Introduction: Gameboy Sculpting: "Bricking" Your DMG
Ever wanted to do something to your DMG besides paint it? Me too, so I busted out my sculpting tools today and some Aves Apoxie Sculpt and went to town. My original idea was to just do some red Mario style bricks, but in tradition of the DMG's nickname "Grey Brick" I decided to do just that.
Step 1: Prepping
I got this old DMG-01 from the goodwill for 4 bucks, so I wasn't going to be bummed if I screwed up somehow. Take your GB apart (assuming you know how and already own a tri-wing screwdriver) all the way down to just the face plate. Then carefully pop off the screen (good time to replaced your screen cover if need be). After you have it all stripped give it a light sanding (I had to go nuts since my $4 DMG was crapily spray painted black)
Step 2: Applying Sculpt
Next I just evenly applied the sculpt all over the face plate, smoothing it out bast I could as I went (wearing gloved helps). Dont worry about the over hang and sloppy parts, you can take of them later and it will be easier as the sculpt sets up a bit more. I let it sit for about 15 minutes while it gets firmer and no so sticky.
Step 3: Clean Up Sculpt
Now that the sculpt is a bit firmer we can trim it up and its more like soft wax and less like sticky play-doh. Trim around all the edges (I also chose to carve out the contrast pot) and also make sure you trim out a nice edge for your screen to go back on as well as nice smooth holes for you buttons. If its not perfect don't worry you can also re-work some ares after your cured.
Step 4: Starting Your Brick Pattern
Now for the fun part, sculpting your brick (on your brick _ ). I have fancy sculpting tools, but I didn't even use them, the back of butter knife from the kitchen works very well. Just cradle the blade across the face to get those straight lines, thats it, just make sure they are evenly spaced.
After that, you do your vertical lines, we all know what brick pattern is so i wont break it down.
Step 5: Texturing
This is when you ad texture to the brick and add realism while also making your lines look cleaner. See that Dremel bit hanging out of my D-Pad? I used that to roll around on the sculpt to add grain, you can also just use some gritty sandpaper or anything similar. Make sure you change direction and patterns a lot so you don't have in repetition in your texture.
Step 6: Painting
Now your painting your DMG, I paint everything by hand cause I like to use my Vallejo Game Color Acrylic paint. Do the whole face plate it a solid dark Grey color (see image to the left)
Then your doing to dry-brush a lighter grey on to it. Dry-brushing is like dusting with a small amount of paint on your brush so it only picks up on texture. This technique will make the brick come alive!
Step 7: Optional Step
Last but not least, we drill the hole for the "pro sound" Mod which only cost about 3 bucks to do
Step 8: ALL DONE
Here is some completed images of the DMG, the buttons are from a NES controller (the A,B, and D-pad buttons all fit right in with no mods)
47 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
GREAT SKIN!!!
11 years ago on Introduction
This looks like one of the Gameboy systems that was featured in Nintendo Power about 20 years ago. Someone designed one that had a brick theme to it. I couldn't find an image of it but I always did like that design. Nice instructable!
12 years ago on Introduction
This is really kool i might do this to one of my game boys, i own three grey and two red game boys. Thanx for sharing this with us!
12 years ago on Introduction
Could you also brick the back of the DMG?
12 years ago on Step 8
do you know if the nes button mod would work with a gbc ?
12 years ago on Introduction
Just curious, is there any particular reason you didn't do the back of the Gameboy?
14 years ago on Introduction
What is a DMG? Also, I thought by the title you meant to brick the device, like rendering it so useless, that it becomes as useful as a brick XD ;)
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
The original Gameboy is Model number DMG-01. It stands for Dot Matrix Gameboy. In the game community we simply refer to them as DMG's as apposed to "Original Gameboy" or "Classic Gameboy" And yes, the title was a play on words (hence the quotes) it was suppose to trick you ;0
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Wow, Dot matrix gameboy, Then the Gameboy color, That makes sense...lol
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
You forgot gameboy pocket -- then the color :)
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
You forgot the gameboy light
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Gameboy pocket...rings a bell, I think O_o
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
If you guys want to be super accurate... it would be DMGs, then Gameboy Pocket, THEN gameboy Light, then the gameboy color ;)
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
gamyboy light?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
slightly bigger than a gameboy pocket, but its backlit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_line
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
i think the gameboy light is newer...
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
no, the gameboy light is from 1997, the year after the pocket, yet before the Color
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Gameboy pocket?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
read that WIKI I posted... it breaks therm down in chronological order
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
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