Altered Vessels Studio

Oh this guy…. Eclipse Cultist. Considering the lyric connection how could I not post about this new build now?! I’d already planned the build before the album came out so when I heard the lyrics I almost fell off my chair…

I love random connections like that. Just deepens my love and admiration for everything that is Sleep Token. The fact that a random facey posting about someone who had stumbled upon the Eclipse Cultist Pop vinyl figurine and had commented on how it looked like Vessel is really what spurred my whole journey on with creating figurines (so thanks random person!).

Anyway on to the build. The Pop vinyl used in this build is number 259 – Eclipse Cultist. For those who don’t know, the Eclipse Cultist comes from Horizon Zero Dawn, an open-world action role-playing video game. The Eclipse is a non-tribal faction and secret militaristic cult in service to the rogue artificial intelligence HADES.

I’m planning to turn it into a 2023ish era red mask Vessel. Red mask, furry cape, red tipped pauldrons, ninja shoes with white strap(?) detail. Are they straps or laces? I’ll have to do a pic deep dive. (Staff explained below)

I will smooth out the wood grain texture on the face mask to better paint it. I can’t alter the shape of the chin as it’s built in to the bottom of the head so if I use a thin sheet of clay over the top half of the face to form a thin mask layer and smooth the chin texture then paint the chin black with a little mouth that define the chin section and solve the wood grain texture issue. I love the “furry” detail on the back of the neck, perfect for his lil furry cape. I do have some fake fur that I can use as an alternative if I don’t like how the existing stuff looks after paint. I’ll give it a test run when I start work on it.

I won’t need to add any pauldrons as the cultist already has them. The shoes are a good match for his ninja boots and I’ll carve the skirt up with a dremmel to look more like pants. Basically carve him a crotch (sorry Vessel!). He looks like he needs to be holding that funky hooked oval staff thing he had a while back. I’m going to have to do some pic research and grab some references so I can sculpt it. The Pop has an odd hand pose not to be holding something but makes my job easier. Maybe it’s accessories sold separately? His fisted other hand looks perfect to be holding a mike at his side so I’ll sculpt one in.

I may have to carve down the bandoliers on the Cultist and I might leave the neck ruffle as the suggestion of his necklaces as I think the only other alternative would be to file it all down to a chest and then sculpt some little necklace chains.
Dammit and now my brain is thinking about how fkn cute lil chains would be and if they could move around…. nooo I’m creating more work for myself! The eyestrain alone at trying to make an insanely small moving necklace chain links… OK I’ll compromise – let’s put it on the “ideas to be considered for inclusion now or in a future project” list. Yes it’s a real list don’t look at me like that…

The existing hood I’ll leave alone. The little dangley bits are pliable so I can change my mind later and cut them off but I’d need to smooth the little side gap with some clay to fix the shape. I think I’m going to have do that anyway as it’s going to bug me later because it looks glued on (which it is). I’ve got some ideas on what to do for the red edge lining around the mouth part of the mask but I’ll leave the details for the build post as I think it’s pretty clever.

Do you like my new cutting board (found on Etsy) 🤩? It’s perfect for build displays and fits so nicely with the Alex Tilbrook album artwork for each song. Also yesterday must have been Jerry day as not only did I stumble across some dusty flamingo cookie cutters at Kitchen Warehouse but as I was waiting in line at the newsagent I found fluffy Jerry socks! Perfect timing as it’s starting to get cold here now. I’m thinking black clay flamingo Jerry Christmas ornaments and sculpt a little red Santa hat out of red and white Sculpey. Too cute!

Can’t wait to get started on this build! He’s third in line for construction. I need another set of arms so that I can work on more things at once! I get so impatient to start all the new ideas that spark into my head so I have to practice some restraint because if I don’t, I’ll never finish the first thing I started 😁

After Eclipse Vessel will be a glorious hooded pinstripe suited iv being the dapper devil that he is. I feel bad that he hasn’t made an appearance yet so I had to visually include him in a small way (last pic above) haha

Worship! 🖤