NEW WORK COMING UP!

Sometimes it's difficult to be working on new art, and documenting simultaneously.
Currently I've been working on some new stuff for the group show "The Study" at Rivet Gallery in Columbus Ohio. I'm looking for ward to being there for the opening Sat June 6th. The Mid west is great in the Summer! I will have some paintings as well as limited edition resin creations. An Automated Pirate, as well as "THE LAST" Robot Gangster Mouse.
Also the one off sculpture "Punch Bot" I'll be posting sneak peek pics here tonight.
The long awaited Angry Clobber Monkey is coming along nicely, but still a bit of a wait. The factory is doing a wonderful job, and it will be arriving in the USA the first week of July. We were really expecting a late May release, I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut until they are actually here. Although at the Rivet Gallery show I will have an actual Angry Clobber Monkey vinyl toy on display!!! Not for sale, but for show and tell.
This is not a Prototype! But an actual factory sample of the finished product.
YAY!

I'M BACK!

Hey there I disappeared in a work hole for a bit. Right now I’m working on a big project I would love to tell you all about! But (Sigh) I can’t at the moment. I will be very excited to write all about it, hopefully by Fall I can spill the top secret beans. This weekend is the Skully Show at Chuckwa Sat check out the excellent photobucket gallery. Right now I have some shows coming up. Soon at Munky King we will be doing the Angry Clobber Monkey release, as soon as it is scheduled you won’t be able to shut me up about it. For those of you in the Mid West I have an event at Rotofugi first weekend of June and I’m in a cool show at the Rivet Gallery in Columbus Ohio June 6th I’m gonna be there too! More details as they arrive. Also more to come on the making of the Mark Ryden YHWY vinyl. The traffic has been strong here at the Making Stuff blog! So thanks for coming back again and again.

CUSTOM SKULLY!

I'll have 2 custom Skully's in the custom mini Skully show at Chuckwa in Fullerton CA. Over 90 artists took a whack at making this cool little piece their own.







"There's Something In My Eye" #1 and #2 will be available at the show, opening May 16th! I'm really into rusting up toys lately.

THE SHADOWS KNOW!

Another aspect of the smoothing technique, using light and shadow to reveal tiny details.
I'm again using the old YHWY sculpt for a demo. Usually you will use his method when you have reached the final smoothing stages, at the finishing point.

THE SMOOTHING TECHNIQUE!

I was looking for any good coverage I might have of the smoothing technique that I talk about. That is one of the number one things I am asked about when it comes to sculpting.
My good friend Don Asher helped me out by shooting this short video. The YHWY sculpt still exists. It's kind'a beat up, but was in great shape to do a little demo. I keep almost all of the sculpts that I make for vinyl. Unless they are completely destroyed by the molding process.

WHAT ABOUT THE BODY!

The roughing out of the body, legs and arms. The figure has to balance on it’s own before the sculpt can move forward. The foot positioning was going to be the solid foundation for the figure. I arranged it so the right foot was flat and the left foot toe made contact with the ground to form a solid triangular base.



The legs and butt form a flat table top for the body to rest. The bell shape of the dress is solid in the interior and has a flat level surface. You can see a line on the forehead this is to center the head body and legs. When the sculpt is converted to vinyl there’s no way to control any shifts the material will make over time. Figuring out which parts will be rotocast “Hollow Vinyl” or injection Solid plastic. Any part that bears weight will usually be injection plastic.



Tiny arms tiny hands. Check out the previous post where I go over how to set up the armature wire with thread: http://davepresslersculpting.blogspot.com/2007/11/sculpting-arms.html Getting the tiny fingers with finger nails is going to take allot of freeze spray and a magnifying glass.



The rough arm and hand taking shape. I ran into a piece of armature wire (I hate that!) It got buzzed down with a dremmel tool.



Checking that the arms are the same size. And the pose matches the original panting as closely as possible.



My work space in 2006. Hmmm cluttery!













THE HEAD THE FACE THE EYES!

As the face was coming together it was time to insert the eyes. It’s necessary to have a full hard plastic half sphere the eyeball remains consistent.



Hey it’s children of the damned! This is the initial positioning of the eyes. The orbs will be the perfect size when they are set back in the head. All of Mark’s girls have very large saucer eyes. Also you notice there is line etched in the center of the face. At this point it’s important to define where the center of the face is.



After gouging out a socket for the eye, I started to rough out the lids and brow ridge.



This is the part where it takes the most concentration. To keep smoothing, comparing to the art and getting the face just right. At this stage I use smaller loop tools. It’s almost like doing cross hatching on a sketch, removing very little clay.



Having a small mirror helps to make sculpting the symmetry and ears easier.
Study the mirror view and copy it.



The mouth was not working out. Mark and I had some conversations about the mouth being cuter and more full. Sometimes for me the easiest thing is to wipe the slate clean and start fresh with a new idea. Never be to precious with your sculpts! Always be ready to slice off a nose or chop the mouth off. It feels like “Oh my god, but I put so much work into that!” If it’s not working it’s just in the way. Besides doing it a second time is always faster, you already did it once.



The new mouth was based on another of Mark’s sketches. More full “Sexy Innocence” if you will.



Again with the freeze spray. Once the shape is right I want to start tightening the detail. The circuit freeze is again my best friend. Freeze up the clay and sculpt it while it is rigid. Repeat as necessary.



Another good technique for attaining symmetry, turn the sculpt upside down. The new perspective will reveal areas to address.