feedback for custom idea and any tips you might have

[rosierjay]

hi i just started doing customs. ok... this is my first one.
but i keep going back and forth on a few details... my other pony friend hasn't given me much to work with
 so i'm reaching out you!

ok so the first one i'm doing is a gen4 body. recreation or ponization (not sure of the term) version of
ben 10 from the new series that aired last saturday. i have the body designed (black) but i keep going back and forth about the head.
not sure if i do the head black or flesh tone. or i should do the hair brown or match the tail. (green)
or what kinda combination of them. i'm getting most of my resources of how to do this on youtube. or stalking around here for tips. so i'm open to any sealing or tail hairing suggestions etc.

thanks for all the help.

ok so this is the character i'm doing.
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the taller of the two.

edit: ok so i got the painting done, now still deciding on the mane hair. (tail hair is same green as the stripe)
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so far i'm really enjoying customs. but i'll see if i still like it after fully finishing my first one.

[Maniah]

I don't know anything about Ben 10, so I have no advice on that front.. But Customs as a general rule of thumb should be treated as collectibles and not be played with. The work that we do to them is fragile. Even if you seal a paint job, it is never as good as the original paint and it gets messed up easy. Hair comes out easier unless you go plug by plug and weave them inside. The easiest way to rehair, with a rehairing tool, only tucks the hair into the head. You then have to smear a lot of glue in it. Still, its just glue holding it in.

For a glitter effect, you can mix glitter with mod podge and paint it on, or you can apply mod podge or sealer or varnish directly to the pony and sprinkle the glitter on.

[rosierjay]

i know that they are usually collectable and for display purpose only. which i totally respect.
i was just hoping, with how excited my niece has gotten about ponies (she's five) I could make one for her.

[Starly]

Glitetr paint exists too, no one seems to mention it.

[Maniah]

You absolutely can make her a pony.. But expect for her to destroy it pretty fast. I just mean to say that customs really cannot be made to the factory standard that the toy originally has.. The work just isn't meant to be handled.

[Griffin]

For your niece's pony, I would use a bait that doesn't require a full body repaint. A pony that gets handled a lot will get squeezed and the paint will start flaking after a while. Of course symbols and other painted parts may get scuffed, too, but since they're smaller areas they're not nearly as likely to get ruined, especially when sealed for added protection. (Assuming your niece plays gently with her ponies!) Acrylic paints and the commonly used sealants should be nontoxic to my knowledge but I would only give a custom pony to a child old enough not to put it into her/his mouth. And needless to say (?), sculpted parts are pretty much out of question.

As for the hair, it's best to use the needle & thread or wire method, the knots inside the head will make the hair essentially impossible to tug out. You can use double knots or secure the knots with a dab of glue.

Sorry I can't help with the other project, I'm not familiar with the series or character. Hope someone else will be able to give you some ideas. Good luck!
 

[Sarahlacewing]

You could try pit pens, temp tattoo decals, india inks instead of paint with the hopes they would actually stain/adhere to the body instead of sitting on the surface.  I've used pit pens very sparingly once or twice and I didn't notice the same plastic damage you get with some others.  They are slow to dry and will smear if you touch them too soon though.  Dying is also an option but it will fade over time and it won't take evenly to a g4 base in most cases.

"For a glitter effect, you can mix glitter with mod podge and paint it on, or you can apply mod podge or sealer or varnish directly to the pony and sprinkle the glitter on." This is what I do also.  I meant you seal it anyway and to be its less bulky than glue.

[Maniah]

India ink pens are also slow to dry and smear very easily.

[Colorscapesart]

What neat ideas!  If you have a pic of the Ben 10 character, we might be able to help with your design options if you like.

I love making customs for kids!  To see their eyes light up is a wonderful experience!  It depends a bit on the age of your niece, but ponies are toys that are made to be played with, so it's actually really easy to keep them playsafe, Hasbro has done the work for us!

~For little kids like toddlers I recommend keeping the pony body and hair original.  Just let the parents know gently that pony isn't a bathtime friend and overall you should be fine with acrylic paints and a little sealer.  (I actually have heard my ponies have survived the bath a few times, LOL)

~For slighty older kids, like 6+, You can usually get away with new hair if it's well secured.  Sometimes even a light gradient if its well sealed. 

~For 10?+ More than likely anything goes except heavy/delicate sculpting.

These are just my experiences, hope they help!  Can't wait to see what you create!

[ViciousJupiter]

I have made my boys superhero ponies before.  The full body repaints did take some wear, but overall they lasted a long time.    CSA had sme good suggestions.  I also fully support using the knotting meathod for the hair.  It will keep it from getting tugged out on the many restyling sessions.  as for paint, as long as you use a good sealer you should be fine.  Just make sure they understand not to put it in their mouths lol.

[rosierjay]

this is some great feedback. i added an image of ben if that helps.
think i will go with a full black head, but still torn about the mane.

[Ellis1342]

The easiest way to make a pony for a child is to avoid FBR.  That being said, rehairs are pretty sturdy if you use the needle and thread method. Thats gonna take a while and hurt like mad, but it does hold up well. You can use rub on decals for the symbol and new eyes. As for glitter...I would say modge mixed with a bit of glitter over the decal. It won't be a totally sturdy for play pony, but it may stand up to very light play. I would consider making two though. One with only a new symbol maybe eyes and then a more elaborate version for the shelf.

[rosierjay]

added a picture of the custom so far. any further feedback on it would be great.

[PaintedHooves]

I would definitely have the mane match the tail in the green you have picked out.  If you had made the pony flesh colored and painted on the jacket, then definitely have the mane and the tail be brown.  It's generally a good idea to have both match and doesn't look too weird.  It's not a bad idea to put a stripe of another color in there though.  So you could do a green mane with a small brown stripe in it.  Just a few thoughts

[Griffin]

While I would usually say the same as PaintedHooves, and I would've said that before seeing the pictures, I actually think brown mane would look pretty nice on him, especially if you gave him more hair plugs and cut it short. But there's always a risk of not liking it that way and it's difficult to go back if you do the additional plugs... Green mane with a brown stripe sounds like a great suggestion, too!