I love my Catwoman mini-bust collection. It took me years to succumb to the temptations of statue collecting, but when I finally did, it was Miss Kyle who pushed me over the edge. This newest Jim Lee designed bust is my sixth (Three Women of DCU busts, DKR, and Halle Berry). Plus there are Julie Newmar and a BTAS versions due out by the end of the year. Now all we need is a Michelle Pfeiffer version and I'll be happy. I've been very excited for this bust since it was first solicited, but I must admit the final product was a pretty big let-down for me. The Joe Menna sculpt is beautiful, but the face paint was a far cry from the paint master. What drives me nuts is that the paint apps on a character like Catwoman are so minimal. It's literally just her face and a zipper. Luckily I'm patient with a paintbrush so I was able to revamp her until I was happy. All the customized pics start around halfway down this post. Let's check out this JimLee designed New 52 Catwoman mini-bust below!
Look at that face. It's such a unique sculpt and facial expression.
Now, I know I'm being picky, but this is a high-end collectible. I think the face is a far cry from the picture on the box. Her skin tone is a ghostly yellow, the red of her lips aren't lined up with the sculpt, she has no eyeshadow, and her eyelashes are gloppy and lack detail. Don't get me wrong, this product is perfectly acceptable, I just expect perfection at this price point.
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Okay, now for my repaint. I made her skin a less sickly color, I gave her eyeshadow, gave her more detailed eyelashes, cleaned up the black lines of her hair, and redid her lips.
Here are a few side-by-sides. Original on Left, custom on Right.
Time for some Comparison Pics!
Here she is with the Women of the DCU Adam Hughes Catwoman mini-bust.
And with the New 52 Batgirl Mini-Bust from 2012
Cheers!
Nice paint-work!! A real improvement!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's always nerve-wracking to attempt a total repaint like this, but I'm happy with the way it turned out.
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ReplyDeleteYeah like I said, the original was fine, I was just unsatisfied. Have you seen her in person yet? Her skin tone was the real cinched for me. It just didn't look right. Thanks so much for your praise. It means a lot to hear it. I only wish I had more time to post and comment. Before I started this I felt like a pretty isolated collector. When I would find a Facebook page aligned to my interests, it would inevitably degrade to a forum of softcover cosplay pics like totally miss the "strong heroine" angle. I complained about this enough that I was eventually encouraged to start this site. I can't explain how fun, easy, and rewarding it's been. Anyway, thanks again, you're the reason I do this :)
Deleteyo make it better. the paint aplication was bad!! very bad for thats price range. but the googles looks cool
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll bet there are some really nice factory-painted versions out there. Mine was just a little jacked with the lips and eyeliner. The skin color is a different story though...I'll bet that's on all of them.
DeleteDude awesome touch ups! I'm probably going to pester you later for some pro-tips for sure.
ReplyDeleteHit me up! My tips aren't that special though. Professionals would mock my cheap craft-store techniques. But I've had enough trial and error over the years to have a good system.
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