Melas (Sarkan Smuggler)

Melas is a Sarkan male, exiled from his homeworld of Sarka for showing an interest in other alien species. Before he was forced to leave Sarka, Melas stole a fortune in gems and metals. He missed his family and friends, and turned to smuggling to distract his attention. He was fond of smoking an Essoomian gruu pipe in order to heighten his awareness.

Parts: Head (Ketwol), Torso (Ketwol), Arms (Ketwol), Legs (Malakili), Coat (Ketwol).

Supplies: X-Acto knife, super glue, file or emery board, brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Photo stills from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and a bit of imagination. I wanted to do this character for my cantina diorama, but I wasn't really interested in copying the exact clothing he was supposed to have. I wanted to make him a little more original, even if I sacrificed a bit of accuracy to do it. What is really neat about this character is that the same mask was used for Melas and Ketwol, who also appeared in the cantina scene. The mask was turned around backwards and new clothing was used. So when the Ketwol figure was released, it was kind of a no-brainer to buy an extra one to make Melas.

Step One: I used the X-acto knife to cut off Ketwol's trunk and horns. I used an emery board to smooth the areas where they had been. I then turned the head around backwards, so that the back of the head became the face.

Step Two: I removed the Ketwol parts from the waist down and replaced them with the parts from Malakili (the Rancor Keeper).

Step Three: I cut the boots off, shortened them and glued them back on to make the figure shorter than he had been.

Step Four: I used Super Sculpey to form the little turban on Melas' head and cured it with boiling water.

Step Five: I painted the shirt black and the turban a light brown. I made the sash around his waist a faded red color. The color scheme here is really a matter of preference.

Step Six: I cut the Ketwol cloak to make a vest for Melas. After putting it on, I dry-brushed a bit of "dirt" and "sand" colors over all of his clothing.

Step Seven: When dry, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to protect the paint and reduce the shine.