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Mystic
The
Dark Crystal (1982)
Manufacturer:
Black Star Models
Sculptor:
Unknown
Material:
Resin
“Another world, another time, in the
age of wonder. The land was green and good until the Crystal cracked
and a single piece was lost. Strife began and two races appeared;
the cruel Skeksis and the kind Mystics. The Mystics live in a dream
of peace. Their ways are the ways of natural wizards. Yet now there
are only ten. A dying race numbly rehearsing the ancient ways in a
blur of forgetfulness….” (excerpt from The Dark Crystal)
This model is a representation of the
kindly creatures created by Brian Froud and brought to life by
Muppet creator Jim Henson. I say representation because it is not an
exact rendering of the Mystics in the film. It is however an
excellent version.
I do not know who sculpted the kit
and probably never will since Black Star Models is defunct. But of
their line of kits, I think this is one of their best. The design,
detail and execution of the piece are great. The casting was
excellent with little clean-up which made the build of this kit a
pleasure. When completed it stands 7” tall. The kit includes the
figure and staff, no base, and 2 heads – one with sculpted hair and
one without hair.
I chose to go with the “no hair”
version so I could add my own coiffure to the little guy. In
addition to the application of hair to Mystic’s head, I added fur to
his costume. This texture was sculpted into the kit but I figured
since I was using real hair I certainly couldn’t go with sculpted
fur. Both were applied in layers, over several days, using Elmer’s
glue. I also added some additional costume details such as braided
cords with beads around his neck and on his back.
The figure was hand painted with
acrylics and very little airbrushing. I added multiple layers of
washes to get the textures I wanted and highlighted by dry-brushing.
Everybody needs something to stand on
so I had to make a base. I used a wood base from the craft store and
added sand to recreate the Mystics’ magical patterns as seen in the
beginning of the film.
The hair and fur made this a time
consuming project but well worth it. The kit screams to be
customized as elaborately as you like and the results can be very
effective.
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