(Topic ID: 91499)
Linked Games
Metallica (Premium)
Stern, 2013
Topic Gallery
Torrance, CA
Looks pretty cool....I like the hint of green on the veins of his hands. Looks like you had yourself some fun 
Your talented!!! How long does something like that take? Not just amount of actually working time but time waiting for colors to dry, masking off, etc. Days? Weeks?
been waiting for a thread like this!
may i ask what kind of paint, brand, and color? you had almost exactly the same idea as me, i was thinking more of a "666" or other inmate type number, but man you nailed it.
Thanks everyone. Been a while since I've painted anything like this, was just as much fun as I figured it would be. Doug you're so right, I need the game. Working on it! 
I've seen some sweet custom ones, I think this hangs with them okay, but really all that's important is that I'm happy with it. I'm easily my worst critic. Some things might have been easier if I busted out the airbrush, but decided to do it all with a couple small brushes and acrylics instead.
Quoted from Pinballerchef:I like the hint of green on the veins of his hands.
The green came from mixing in a little iridescent green I had left over from repainting my EATPM, so it's got a spiritual connection to Elvira now.
Quoted from t2:Your talented!!! How long does something like that take? Not just amount of actually working time but time waiting for colors to dry, masking off, etc. Days? Weeks?
It was an all day project yesterday to get it 90% done, from priming in the morning to stopping at night. I was live tweeting those progress pictures as I went, I could probably check the time stamps. Luckily I had a free Sunday to just relax with it. There are a lot of layers, and while you can usually work on one thing while something else is drying there is a little patience built into that time frame too. For example the helmet is a base dark silver, then after that dried I dry brushed on a light silver, then painted the bolts brass, and then washed them with a diluted black to outline them against the helmet.
The bolts on his helmet and cuffs are little faceted 'jewels' from a craft store, they make great bolt heads after a little paint softens out the edges. Just super glued them on before priming. Hat tip to my wife for the idea, was trying to think what I could use to make the bolts and she suggested it.
I hit the tongue with 3 coats of gloss medium, it looks nice and nasty and wet in person. 
If you pay someone to do one of these, and they're charging you a few hundred bucks, just know that you're getting a really good hourly rate out of them, even with some practice and experience these are more work than they look like to get nice.
Quoted from ATLpb:been waiting for a thread like this!
may i ask what kind of paint, brand, and color? you had almost exactly the same idea as me, i was thinking more of a "666" or other inmate type number, but man you nailed it.
It's all acrylics, but various brands. Some of it was thicker medium Liquitex, some of it was actually airbrush paint, and sometimes I'd blend the two. Like Liquitex Mars Black mixed with Createx black airbrush paint gives you a really nice flowing medium, good control for things like the knuckle tats when you're using a thin brush. I was pretty happy with those BTW, managed to get a Ride the Lightning song lyric into them. Spent a car ride going somewhere thinking up 4+4 letter combos.
I just counted, there are around 20 bottles of paint lying around from this, but like I said, some are duplicates. Think there are 3 whites, 2 blacks, etc.
For the washes I was mixing a drop of acrylic into a little airbrush reducer. I just make little cups out of a piece of aluminum foil as a go, you're working with small amounts of paint at a time, and they'll dry out before long, so best to keep it small scale and disposable.
When it comes to acrylics you basically get what you pay for. Cheap paint covers like crap. We're not talking a lot of money here, like pass up the 99¢ stuff for the $2.49 stuff and you'll be fine for the most part.
Roosendaal
Quoted from steigerpijp:Hats off to you Aurich, looks great !
Coming from you that's a super compliment. Looking forward to seeing that new one you teased me about!
Nice Job! Mods like this really set a game off from the standard ones when done correctly. You nailed it!
Much appreciated good sir. I will try this in the next few weeks. will settle for results half as good as yours.
Quoted from ATLpb:Much appreciated good sir. I will try this in the next few weeks. will settle for results half as good as yours.
I'm not a crazy model painting master or anything, just have a little wargaming experience and done my share of minifigs back in the day, but if I can help with any questions just let me know. It's a good time, have fun with it, your game will feel awesome for having the personal touch.
Edmonton, AB
Quoted from marksf123:Looks great!! Where do you buy the sparky to paint?
Pinball Life, I guess the stock is hit or miss, but I got a tip from a local pinhead to check and luckily they were in.
Mt Martha
Quoted from jardine:Most realistic one yet. The orange suit is the best option for sure. Prisoner #---------- would look good on the shirt.
I thought about it, but didn't want to busy it up too much. With the TIME 2DIE tats and the D.O.C. stencil it felt like enough text. Number would be another fun place to stick an easter egg though. I'd have to think what a good Metallica number would be.
the detailings look GREAT.. the gem studs, helmet metal, jumpsuit color, eyeballs, veins, tattoos, teeth etc.
kind of a shame the stock one dont look so lively like that. it'd be neat to see it getting zapped with strobes.
(idk if the game already has LEDs as spotlights alternately strobing for him to be riding the lightning)
just looked to youtube videos from other sparky threads, the game kinda slow strobes but I didnt see fast strobes directly aimed on sparky himself like a typical halloween haunted house electric chair animatronic gets. looks like thered be room to hide a couple of em safely tucked right behind a couple nearby bumper pins for it.
Quoted from zizzlemeplease:looks like thered be room to hide a couple of em safely tucked right behind a couple nearby bumper pins for it.
Just needs a couple floating tinfoil asteroids.
Quoted from jardine:Most realistic one yet. The orange suit is the best option for sure. Prisoner #---------- would look good on the shirt.
Aurich did terrific work 
but if you wanna know how it looks with prisoner on it, see
Just so we're clear the Koop Sparkys are f***king top notch, and I bow to him. He told me to watch out for his latest and it's clear why, not only is it masterfully done, but he knew I'd dig the dia de los muertos theme. That one above is actually probably my least favorite of the ones he's done, even though I obviously dig the orange uniform I'm not big on the green Sparky thing for some reason.
nice job. not too busy and like the fact that you went flesh-tone instead of the typical green hued skin
are there blacklight leds that would fit in the two spotlights that light up sparky?...that would look cool if you could use some glowing blacklight paint...
Quoted from cosmokramer:are there blacklight leds that would fit in the two spotlights that light up sparky?...that would look cool if you could use some glowing blacklight paint...
Blacklight LEDs are basically uniformly disappointing, they just don't put out enough light to really make anything glow that well. That's been my experience at least. They might as well just be dim blue-purple lights.
I did consider building an EL wire rig for his helmet, using white EL wire, but ultimately decided I wasn't a big fan of the look.
Quoted from Rickwh:I would think the el wire would limit the head bangin action too?
Possibly. Anyone have EL wire mods installed who can comment?
I can always add it later, no big deal to sculpt some mounting points, paint them to match the helmet, and glue them on. Think I'll wait until I have a game to mount it in and see what I think.
BTW - I've had a couple people ask me to paint their Sparkys. I'm flattered, thank you, but I just don't have the time to take that on, and what I'd have to charge to make it worth while with my lack of free time would be offensive to all parties, so I had to decline.
It would be fun though, I do wish I had the time to tackle a few more.
Quoted from cosmokramer:are there blacklight leds that would fit in the two spotlights that light up sparky?...that would look cool if you could use some glowing blacklight paint...
Have tried this on my green Sparky which had fluoerescent paint on it and totally agree with Aurich, dissapointing. So, removed them
Quoted from Rickwh:I would think the el wire would limit the head bangin action too?
A freind has ELwire and I have non-EL wire to the helmet. Dont notice any limit in head banging. Sure there is some, has to be, but not noticeable for me at least
Quoted from sillyoldelf:Superb work. I think that's my favourite. Looks natural and perfect fit for game. Well done.
Not to discount everyone else's opinions in any way, but compliments from people who've done work I admire (TSPP and MB decals rule) are the best, thanks.
Quoted from Rensh:A freind has ELwire and I have non-EL wire to the helmet. Dont notice any limit in head banging. Sure there is some, has to be, but not noticeable for me at least
Good to know. I still might explore it at some point. I'd do it with white wire, nice and clean and not cartoony, and you can get it pretty thin, again for the not cartoony look.
Might be fun to rig it up to a Pig 2 and program in some kind of pulsing effect. 
Quoted from Aurich:BTW - I've had a couple people ask me to paint their Sparkys. I'm flattered, thank you, but I just don't have the time to take that on, and what I'd have to charge to make it worth while with my lack of free time would be offensive to all parties, so I had to decline.
That looks badass, liked how you did the bloodshot eyes.
Great looking job. Orange prison jumpsuite is the best!
I was thinking of trying uv paint on sparky with uv flashers and uv GI in the sparky area. "Wildfire" has a full line of uv reactive paint. The effect should be much more impressive using those paints.
Frieth
It depends on how you mount the EL wire. With a little creativity and some hot glue you can basically make your own "stress relief" for the wires.. I'll post a pic of how I did it. I had issues mounting it the 'default' way...killed the action. I love the way I have it right now.
Quoted from Frax:It depends on how you mount the EL wire. With a little creativity and some hot glue you can basically make your own "stress relief" for the wires.. I'll post a pic of how I did it. I had issues mounting it the 'default' way...killed the action. I love the way I have it right now.
Oh nice, please do post a pic, I'm still on the fence with it all.
4 weeks later
Quoted from steigerpijp:cool , you finally got your machine!
Yup, loving it. Have a sub coming today, I'll probably leave it next to Tron and hook the sub up to both.
I have to say, it was immensely satisfying the first time I started electric chair multiball to see my own Sparky do the dance.
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