How it was made:
The suit was first roughed out in Kneadatite, then sanded back and resculpted with finer detail using black Aves Apoxie Sculpt. This two-stage process helped establish clean forms while preserving the softer, tailored look of the on-screen costume.
The hair was also sculpted in Kneadatite (Citadel’s “Green Stuff”), while the head itself became a composite effort (detailed further below). For the base body, parts were kitbashed from multiple figures: a Caprica Six provided the legs, torso, and neck, while the arms came from a female Battlestar Galactica military figure. All components were heavily modified—cut down with a Dremel and resculpted to match Roslin’s proportions.
The glasses were repurposed from a DC Direct Tim Hunter figure, trimmed and repainted. They were designed to remain removable and adjustable, with subtle strands of sculpted hair helping to hold them naturally in place.
Smaller accessories followed a similar philosophy of adaptation. “The Searider Falcon” book began as a dollhouse piece; a redesigned cover was printed on photo paper, wrapped around the original, and trimmed down to better match the Battlestar Galactica aesthetic. The military map came from a McFarlane flight deck crewman figure, with its corners reshaped, while the display base was sourced from various McFarlane Spawn releases.
Creation process for the Roslin head sculpt
To achieve a convincing likeness, I initially turned to digital methods, using a now-defunct service called “that’smyface[dot]com,” which generated a 3D-printable head from reference images.
After assembling front and profile screenshots from the series, I submitted a model - only to run into scaling issues almost immediately: The first print arrived at roughly three times the intended size:
To resolve the issue, I provided their customer service with some accurate measurements for a reprint:
A replacement followed, but this time at approximately 1:18 scale - far too small for the figure. After another delay, two additional prints arrived, both defaulting to that same undersized format, ignoring the specifications entirely.
Rather than abandon the process, I used it as an opportunity to experiment. The oversized print was recast and used with Hydroshrink, a material that contracts as it cures by expelling water. By adjusting water ratios and casting multiple versions, I produced several progressively smaller copies. After about two weeks of drying, I selected the most accurate shrink, molded it, and cast a final version in Smooth-On resin.
Even then, the limitations of early 3D printing were evident—the surface still showed noticeable striations. In the end, I resculpted much of the face by hand to refine the likeness and restore detail.
The final head and hair sculpt turned out well enough that I created a mold of the combined head and torso, leaving the door open for future reproductions.
Paint and finishing
The finished piece was painted using a combination of Mr. Hobby lacquer paints and Vallejo acrylics, balancing durability with fine surface control. The entire figure was then sealed with Mr. Color clear coat, which handled both paint types cleanly and provided a consistent, refined finish—one that, at the time, surpassed even Citadel’s matte sprays in reliability.
Final touches included selective gloss varnish on the eyes, lips, and shoes, adding subtle contrast and bringing a bit of life back into the otherwise muted palette.
Finished Custom figure:Original Reference:
