Sketchbot Prototype Sculpt, Phase Two

As work continues on the sculpt i've learned to NOT over bake Sculpey! However, I did manage to get my carve on and was quite studious in fleshing out the volumes, using two 8" metal files and an X-Acto knife. I then applied a second - and extremely thin - layer of Sculpey, smoothing out as much as possible.  I had to break this into two sessions, as it was getting difficult to keep my detailed work pristine while working on the various parts.  I'll continue on with the bottom half, beefing up the right leg and leveling the character.  The Sharpie paint marker is more for size and thickness reference - i really didn't plan on having him be able to hold other objects other than the customized ones I'll be creating for him.

I've posted more pics up on the Sketchbot Flickr set.

Sketchbot Prototype Sculpt, Phase One

I finally had time on Friday to begin a sculpt of the Sketchbot prototype. In addition to creating a 3d model in the computer, I believe it's equally - if not more - important to execute a traditional sculpt that will allow me to better visualize the forms and volumes, and get a feel for how the object will hold up in real life. Having not actually sculpted since taking a figure sculpting class back in college, I decided to just dive in.



I printed out a size template and used the old cardboard reference trick. I had a pretty good idea how to lay out the underlying armature, however, I think I underestimated the amount of aluminum foil I should have used below the clay layer. I did wrap the thicker wire of the arms and legs with thinner gauged wire so that the Sculpey would have a surface to stick to. (not shown here, once I was rolling I ended up doing less documenting and more sculpting!)




I used an entire(!) box of Super Sculpey just to flesh out the form and ended up baking it longer than instructed because the thickness of the clay was greater than 1/2" at some points. (Next time, I may consider using Styrofoam or balsa wood shaped closer to the actual shape.) The sculpt looked fairly burnt in areas and is rock hard. I hope I'll be able to adequately carve and sandpaper this down a bit. I also need to further explore the "Firm" variant of Super Sculpey that air dries and would most likely have been a better base layer to use. In any case, this first attempt was beneficial in helping me figure out different ways of translating the 2d concept into a 3d form. Stay tuned for more updates!

Sketchbot Plushform featured on Toycyte and ToysREvil

Two of my favourite daily visits, Toycyte and ToysREvil, picked up my Plushform post. It's a great honor to be paired with my buddy kaNO. Thanks Jeremy and Andy!

Sketchbot Custom Plush in Plushform Exhibit and Launch Party @ Rotofugi, June 27th

I'm taking a cue from kaNO and posting a peak of my custom Plushform piece for the upcoming Custom Exhibit and Launch Party to be held at the Rotofugi design store and gallery. This is my second platform custom. Incidentally, kaNO's Moneygrip was my first.


The show opens next Friday, June 27th, in Chicago. As you can see from the announcement, there are quite a few big names participating. I was a late invite (hence, not on the flyer) and am excited to be included with such an esteemed group of peers. Be sure to check out the Shawnimals site for more plush goodness, including the original Ninja plushie!

Cyclawps - My First Spore Creation!

I've been anxiously awaiting this game for years now. Today, EA released the demo of the Spore Creature Creator. You can take snapshots of your creation and even upload videos to youTube. I always cringed when hearing the claim "build and animate characters just like Pixar!", however, this does enable you to get up and running fairly quickly with a fully customized and rudimentarily rigged character. Of course, being an animator I'm already looking for the "Set Key Frame" and graph editor... ;)

Butterfly Robot

This was a day's worth of work I did for a quick pitch idea for a friend. Original character design executed as layers in Illustrator, then animated straight-ahead in After Effects.

Soccerbot 2008!

I am HOOKED on EURO 2008! Watching the matches inspired the following doodles. I especially liked one particular silhouette and decided to turn the Sketchbot logo into a Soccerbot version to show my support. Who are you rooting for this year?

Mr. Turnip Featured on Tomopop

I'd like to give a shout-out to Colette from Tomopop for featuring my custom Munny today! Tomopop is a recent find and quickly became one of my "daily visit" sites, as they feature quite a diverse range of artists and custom projects. Give 'em a look see.

Mr. Turnip Custom up on Custom Toy Lab

My winning entry ("Cutest" Munny) in APW Gallery's Munny Contest is now up on Custom Toy Lab!

"Turnip Takes a Stroll After Falling Off Truck" - Custom Munny

Here it is, my entry for tonight's Custom Munny Show at APW Gallery! Swing by if you're local to see plenty of custom goodness from a slew of participating artists.

One thing I learned from my third custom - if you live by the stencil, you die by the stencil. My designs are intentionally graphic by nature, so it's important that I get as clean a read on the toy as possible. I had planned on painting this one with acrylics but just could not get the fidelity and crispness that I wanted, so I switched gears and decided to try spray paint and masking. I'm happy for the most part, however, the overlapping layers became annoying. I was masked out and decided not to do the white clouds, partly due to the fact that the colours I could find for the sky and sky rays weren't as close in value and caused more contrast than the original design - so the clouds would have made it even more busy to read. I also toyed with the idea of a black outline to further delineate the character from the background. Perhaps I'll try this out on the next one.