Haven’t seen anyone posting their copies, and really haven’t heard much about it anyways as of lately. Anybody know what’s going on?
Perhaps it wasn’t a hit like everyone was expecting it to be.
It’s a great sculpt however I think it could use a better paint job for sure.
It needs JC
Yeah, adding a 5 year wait time on top of the normal wait time is just what this mask needs hahaha
Yea u know man it makes me sad seeing these artist paint or sculpt these masks and so many people are private collectors that we never really get to see it anymore. No new photos, no nothing. The mask goes to a private home. Which it’s their mask so they decide what they wanna do, but it just makes me sad we don’t get to see more.
I’ve seen three copies I think? Do we have any idea if he’s even made it past number 10 on his list? I really hope he didn’t burn out on them immediately. If so… I get the feeling it will be a very limited mask… hope he changes his mind on blanks.
He’s still making them going through in order. I emailed him im still on the list
From what I’ve heard he’s a really good guy don’t seem like something he’d do
I was under the impression, from his Facebook posts, that he recently lost someone close to him.
Ah, man. Hope that’s not the case.
If that is the case, he has my condolences. I do not check Facebook and even if I did I am not friends with him there as far as I’m aware. But again, my condolences.
Probably would be buyers decided on NAGs PS78 instead
I received an email from him. Definitely has stuff going on in his life, right now.
People got on the ID list, way after the PS78 was released. Would be silly to suggest that they all went flocking back to Nik, to grab a PS78.
Hey everyone,
So, to address the main concern; yes, I am still actively working on the mask. Most who have received their copy do not appear to post much on the forums or Facebook group.
Also, yes, the work on these has definitely been slow going. I’ve had to develop my own custom casting methods in order to ensure consistency of quality and scale for each casting. This means that I am unable to rely on the typical pour and dwell process of latex casting, which can produce a pull anywhere from a few hours to a day. The method that I have developed currently takes about a week to produce a casting, but the quality of the castings are much better for it.
Aside from that, I also use a variety of other customized methods for other aspects of the finished product, such as the hair, which is custom dyed and blended from different fiber types. Again, time consuming, but the results are much better for it.
To address the more depressing part of this topic, yes, I had a recent death in my family. My mother died unexpectedly last September. She had been in declining health over the last few years, and I had been doing what I could to keep her healthy. There was a lot of time spent in hospitals, talking to doctors, negotiating with insurance companies, going to physical therapy, purchasing and setting up home equipment, and then when covid hit, taking even more methods to try to keep her safe. I knew that my mom would not live to a very old age, but I thought that maybe I could help her make it to her seventies. That didn’t happen.
Currently, I’m trying to help my grandparents in their old age. Over the last three years my grandfather went from working on engines and farming the land to hardly being able to get from one room to the other under his own energy. This has been a significant burden on my grandmother who is in her mid 80s, just lost her daughter, and is now having to help dress and bathe a man who had always been willful and independent.
Once again, I’m going to doctors appointments, doing household chores and overdue repairs on their property. And trying to do what little I can to make a difficult and painful transition as easy as possible. So, that is one of the main things on my plate currently.
Sorry for the long dramatic explanation. Sorry if all this personal information comes across as tacky. Please, no need for condolences, just illustrating the current situation, and why the project has always been so slow.
This is also why I’m producing these pieces in the manner that I am, and why I can never make any promises on a time frame.
As for the paint work on these masks, that has been a challenging balancing act. The genuine mask itself, based on a lot of extensive and meticulous research, is not a complex or detailed paint up, especially in the first film. There is definitely weathering, most likely caused by the streaks and tips transferring from repeated handling. The popular paint work by most finishing artists is very stylized, and not necessarily an accurate representation of the original hero. It looks very pleasing in photographs, but it doesn’t objectively represent what the mask actually looked like.
This puts me in a challenging situation when it comes to developing a good paint up on the mask. Do I take the seemingly popular approach and go for heavier weathering, and very obviously exposed flesh on the neck, or do I take what has repeatedly (to me at least) turned out to be the objective truth: all painted white, with relatively subtle skin showing through the more transparent white when the camera lighting is rigged for warmer tones.
I have been trying to strike a balance lately, with slightly increased weathering that shows up better in photos. In person, the previous masks weathering looked quite adequate, but didn’t translate as well in photographs. Below are some examples of more recent masks.
I had an email I responded to not very long ago that goes a lot more in depth on what my conclusions are for accurate hero paint, and I may post that in a new thread either tonight or tomorrow.
Thank you for looking.
Wow.
There is nothing wrong with quality over quantity as long as you make it clear that is the focus. Wait times are just part of the hobby. Those pictures look fantastic. I know you said it’s not necessary, but I am sorry for your loss.
Loving those new photos! Keep up the good work James!
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