Mod of the Month - September 2008

Airbrushed Beast Computer

by R B Customs
Worklog

I'll start this off with a disclaimer - I know that many of you will immediately argue that the incredibly talented airbrushing done by resident forumite RB Customs is awesome, but it's not modding.

It's a good thing that I get to choose who gets included then, because I'd hate to see a great job like this get ignored.

It's true that there may not be some hacking and slashing of metal or plastic, and there's not even a dremel involved. But what RB Customs does give us is a very, very good look at the world of airbrushing - this case in and of itself could practically serve as a tutorial for those who want to get their feet wet. He's gone a long way to include explanations of his equipment and his steps, from getting your shape in place to layering the paints for the effects you want.

All in all, it's a detailed, well-executed worklog on a great project - and that's what we're all here for, innit?

RB starts off by carefully prepping the case (a Lian Li PC-P80b), which involves the use of a primer/etcher. This helps strip the anodising and roughs up the surface for his base coat of black paint.

The artwork begins with a cut vinyl outline that RB did up in Photoshop and then ran through a plotter for some machine cutting. As he states in his log, some people may consider this cheating - he considers it making sure you don't screw up when time is tight and you have a paying client. It's also not a bad habit to just prevent re-doing your work ten times simply to adhere to the concept of "freehand" - it isn't as if you didn't create the line drawing!

With the white of Sephiroth's face completed, it was time to start adding the flames. I don't think I even need to explain the image that RB is working from here - and if I do, subtract five points from your geek score.

Flames, along with any multi-coloured design, are carefully layered by starting with the darkest colour. Initially, things can look pretty ugly - but if you follow RB's well-explained steps, you can quickly see how they tone down into a realistic lick of flame.

The design that RB has created actually wraps around the case, and the other side panel will have its own artwork - Cloud's wolf-head pendant.

Personally, I can't wait to see how it turns out. Final Fantasy VII is still one of my all-time favourite memories in gaming, and tributes to it almost always seem to feel a bit...underwhelming. However, RB's work is not only beautiful in its own right, but it also evokes some of the latent memories of that game. If you're as curious as me, you should definitely be keeping an eye on his worklog.

On your way over there, though, make sure to stop by and vote for the Airbrushed Beast by R B Customs as the bit-tech Mod of the Month for September if top end work and worklogs are your thing!