Topic: Customs for the Kid: Smuggler Team & Vehicle [COMPLETED!!]

[darthdaddy]

When Elias and I set out to create our smuggler teams that included the smuggler with their mate, we decided to make half of each others team.  I made an Ewok smuggler and he made me a monkey lizard for my mate.  On the other smuggler team, Elias created an Arkanian and I created her Twi'lek mate.  It was a great way to put a crew together for the new ship I made and stay within the rules of the contest.

At the moment we're calling the Ewok "Pop".  He pilots this muscled version of a K-37 Starstreak racing ship with his monkey lizard mechanic/mate who is often found tinkering around in the engine room of the vessel.  They are currently being kept company by an Arkanian and Twi'lek smuggler team who recently had their spaceship stolen and are earning some fast cash traveling with Pops providing security on the riskier ventures he has been involved with recently.  The four make one great team.  Pop is hoping they will get a lead on the stolen spaceship so he can help his friends get their ship back.




Secret storage located behind a fake engine is where Pop likes to hide his smuggled goods.  Pop fronts as a transporter of spaceship parts.




I still have to grime up the engine room.  A big thanks to L.E. Spry for the engine room idea and Jules for the original vehicle design.  This vehicle was heavily inspired by the work of those two.


I also have to paint the circles to look like computer monitors.  I want it to display the faces of the crew members on the screen.


















I still have to finish painting the gun mount.














I still have to finish weathering the rear of the ship and add a gloss coat over the vehicle.


















The booster still needs to be painted also.


An armory/prison cell/sleeping quarters.




I still need to finish the paint job on the speeder bike I created.




I still have to do all the detail work on the control panels.

After I finish all the work on the spaceship, we have to finish painting all of the action figures.  Hopefully we will meet the deadline.

[CloneSniper78]

The ship is looking good DD! To me it looks more like a pirate ship than a smuggler, but I'm definitely not complaining. I never imagined an Ewok as a smuggler, but you pulled it off perfectly. He even looks kinda tough for a little guy. And the two female smugglers are as beautiful as they are dangerous I'm sure. I would like to see these creations put into a web-comic or photo-novel. The adventures that these guys could have are endless. Thanks for sharing these great customs with us.

[hangarbay94]

now that is really superb!

I absolutely love the detailing on the ship, you and Eli have done a wonderful job transforming the ship into a fully blown custom Smuggler! The little Ewok speeder bike is just amazing.

The custom figures are equally stunning, and like Clone Sniper I think you've created a very tough looking Ewok, he completes the set superbly.

A really creative piece, and one of my favourites for 2011! I now have some serious "Ship Envy"

[Art deWhill]

wow *no words*  THAT is just amazing work!!

[spudafett]

as impressive as the main vehicle is.... for me the tiny little speeder takes the cake.  I love the ewok too, and he looks superb on that little speeder.  I can't wait to see it painted.

What body is that of the twilek?  is it one of the comic pack figures? 

[darthdaddy]

as impressive as the main vehicle is.... for me the tiny little speeder takes the cake.  I love the ewok too, and he looks superb on that little speeder.  I can't wait to see it painted.

What body is that of the twilek?  is it one of the comic pack figures?  

It's the body of Jarael from the exclusive Comic Pack put out by Entertainment Earth.  I found one in a boutique toy store on clearance.  Thanks for the kind words.

Tom and Art, thanks for the complimentary feedback, too.  I'm glad I pulled off the Ewok Smuggler and that you all thought he looked tough rather than cute.  

Jules your feedback means so much.  Not only because you are a true veteran when it comes to creating the most amazing custom vehicles, but mostly because you were the one I saw who first put out a version of this vehicle.  It was my own envy of your version that even got me started on this project in the first place.  Between your version and the one L.E. made, I wanted to have one too.  Both of you had a huge influence over how this turned out.  Anyone who hasn't seen their versions of this ship should definitely check them out in the vehicle thread. 

This is my first custom of a full size vehicle and possibly my last.  The only other vehicle I ever put together was the Pirate Swoop Bike from Jules' Mini Rig Contest.  Looks like you know how to get me working outside my comfort zone.

[hangarbay94]

Dude, your version is definitely the definitive one and you should really consider doing more vehicle customs as you have put so much effort into the detail, I for one would love to see more.

[ActionFigEmpire]

Absolutely fabulous work to the two of you! I love this project so much! Wish Hasbro would do a line of totally original characters for the star wars universe like this!

[JediMerc]

Love that smuggler Ewok!  The shabby beard turned out nicely...and who doesn't prefer an Ewok with a pistol in his hand?
Their ship is looking good as well; very unique vehicle for this tandem!

Nice work!

[Luke Sprywalker]

Brian, your version of this vehicle is amazing! I like the additional parts and the way you used them. It looks like all of them are from the Storm Hawks air bike as I have every part in my fodder bin. I never thought to use them but they fit in perfectly. I am most impressed with your ability to hide the handle under the cockpit, so well done. I  am glad you decided to create the cargo hold it adds so much to the vehicle and heck, it is already there you just have to gut it of the moving parts that are useless. As far as the advice you asked for, once everything is painted I would simply give it a series of dark washes then sprinkle the thing with cinnamon. when the wash dries blow away the cinnamon where you don't want it and leave some in all the edges and crevices. That will make it look like it has actually rusted. Then hit it with 2 coats of flat sealer and the cinnamon is there forever. Great vehicle and crew you have here!

[botwt]

WOW!! 
That is some really impressive work!!

[darthdaddy]

Thanks everyone!  Here are a bunch of pics of the update I made on the project today.  When I have the chance I'll give it a proper photo session and put those pictures in the contest thread.  These are just super raw pics without even taking the time to adjust the brightness at all.  

@ L.E. - All that I have left is the cinnamon.  The ship is done otherwise.  So are all the figures.  Elias keeps saying if I put in on he's going to lick it off, but I don't think he'll want to with a wash on it.  I have to wait until my car is out of the shop to get the cinnamon though.  Bachelor pads rarely have cinnamon laying around.


















The gun on the speeder bike is removable.

[Tamer]

Wow, looks good to me.

[hangarbay94]

Those images of the interior show an extra dimension to the custom, I absolutely love all of the detailing and it's far better then anything I've ever done as I just tend to re-paint. They are wonderful pieces of creative artwork.

[darthdaddy]

Those images of the interior show an extra dimension to the custom, I absolutely love all of the detailing and it's far better then anything I've ever done as I just tend to re-paint. They are wonderful pieces of creative artwork.

Thanks so much for the feedback!  Your opinion means so much.  I'd still take a vehicle made by you any day. 

I'd love to make more vehicles, but space is a big factor.  Our apartment is getting smaller and smaller with all of Elias' toys.  I'm going to have to start selling off future customs if his collection gets any bigger.   Either that or buy a condo at some point. 

I wasn't crazy about the stickers, but Elias loved the playability it added to the vehicle.  It would have been nice to make it geared more toward the adult collector and make the outside match the inside, but I could always update it down the road.

I'll try and take some more pics later today.  I wish I had one of your hangar diorama's for the photo shoot.  The printer I have is terrible.  9 times out of 10, it has a paper jam every time i hit print.  I may try to get the printing of the sticker labels done at a Staples or something and then apply it to the foam board when we get home.  I'll just put all the images on a flash drive and have them printed off of there.  I wish my car wasn't in the shop or I would go today.