by Chris Marks

My model started life as an anatomy model I purchased at the local Dollar Tree. Originally it had rubber organs inside it. Kids were meant to flip open the hinged back and remove the organs for a clean repeatable dissection. I knew when i saw this frog that some sort of machinery was going in there but for what purpose? I then got the idea to add a pilot. But why would a pilot need to drive a frog?

Who knows, but once I started on the insides things just fell into place. The frog is a vehicle, maybe for a race of advanced pixies. The pilot looks like the typical devil may care person you would see in a jet fighter. Some how all this absurdity works. I imagine the ride in a frog like this is pretty bumpy.

The engines and cockpit are a kitbash of star wars model parts, car engines and wires. The pilot was part of a lot found on Ebay. I filled the frogs lower half with plaster and mounted the parts in this ballast. The frogs head was also filled with plaster so that I could drill out the eyes and replace them with newer plastic eyes I found in my parts bin. I decided a poison dart frog paint scheme would complete the image. The paint is apple barrel gloss black and aqua blue. After a base coat of blue I used an old brush to dab a second coat on. The black patches were also applied in this way. The effect is subtle but looks like frogs skin. The insides are painted in a combination of grays blacks, apple green, and metallic paints like silver and copper; all apple barrel paints.

Image: Starting point

Image: Face full of frogginess

Image: Inside

Image: Side view, closed up

Image: Pilot station

Image: Bumpy skin