Where do I start?

If you're just getting ready to start on your very first Stikfas custom, you might be wondering where to begin. Well, here we have compiled the suggestions of the SCG members to help give you a guiding hand. Read through the quotes below to see what first-time advice other Stikfas customizers have to offer.

Words from the wise:

"What one piece of advise would I give the first timer?...Probably to not get too hung up on where you're at in terms of skill. Don't feel discouraged when you and your customs are around others of "higher skill". The whole point is to make the figure you want. So what if someone else can add "better" details. What makes a custom, or any creative work for that matter, is what you put into it. Your time, energy, and love of what you're doing. And that transcends all skill levels." - Aaron Mullins

"The one piece of advice i'd give is to have fun,to me Stikfas are a blank canvas waiting to be made into whatever your mind can think of." - Larry Greyczik

"Take your time. I've seen a lot of customs that are good, but could be great. If you take your time, you'll notice things you wouldn't have, if you'd rushed the job." - James Mosingo

"Try not to judge your work until you're all the way done. Sometimes a custom won't look good until that last little bit of paint goes on." - John Stevenson

"...probably something along the lines, if you can imagine, there's a way to do it." - Timmetry McKalikov

"Don't be frugal when buying paintbrushes. You may not use the super-fine brush for months, but when you finally need to paint those dozen-or-so question marks on your Riddler custom, it will be your best friend." - Daniel Kienoff

"Write down your ideas first and foremost. Plan everything to the smallest detail. It will help in the long run so you don't end up trashing your custom." - David Ruiz

"Just have fun with it and don't be intimidated." - Aye Mayanor

"The advice would be to think the custom through drawing helps." - Mat McHenry

"Practice as much as you can, especially on spare parts. Before trying a new paint technique, test it out on a spare Stikfas torso. Or, if you're going to sculpt with Epoxy for the fist time, test with some extra pieces to get a feel for the stuff before working with your final figure. The same goes with paint colors and your final protective coating... many have found their ink lines running due to spraying the protective coating too heavily (myself included), so TEST whenever you can to keep the surprises to a minimum." - Brian Spradlin

"Preparation is the key to a positive first experience. First, have plenty of drawings or reference photos on hand to go by. Then try to assemble as many of the materials as possible. Finally, be sure that you have the tools to do the job. They don't have to be expensive, but trying to saw through a B-nut with a dull pocket knife can be frustrating and dangerous. Having everything lined up ahead will allow you to work on your custom with out loosing momentum, and having the right tools will at least reduce the risk of loosing a finger." - Tim Brown

Don't worry about what skill level you are. You have to remember that some people have had years or months of customizing skill. Learn from these people. I know when I started I want to be like Pope, Kel, and Spradlinb. So I learn all I could from these guys as well as other. Oh and when you do decide to start customizing start small and work your way up. Crawl before you get up and start to drive. - DeWayne Muse

Don't get discouraged if a custom doesn't work out exactly how you wanted it to. But most of all take your time, especially when painting details such as camo, muscles, faces etc. - JT Williams

I would say, "Don't worry about messing it up!" One thing that keeps my customizing so slow is that I am afraid of ruining a figure or wasting material, but once I finally just do it, it usually turns out better than I could have hoped. Thanks for including me! Yeah, he did take a long time. I think I worked on him off and on (more off than on sometimes) for about four months. - Nathan True

As far as advice goes, start simple, and go slow. Practice the neccessary skills on simple pieces, and then move on to more ambitious endeavors. My biggest tip is to mask out painting areas, nothing can ruin a custom quicker than a sloppy paint app. - Heath Freeman (esquire)

My advice to a new customizer would be to keep it simple. Even though I'd had a good amount of customizing experience before Stikfas, I stuck to paint and sticker for my first custom so I could get a feel for the product. Go through a few bashes and find a combination with an emphasis on fun, playability, and solidness of construction (since you'll be playing with it non-stop for a while after customizing). This is going to be your first, and you'll want it to last. Scudder (my 1st custom) has outlasted several of my more complicated (and usually more fragile) customs, and still remains my favorite figure to date. Focus on the motto "Simply Fun" and you won't go wrong. - Mark Hebert

Don't be afraid
Get some more
Now your hooked
 - Matt Armstrong

This may have been said already, but when cutting off the flash, cut AWAY from your hand, not toward it. This particular lesson cost me a trip to the emergency room. Also: when customizing the Omega Knight, the head may get stuck in the cylindrical helmet. Try freezing it, which will cause the head to shrink and make it easier to pull out. - Jason Clarke

Don't give up customizing if your Stikfas doesn't turn out well as some other's customs. Most of them have had more experience and soon you'll get better. - John Mehrkens

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