Hybrib Pyro Lindberg Dimetrodon

[artdecovampire]

Watch this space. I have my Dimetrodon on its way. Part of an e bay bundle its a little bit worse for wear and it will make a great start. I also have dino valley spinosaur willing to donate its sail and tail.

[artdecovampire]

Here is my donor Lindberg kit which arrived today already in nice easy pieces. Its missing a foot so theres some work, but I'm thinking of remodeling its legs anyway. Theres also my Spinosaur which will donate it's sail. This is an action figure so it needs unscrewing I have other plans for its remains. First steps to my superlinbergasaurus version of what is a clunky but much loved kit by me.

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[artdecovampire]

Having disassembled my spinosaurus, even with the bit below thats not visible, the sail is clearly not big enough or with enough spines. I think my main issue with the original sail is that its not tall enough or quite the right shape. You can see from book illustrations at the time of sculpting several images have the low sail. I think my aim, like with the steg is to make this kit a kind of PS and make it a bit more exciting and a bit more like an aurora kit. I might get a sail out of a revel re-issue and cut it up, er..sorry, re-model it, or I might make one from scratch.

I have some light welding rods which I bashed about on an anvil to give them a more uneven texture so they don't look like too mechanical. Set in Milliput they'd be great Im sure. I could then get some tissue paper and some balsa wood aircraft dope and stretch it across like skin on both sides of the spines. This will give me a taught thin look. If I use the Revel sail my next question is what to do with a dimetrodon without a sail? Any ideas? You must have!

[artdecovampire]

Its the Easter holidays for me and since I have a small window of time I'm pressing on with the dimetrodon. I have decided to start a custom sail and if it doesn't work out, go with something else. Im going to proceed with the welding rod and tissue option. The picture shows the body cavity, the original sail and the plan for the new one. I'm going to use this and some double sided tape to cut and lay out the rods. Then I'll link the bottom ends with some putty. The lay it over the original sail to dry to attain the curve of the original. Its not a bad plan as far as I can see. I'll probably add detail such as nodes and lumps on the rod with putty before tissue-ing it.

The feet on the original are tiny so I'm going to make a press mould of the revell re-issue foot in poly clay and then make pressed copies with putty and carve them to fit. I'm still thinking of what to do with the oddly shaped head and inaccurate teeth!

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[artdecovampire]

Well as you can see from the pics, the homemade sail just didn't work.  No matter how I did it the spines moved about and short of super gluing them to a piece of card they were just too fiddly. So I had a go at making a base to take my mind off things.  

In the end I got a sail back out of the loft and cut off the sail, made a profile template and bent it with hot water and a hair dryer, it fitted very well.   The I added the feet after repositioning the legs.

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[artdecovampire]

I had made a press mould for the head and used milliput to form a more accurate shape, which like the feet had to set. Suring the wait I went back to the base and made a second section which included a small waterhole, complete with Diplocaulus bones. I planned to use this part of the revell kit along with the spider so it would be an appropriate touch. The base would also link to the aurora base if needed, but I shan't be using the plastic base with it.

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[artdecovampire]

I always find a coat of primer reveals the areas in need of filling and fixing. So even though its still rough and ready I gave the model a light coat. Still plenty of sanding and filling to do but this gives you the idea of my vision as a whole. A slight improvement over the original Lindberg design and the base links to my Hybrid Steg PS style.

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[artdecovampire]

Detail of the front foot and head.

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[prescenes2]

Again, an amazing improvement over the original! I dig the backward legs. Always been an awkward look but very memorable and unique.

[artdecovampire]

Thanks Presecenes. Years ago my late-dad and I spent ages figuring out those legs. I think the original sculptor was trying to get a primeval sprawling feel and with the legs being angled back so far they do look on the wrong was round. Those revell feet look so much better than the originals. I've made copies in milliput from a press mould for the original kit that now has no sail. I got the kit in a PS auction bundle with a Cory and a protoceratops as well as the ubiquitous steg. I've got plans for the protoceratops, an open mouth, and a lot of texture on its back and frill. The Cory I'm going to get to bend over and graze the floor. As for the stegs. Well I have about three old stegs in various states of disrepair so I think I might have another crack at a polacanthus or even do a bigger conversion as a Sauropelta. You can do wonders with the back but the legs won't move no matter what you do!

With the general cost of PS and the revell re-issues out of stock, lindbergs are a cheap way of having a bit of fun.

[artdecovampire]

I haven't forgotten this thread. I will be on to the next stage very soon as I am trying to get my Lindberg Protoceratops to open its mouth! Which is a bit difficult without extensive re-modelling.

[artdecovampire]

As you can see the fat lady has not yet started to sing. Base is done and dusted. A nice rocky Permian outcrop with a small spring. A Diplo' from the Sail back kit, a diplo skull modeled by my own fair hand and nice big spider. The base is a two parter for storage reasons. But the hybrid monster has only just got a first coat and its going to look like the original Sailback box if I can mange it. Nice close up on the re-modeled head and neck showing a nice wattle. Fingers crossed for a nice dark wash and an orangey red dry brush

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[artdecovampire]

More view of the base and finally big red hybrid.

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[artdecovampire]

Just as a bit of fun I did this.

[psgreat]

Wow! Most awesome work! You are inspiring me to make some bases for my Pyro/Lindeberg/Life-Like Dinos ( I have a few layin' around... ) AND the Airfix Dinosaurs... Well done Sir! :}

[artdecovampire]

Thanks psgreat. I really enjoyed doing this after the Stegosaurus I did. In the UK its hard to get hold of any PS based modifications like the 'what if ?' kits and horned dinosaur heads. Lindberg kits provide a cheap fun alternative. Its a lot more difficult to come up with something good as the sculpts are very old. I am now working on doing something with the revel dawn of time dimetrodon that donated its feet and sail!

[psgreat]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... What could it be.... Looking forward to see what you come up with.... enjoy! :}

[andymoscarts]

Wow,Art,you have really pushed the boat out on this,The melding of Pyro nostalgia,with a Huge dollop of beautifully sculpted P.S. tribute base,has created a wonderful piece of work.
If I had done this I would be chuffed beyond belief.

[artdecovampire]

Well that's very nice of you to say and I do value your opinion having seen your kits. I sat and looked at it for quite a while after it was finished, next to the Steg. I then got a head full of ideas where to go next. I decided I would do the Protoceratops, as I have a donor kit, an Ouranosaurus to use up the parts. That I'd make the bases so the two new ones would link all four, just like the PS kits do, despite the odd scales. I then found myself making a separate base for a Pyro caveman holdinga rock, like a mini Neanderthal man and sculpting a load of palm trees for a mini Lindberg style jungle swamp. I then looked around and I ended up with half a dozen projects going all at once. I felt a bit overwhelmed and screwed up all the Sculpy and realised I need to pick my battles. I think the Sail back and the steg worked simply because I went with the flow and went for it. Too much planning leads to too many ideas. I've done some sketches so as not to forget and do one at a time! Brain overload.

[TAY666]

[quote author="artdecovampire" source="/post/4112/thread" timestamp="1402141170"Too much planning leads to too many ideas. [/quote]
Been there, done that.
All those ideas start to cloud the vision and judgement.