Passing of a legend

It's a sad day indeed for all Marvel fans as Stan Lee, whose creations made him a real-life superhero to comic book lovers everywhere, has died. He was 95. May he rest in peace. Excelsior!

Spider-Man comes to the PS4 but you can still enjoy the friendly neighbourhood analog version

If you are a Marvel fan and a video gamer to boot, you would've probably been caught up in the hoopla of the recent PS4-exclusive release i.e. Marvel Spider-Man by Insomniac Games. Spider-Man is a firm favorite for many superhero comic book fans so his return to the interactive world of video games is undoubtedly a highly anticipated one. And by and large so far, the game has received favorable reviews from a myriad of critics. This certainly bodes well for digital Spidey and his fans.

But digital isn't the only way you can enjoy Spider-Man. You can bring him to life yourself by painting up the Knight Models miniature figurine kit version. Fortunately, Shire Works still has limited stock available for this Marvel Spider-Man kit. It should be noted Knight Models no longer holds the license to produce Marvel miniatures. The product shown here (see below) is no longer in production. Once sold out, it can no longer be restocked by us.

Knight Models metal/resin miniature figurine kit of Marvel's Spider-Man

Knight Models Spider-Man unboxed: the resin/metal parts are protected by foam packaging

Because this is a miniature figurine kit, it requires assembly and paint. Parts are mainly made out of metal e.g. Spider-Man himself as well as the taxicab side windows, roof signage and door handles. The only part that is non-metal is the taxicab itself which is made from resin and doubles as a base on which the Spider-Man figurine rests.

Resin (vehicle) and metal (Spider-Man) parts of the Knight Models miniature figurine kit

A fully-assembled Spider-Man being posed tentatively on top of the vehicle cum base

Below are photographs of the Knight Models Spider-Man figurine after the assembled resin/metal figurine kit was painted by our resident miniature painter. As you can see, for the kit to fully realize its potential it needs to be assembled and then painted. 

Knight Models Spider-Man after it has been painted by our resident miniature painter

Lettering and checkered design on the side of the vehicle base was painted freehand

Spider-Man has a suitably dynamic pose atop the taxicab

Top down view of the fully-painted Knight Models Spider-Man

A makeshift support comprising a piece of sprue/runner was used to increase stability of the overall kit

Color scheme primarily consists of primary hues of red, blue and yellow

Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a spider can ...

Apart from primary colors, the scheme has light turquoise as well as neutral hues of black and white

Painting the base as a New York taxicab adds to the story that is Spider-Man's universe

Spider-Man's agility is a strength and that has been brought to life by a fantastic pose  

Knight Models Marvel Spider-Man miniature figurine kit retails for RM245 in Shire Works excluding shipping. Cash-on-Delivery is available for selected locations in the Klang Valley. These are for sale in Malaysia only and if you're interested please do fill up the contact form on the right. That's all for now from us at Shire Works. Have yourself a great day!

Star Wars 1/12 Scale C-3PO, Fully Painted Model Kit (Empire Strikes Back version)

All fully painted Star Wars model kits offered by Shire Works thus far has been vehicles until now. Presented here is the fully painted Bandai 1/12 scale C-3PO as completed by Shire Work's resident painter. A fair bit of thought and effort is required to get the kit to closely resemble Threepio in the movies. Even then, there are many variations be it the Tatooine sand-weathered or bright and shiny final scene look in A New Hope; the slightly weathered/semi-gloss look in Empire Strikes Back; or even the damaged one eye-out-of-socket look in Return of the Jedi. Shown here is the Empire Strikes Back version.

Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale C-3PO model kit; fully painted

Originally, the model kit came in glossy, plasticky gold parts. However the kit has been worked on to changed Threepio's overall look into one that is predominantly semi-gloss (or satin) with moderate to minimal weathering in parts. Comprising effects such as panel lining, light battle damage and oil leaks, weathering was done carefully to prevent any of the said effects from overwhelming the semi-gloss gold look on Threepio.

A satin or semi-gloss finish to Threepio's arnour provides a mid-level shine

Proportion-wise, this Bandai model kit of Threepio looks spot on

In the original trilogy, Threepio sports a silver right leg (from below the knee)

There is more than meets the eye to C-3PO at first glance. For example, all the innards in C-3PO's midriff have been repainted by hand. And if Threepio's back panel is removed, his instrumentation panel will be revealed. Fun fact: this exposed instrumentation panel with its gold, silver, red and white doohickeys was first seen in Empire Strikes Back.

C-3PO back panel exposed; it was painted with gold, silver, white and red hues

Each and every individual wire on Threepio's midriff was painted with acrylics

 
As an Empire Strikes Back version, Threepio armor is neither too shiny nor too dull as how the protocol droid looked in the rebel base on Hoth in Empire Strikes Back. Weathering was deliberately dialed down so that Threepio retained an almost-new-but-not-quite shine to his gold plated armor.  

Back view of the fully painted Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale C-3PO

Photographing Threepio was a challenge in itself due to his shiny armor

Fully painted 1/12 scale Star Wars C-3PO model kit

Fully painted to resemble Threepio as he was in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, this Bandai 1/12 scale kit retails for RM539 inclusive of shipping which will be on a cash-on-delivery basis to selected public malls in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. For interested parties, please email us at shireworks@gmail.com for more info on the purchasing process.

Game of Thrones Bronn using the 54 mm Nocturna Model Crusader as proxy

If you follow the fully painted works of Shire Works you would know by now that we frequently use existing figure model kits as proxies for their more famous alter egos. Our latest one involves the Nocturna Models Crusader 54 mm resin figure kit from their Heroes and Legends series. Here he is used to represent a character from the Game of Thrones fantasy universe namely Bronn the Sellsword.

54 mm Nocturna Models The Crusader painted as Game of Thrones Bronn the Sellsword

Bronn's woeful expression befits his situation as someone caught up in events bigger than himself

Bronn the Sellsword has been painted in the colours of House Lannister

Detailed freehand painting of the House Lannister heraldry/sigil is the clearest indication that this miniature has been painted as a proxy for a character from the Game of Thrones fantasy universe. It helps that this figurine has facial features that closely approximate those of the intended character i.e. Bronn the Sellsword. 

Freehand painting of the House Lannister heraldy on Bronn's leather armour

White underclothing, brown boots and green grassy base round up the mainly red colour scheme

Leather armor is sculpted with realistic folds and accessories

Detailed scabbard and leather straps adorn the waist area of Bronn's armour

Bronn's overall colour scheme was inspired by the character's appearance in Season 7 of the Game of Thrones television series. Painted, of course, using some creative license.

54 mm Nocturna Models The Crusader [Completed as Bronn the Sellsword]

Technically Bronn is now an anointed knight of House Lannister ...

... and no longer the mercenary he once was

This figurine has excellent sculpted details which have been brought to life through paint

The reds of House Lannister are dull and dark ...

... brightened up only by the golds of its heraldic design i.e. the Lannister Lion

Side view of Nocturna Models The Crusader

54 mm Nocturna Models The Crusader is an excellent resin figure kit

Coming in at 54 mm scale, this figurine is larger than your average tabletop gaming miniature. Shown below is the size of the figurine in comparison to a paperclip and a five sen coin.

Bronn the Sellsword aka Nocturna Models The Crusader resin miniature, scale comparison

Below is a video of the fully painted 54 mm Nocturna Models The Crusader resin figurine showing a complete 360 degree view. 

This project shows that you don't always have to paint the miniature as how it was intended. Your imagination is the limit and you should always paint figurines based on what inspires you most. Most importantly have fun with the hobby and enjoy what you do.