the final color.  Three paint layers make most dioramas stand out.  This diorama is a very early piece I did when I first started getting into dios.  I have, of course, progressed quite a bit since then so check back soon for some better tips and techniques.  This one is for the beginners and experimenters.  We’ll get into a more intermediate one soon so do check back.