I recently finished working on a 30cm Hellboy figure that came to me with quite a story. A client approached me after being disappointed with the original paint job and asked if I could give Hellboy a second life. I couldn’t say no – he’s such an iconic character, and this was a great opportunity to push my skills with larger-scale figures. This is only my second 30cm piece ever, and I wanted to make sure every detail – from the skin tone to the subtle shading on his coat – felt true to his rugged, comic-inspired look.
Before painting, I had to tackle a few challenges from the 3D print itself. The model had noticeable gaps around the neck and hands, which were the result of a rough print job done in another country. To fix them, I used greenstuff putty – my first time trying gap-filling on a large-scale figure. I took my time blending the seams carefully, sculpting the areas until the transitions looked natural. Once smoothed and primed, the repairs completely disappeared, and seeing that transformation was such a satisfying moment.
For the paintwork, I focused on achieving rich reds with layered highlights and shadows to emphasize Hellboy’s muscular anatomy. The goal was to bring him to life while keeping that gritty, cinematic tone that defines the character. Subtle weathering and texture work on his coat helped tie the piece together and add that final bit of realism.
This project was a perfect mix of repair work and creative repainting—a reminder of how rewarding it can be to take something that didn’t turn out quite right and transform it into something special. I’m thrilled with how Hellboy came together, and even more excited about learning new techniques like gap-filling and restoration along the way.
