Mollymauk Part 1

For a while now I've been wanted to do a figure based on one of the characters from Critical Role.  Once I learned the 1st campaign would be ending, I decided to wait and pick a character from the new campaign.  Well, that started back in January and the characters they picked did not make it easy!  When it comes to 54mm or larger figures there aren't many options for tieflings, half-orcs, goblins, female monks, etc.  I spent a while looking but couldn't find any current sculpt that could reasonably pass for any of them.  So I turned to plan B, find something I could convert.  I settled on the 75mm Child Thief figure from Terrible Kids Stuff.  I'd started it a while ago but the project just didn't hold my interest.  So it got set to the side and I didn't think I'd ever get back to it.  But when I began to look around for potential pieces to convert, the look and pose made me think of Mollymauk.  I just needed to change him into a tiefling (add horns and a tail), extend his jacket down to the ground, and add a variety of smaller details.

Here's a reminder of what the original sculpt looked like.  I began by removing unnecessary details on the pants and clipped down his collar.  Then I started to add details on the main body.  Redid the shirt, added a belt and boot tops.  I made an armature for the tail and horns and sculpted over them (still got one horn to do though).  Most recently I've begun working on the main coat.

Free cloth, like a banner, is tough.  I don't know how the real sculptors do it.  What I've come up with is to place the putty between sheets of wax paper and roll it out to the desired thickness.  Then I cut it to shape and, leaving the paper on, bend it into the desired shape.  The wax paper helps keep fingerprints off.  Once it's hardened I remove the paper and glue it to the figure.  I doubt this is the ideal approach... but it's working well enough for the current project. Last night I did the other half of the coat.

Up next I'll use some more putty to fix the gap between the two halves and the seam where it meets the original coat.  The rest of the coat details will be sculpted directly on the figure.  I've got to do the fabric under the right arm and the hood.  Lots of details to add to the sleeves... but that will be a problem for another day.

I've never tried a conversion this extreme, but I'm quite happy with the results.  I'm hoping to have him done and ready to prime by the end of the weekend.  Fingers crossed!