Gali Bends the Rules

[Fsnorglepuff]

... And cuts them, and glues them, even paints them a bit... Look on to see what I mean.

 

     

 

     

 

          

 

UPDATE: Here is Gali with a redesigned aist, let me know what you think:

 

    

 

 

More pictures available here (as Brickshelf is not working today).

 

Please comment, critique, and so on...

Edited October 14, 2014 by Fsnorglepuff

[Sumiki]

Fsnorglepuff, I'm once again simultaneously delighted and saddened to see one of your MOCs in this forum ... on the one hand, it's very visually stunning - there's a lot of realism and a lot of detail and it's really just gorgeous to look at. On the other hand, modified parts ...  
 
Aside from that (which I'm willing to put up with for the sake of a MOC of this quality), I'm kind of curious as to your color layering decisions. The silver-on-blue seems interrupted with the upper leg and the feet. The upper leg has those Technic bits on the side which come in silver, and the feet just need some silver armor aside from the Technic.
 
Two more notes: if you were going for a MoL-style Gali, I think you succeeded. The chest, however ... let's just say that the Nuva shoulder armor is very overused when it comes to creating breasts. Usually it's not done well and the breasts are laughably unrealistic. Personally I think that the part has gotten a bad rap from many a young MOCist who looks to their bin to make something feminine, but the truth is that it's a very hart part to use right without looking silly, if nothing else but from the aforementioned bad rap. What you've done here is really the only way to use them on a female MOC for breasts, and bravo for not only daring to use them when they nearly always look terrible, but for actually pulling it off.

[Eyru]

what is this i don't even

 

In a word: gorgeous. You use parts so creatively; everything fits perfectly (and where it doesn't fit, you modify it ). I especially love the head design, and the silver/blue colour scheme is wonderfully done. I honestly don't have any criticism, which I know isn't particularly helpful, but I figured I'd drop some praise because this MOC definitely deserves it. Awesome job!

[joev14]

Not sure if this is intended to replace your Mistika version, if so, it would certainly look out of place. That aside, this creation is beautiful. The detailing done with the tubes and minifig arms is gorgeous.

 

Here's my criticism. While I'm not too picky about the modification of parts, in some places it feels like you tried to modify, just for the sake of modifying. Much of the upper torso looks a bit overdone, and you probably could've achieved the same look with a lot less cutting.

 

Finally, and I hate to be blunt about this, but I absolutely hate the lower legs and feet. They look awkward, oversized, and extremely out of place in comparison to her torso and arms. The knees seem a bit exposed as well. (That's been something I've noticed with a lot of your models).

[Steve the Squid]

As usual, this is great. I'm always a bit disappointed to see you using the same techniques on mocs over and over, but you're just so freakin good at nonpurism. I love it.
 
Edit: what's going on in the rear?

Edited August 26, 2014 by Steve the Squid

[Fsnorglepuff]

Thanks for the comments all.

 

Sumiki - the layering is actually intentional. The blue thigh technic is there so that some blue actually appears on the thighs (otherwise they would be entirely silver, save for the joints) and the feet balance the blue of her head. If lego made the parts, her hands would have blue fingers too... and then there is my attempt to make the feet out of mata parts, which (disregarding that I do own light gray ones that I'd rather not destroy, they being so rare) necessitated that there be blue feet. As a side note, I actually designed her chest as a unisex chest plate to be used for all Nuva to come - I'm glad it works so far. 

 

joev14 - specifics as to what was over-modified? I actually reduced the modification of parts there to simplify the torso design so that the torso has more uniform complexity with the rest of the body, haha. Knee guards are something I've been looking into, though at least they are no longer skinny from the side. The feet are no bigger than any toa foot ever released in sets, in fact they are smaller than most. What could I do to make them smaller?

 

Steve the Squid - Yeah, well most of my MOCs are an evolution of the original design, and since I focus on the Nuva (matoro just being a fun application of the design and Ignika being the only one I could make at the time, despite having no reason to look like the Nuva) I hope to get away with keeping the chest the same. Though the rest of it is significantly overhauled. 

[Makuta Luroka]

As a side note, I actually designed her chest as a unisex chest plate to be used for all Nuva to come - I'm glad it works so far. 

Then I'd make the male toa have slightly wider chests and shoulders. She definitely looks very feminine, and carries the proportions perfectly.

[Chro]

This is how you properly mod parts.

[Fsnorglepuff]

 

As a side note, I actually designed her chest as a unisex chest plate to be used for all Nuva to come - I'm glad it works so far. 

Then I'd make the male toa have slightly wider chests and shoulders. She definitely looks very feminine, and carries the proportions perfectly.

 

 

Absolutely That is exactly what I did for Kopaka. He is even better in some ways, particularly his glow in the dark eyes... but I had to cannibalize him somewhat to build Gali, so it may be some time before I post him. Of course, I also have to update him so that he has all the new stuff Gali has.

[randomreviewerbros]

WOWWW....

I'm lost for words, this is unbelievable, its beyond brilliant, just the use of minifigure arms on the torso has me thinking this is just unbelievably creative and original, i have never seen that done before, i just can't believe how great this is!

Phenomenal work!

[Kopekemaster]

Looks amazing. My favorite parts are how you did the eyes - yes, modding, but it came out great - and the wrist articulation that just seems... human. I don't know how, really, it's different from others, but it just looks really good.

And those abs.

[UngluedBike]

Wow. Lego should hire you, good job! Based on this, I'd really like to see how you approach Pohatu, could you possibly do him next?

 

-Bike

[Sumiki]

As a side note, I actually designed her chest as a unisex chest plate to be used for all Nuva to come - I'm glad it works so far.

 

Proportionally, I think it works here because of the shoulder-hip ratio. You may want to consider modifying the proportions for future use - if not in the chest, then possibly in the shoulder armor.

[Mask Of Speed]

How'd you get so many light grey minifigure hands? I only have one pair from my TC-14 figure.

[Fsnorglepuff]

Thanks again all for the feedback! 

 

UngluedBike - Pohatu is definitely on the list. I already have his color scheme laid out, even a thigh made so far. But I need to get parts and figure out a good foot design. I expect that he and Kopaka will be next. 

 

Sumiki - absolutely. Her unique shoulder connections are specifically to decrease the shoulder width from the male design, which is about two studs thicker on Kopaka. Originally her chest plates were shaved down too, but the collarbone area additions forced me to use the full Nuva armor. Until now I've been constantly cannibalizing parts between Gali and Kopaka because inspiration for a better design struck... I'll have to be careful to keep Gali built so the rest end up with masculine proportions by comparison. 

 

Mask Of Speed - there is a certain online unofficial lego marketplace that I cannot mention by name (as crucial it is to MOCing, it is against BZP guidelines to talk about other sites with forums if I remember the reason correctly), but let's just say it can link buyers to brick. Any brick you can imagine and even those you have never seen before, and it is there that I have procured most of Gali's parts, including those light grey minifigure hands.

[dviddy]

You can mention Bricklink. We did away with that rule recenty, and Bricklink has been allowable for years.

[Mask Of Speed]

Yeah I know about Bricklink, but the light bluish gray hands are kind of rare. In Lego Star Wars only TC-14 and Emperor Palpatine from the Imperial Inspection have light bluish gray hands. Thanks.

[Infamousevil]

A moc of Gali with her movie look, this is pretty good.

[AngyWangy]

Where can I see more of your stuff? This is awesome!

[Wrinkledlion X]

Man, that's crazy-intricate. Loving all the greeblies, I don't think I've ever seen a Bionicle MOC with quite the same "texture" before.

 

That said, I'm thinking that her hips are a bit narrow? Bionicle's history of insanely broad shoulders has conditioned us to consider these proportions feminine, but they're actually quite manly. (Squinting your eyes so that you just see her outline makes it more apparent.) I'd try and modify the hips to about the same width as the shoulders. 

[Radiant Avokhii]

I absolutely love this MOC! It's got remarkably good proportions compared to the canister sets, and it looks just like the MoL version of Gali. My only nitpick is that I don't like all the modded parts because if you don't keep inventory of which ones you modify, whoops, there goes your ability to assemble whatever poor set you cannibalize. But this one, everything is so well done. Usually with modded parts, it comes out bad, but this is just plain amazing. I just want to buy all six of the toa built in this manner and put them in a shrine to my love for bionicle   umm, display case and just admire them. Also, Gali just gives off a very Kiina-ish vibe with the exaggerated gestures, and it makes her look much better than her portrayals in the other sets where she's just so mature and serious. I feel like the Mata deserve another fun care free to a, maybe even more. Sorry for ranting, I just love this MOC. It's the only one that's made me just go wow when I first saw it.

[UnderscoreChronix]

This is a female MOC done right. It doesn't have over exaggerated features like stick-thin limbs, overly narrow shoulders, rounded parts on the chest that are huge and stick out really far... The proportions of this MOC seem spot on. Well done.

[Click]

Although I do object to what you do to pieces, I love what you do with them. The shaping is beautiful pretty much everywhere, especially the head and neck area. The one part I do object to would be the waist. It's kind of boxy and too straight up-and-down. As previously mentioned, the waist is kind of slim too. It needs to be a bit wider, at least by a stud or two to get some better proportions. I'm also not a fan of the blue arms, as they don't really look like muscles. Basically, it would be nice to have a curvier waist with larger spacing between the legs. She's also really tall and slim.

 

You know, just to provide some criticism.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Click

[rednas3636]

I salute you sir, because that was just awesome

[NickonAquaMagna]

Minifig arms used for abs... GENIUS

[Fsnorglepuff]

Great to know I can finally refer to Bricklink haha. I just remember being scolded a few times way back...

 

Mask of Speed - I'm almost certain there are many minifigs with light blush grey hands that have been available. If you have a set with one, you can order replacement parts directly from LEGO. Might charge you an arm and a leg, and you have to buy the whole torso, but it can work. 

 

AngryWangy - I have some WIPs and past stuff on Brickshelf. Honestly my past stuff seems like garbage compared to my current work, haha. 

 

Lego Dino 500 - haha I never rebuild sets, in fact I haven't bought a set since 2008 or so... Toa Ignika was the last, and that was just for the mask. I cannibalize my own creations, but I never rebuild inferior models anyway.

 

Click - wow, I think you're the only one to object to the minifig arms! Any suggestions on what to replace them with? 

 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback, I will try to change the waist some. I have tried widening it various times, but I didn't like the result. It seemed forced, unnatural. Perhaps a complete redesign of the waist would be needed. I'll try to post pictures of what she looks like with a wider waist this weekend. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by Fsnorglepuff

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

I need this in Skyrim. xD This is absolutely amazing, when I first saw it I thought it was art of some-sort, like a doodle done over a 3D model, but it just happens to be neither (still art though)! You should be proud, this is one of the best Bionicle MOCs depicting a character realistically I have seen in a good long time, maybe even ever. If LEGO ever sold sets like this, I would buy it rather then a bunch of the regular ones! You sir, deserve the Augustus award!

 

Look at you, you are the first to win my 'Double Augustus Approved' Award!

Edited January 19, 2015 by Iaredios

[Tahu3.0]

And you continue bringing awesome mocs to us this moc is amazing and big and last of all detailed.

[Sumiki]

Please don't post in topics that have been inactive for 60 days or more. This one clocks in at over four months, so ...