Darth Vader statue “Reflections”

This started as a random idea at 3 in the morning. I thought how cool would it be to dust off my old Unleashed figures and repaint them as brass statues, kinda like what Sideshow did with Sistros and Braata.

I first began by cutting off the Cloud City bits that were already warped from storage. I covered them up with thin styrene sheets. I then added a staircase on the side compete with railings.

I spent a good bit of time puttying and sanding the Vader figure, but many of the mold lines still remain. Still, the helmet looks much better.

For painting, I tried one of the alcohol-based Liquid Gold paints from Vallejo, called Old Gold. It took several coats, but it created a very convincing brass/bronze look with a high shine. I then took highly-thinned Vallejo paint and made washes and filters to town down the shine. I finished it by using Game Color’s Jade Green in the crevices to create the look of brass patina.

I repainted the base in dark grey and neutral grey tones. I added a light wash and some dust/dirt in certain areas. I really just wanted a simple, toned-down base that didn’t detract from the statue.

I then added a Micro Machine Anakin Skywalker figure to the front of the base.

Not much to tell here. I wanted to create a “mood piece”, a reflection of Anakin as a child and as the tyrant he would become. I like how Vader is raising his fist as a sign of power, whereas Anakin is pointing upward with a bit of curiosity. It makes for a very introspective piece.