Thursday, October 28, 2010
Andrew Reynolds
I started this one immediately after finishing the Thomas sculpture. I ran out of steam though. The obvious choice for The Boss is the frontside flip. This should give you an idea of how my sculptures look in the early stages of development. This one was sculpted in a softer wax which allows me to work faster. But it adds a step because I then need to make a mold and cast it in the the harder green wax to finish the details. The pole coming out of his back is just a temporary support to help establish the pose. Anyway I think the thing that killed this for me was the fact that it would eventually need to be supported by a big rod. I got turned off by that. I'm gonna try and come back to it eventually. Maybe when I can make things levitate with my wizard skills.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A Brief History
Depending on your point of view (mine varies from day to day) I had the blessing (or curse) of being raised by artists. My mom is a landscape painter and my dad is a professional sculptor. This being the case, I was raised around art and my path as an artist was pretty much written in stone from birth. In fact, shortly after I was born, my mom apparently showed my father my hands and said, 'These are the hands of a sculptor.' Well I'm not one to believe in fate but genetics don't lie. I've always been involved in art in some capacity. As I mentioned earlier, I started skating in 1994 and I was instantly obsessed with it. I skated as much as I could and eventually became friends with a small group of skateboarders in high school. Kind of funny to think back to this time period when skating was still rather unaccepted. We were constantly harassed in school by the 'jocks' and 'preppies'. Of course we thrived on this and it fueled our punk rock attitudes. Remember when skate boarding was synonomous with Screeching Weasel and NOFX? Those were the days. So our little group donned baggy clothes and skated constantly. It was in many ways the best time of my life. I grew up in the suburbs of Philly and the closest skate shop was Fairman's in West Chester Pa. Fairman's sponsered some big names in skating including Bam Margera. It wasn't uncommon to stop by Fairman's on a weekend and spot Kerry Getz or Mike Maldanado. The skate scene was growing quickly by this time and I'm glad I was part of it. Of course I wanted to be sponsored but I was just never good enough. My skating career was highlighted by a couple sprained ankles, and a warrant for my arrest issued because I hadn't paid a fine for skatebaording where I wasn't supposed to. My friends and I made some films of our exploits and we tried to take this stuff seriously. At the very least, I'm glad it was documented. The skating is not spectacular but I suppose it wasn't bad for 2000 or so. Anyway it's proof of the fun I had. Here's me in our last home brewed video. And yes I push MONGO! LOL
Even though I failed art in high school (due in large part to skateboarding) I've always loved creating things and the Independence that goes along with the creative act. When I left high school, I spent the next year skateboarding and working at a department store. I was pretty directionless. Eventually, at my mom's urging I enrolled for classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. As usual Mom was right, and I fell in love with art school and the creative atmosphere it offered. The Academy of Fine Art in Philly is very traditional art school and this is where I learned to proficiently sculpt human anatomy. Upon graduation, I once again fell in to the doldrums. How could I possibly apply my artistic education in a practical sense to make a living. This time my dad stepped in and suggested that I attempt to break in to the commercial sculpting field. I got my portfolio together and was eventually hired by McFarlane Toys in June of 2003. My employment at McFarlane Toys gave me the opportunity to learn the commerical side of fine art. I learned how to add the polish and detail to a piece of art and make it producible on a larger scale. Basically creating fine art for the masses. It's a long tedious process
Even though I failed art in high school (due in large part to skateboarding) I've always loved creating things and the Independence that goes along with the creative act. When I left high school, I spent the next year skateboarding and working at a department store. I was pretty directionless. Eventually, at my mom's urging I enrolled for classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. As usual Mom was right, and I fell in love with art school and the creative atmosphere it offered. The Academy of Fine Art in Philly is very traditional art school and this is where I learned to proficiently sculpt human anatomy. Upon graduation, I once again fell in to the doldrums. How could I possibly apply my artistic education in a practical sense to make a living. This time my dad stepped in and suggested that I attempt to break in to the commercial sculpting field. I got my portfolio together and was eventually hired by McFarlane Toys in June of 2003. My employment at McFarlane Toys gave me the opportunity to learn the commerical side of fine art. I learned how to add the polish and detail to a piece of art and make it producible on a larger scale. Basically creating fine art for the masses. It's a long tedious process
The process
Disclaimer - This is a long boring part that will only interest a handful of people. I get asked frequently about the process that goes in to making these sculptures so I'm attempting to answer all the questions at once and it's a long story. I'm trying to give some insight in to how muc hwork goes in to every one of these sculptures. For those of you that want the short version; I do all the work myself. I do all my own sculpting, molding, casting, painting, fabricating, design and decal work. I'm a one man band.
People also ask about my materials so here's a quick breakdown:
I sculpt in wax. It's called castilene and I mix it with carnuba, bees wax, and hardener pellets. This was McFarlane's recipe.
The sculpting is primarily an additive process. I'm not carving away at a block. I start with rough, generalized masses and actually add little by little until it's defined enough that I can start on the details. The wax melts and can be worked very quickly at about 300 degrees. I use a wax pen (kinda like a little soldering iron) for this. At room temperature the wax is very hard and is self supporting. I can handle it all day without wiping away details.
I sculpt with a lot of metal dental tools. I use a little alcohol torch to heat them up. I also us a wax pen. Couldn't live without that.
The molds are made from GI1000 silicone rubber. It's the best stuff available and it costs me roughly 100-150$ to make the molds for one figure.
The castings are made using two part urethane resin. Much like what our skateboard wheels are made from.
Paint is done using exclusively acrylic products. No fancy brand or any weird tricks. Most of the time I actually use primary colors and mix my own paint.
Decal work is done using Photoshop, water transfer decal paper, and a laser printer.
Most of the fabrication work like the bases and skateboards, trucks, wheels etc. is accomplished using styrene plastic.
For those of you that want all the details... here you go.
The process begins with a concept. You pick the the subject for your sculpt (in this case Jamie Thomas). Then the pose - smith grind.
At this point I begin gathering reference. The more the better. I usually create a folder on my computer for the subject I am sculpting. Then I spend hours browsing the Internet gathering photos that I feel will help me. It's actually more difficult than it sounds because every pose is so specific to the subject that is being sculpted. Good portrait reference is especially hard to find. In order to sculpt a decent portrait you need as many angles as possible to sculpt from. It's often impossible to find exactly what you are looking for and you have to fill in the blanks.
Sometimes if I'm really struggling trying to capture the anatomy or clothing, I'll try to approximate the pose myself and take pics. My wife is very patient and she never tells me I'm weird. ---
Once the reference is gathered I dive in to the sculpting. I usually start with a generic body that I sculpted specifically for this process. It's 12 inches tall (1/6 scale). I cut the body up and re-pose it. It's usually a big mess at this point and I spend a lot of time re-establishing the anatomy to make the basic structure of the figure correct.
Early on I also need to start thinking about the base for the sculpture. Particularly the terrain that needs to be duplicated in order for the figure to look correct in the pose that I've chosen. Whether it's a hand rail, pool, ledge, whatever, I really try to get everything correct. It's important to consider how the skateboard sits in relation to the feet and the object that it's being ridden on. If this isn't established early on, it will not end well.
So now that I have the basics established and I'm happy with the pose, I start sculpting some details. Roughing in the clothing, tuning in the anatomy etc. Making my final tweaks to the pose.
I'll then really go nuts with the detailing. I try to capture the movement of the fabric, and the specific type of material that I'm imitating. I try to make sure the anatomy is as realistic as possible. I often find myself struggling to sculpt these skinny skaters after spending so much time sculpting huge muscular comic book characters for McFarlane. I do my best to get the sneakers correct too. Sculpting laces and tread patterns on the shoes is a pain but I find it necessary to get the look I'm after.
The portrait is always the hardest part to nail down. As I mentioned before, finding good portrait reference for these guys is not easy. Especially because I really need perfect profile, 3/4 and frontal views. Your average skater isn't going to be posing for beauty shots. So I do my best with what I can find. Ideally I'd love to take photos of the person I'm sculpting so I can have exactly what I need, but I haven't been this lucky yet.
The sculpting usually involves a lot of back and forth. I make tons of mistakes and often rework areas 3 or 4 times before I'm satisfied. The final detailing of a sculpt eats up a lot of time. I'd say the average sculpt takes about 90 hours to complete. (That's JUST the basic sculpting.)
Once the sculpting is all done, I double check to make sure that he fits correctly on the board and the base (stairs, rail, whatever). I then cut the figure apart to prep it for molding. This step is needed to assure the best possible castings. Without going in to a lot of detail, if this process is not thought through well, you can have big air pockets get stuck in the mold or it will just be impossible to pull the casting out of the mold.
So I make a box for the pieces I'm going to mold and I pour silicone rubber over them inside the box. Once the silicone cures, I cut the mold open and pull the wax original out. I then seal the mold back up by wrapping packing tap around it and pour liquid resin in to the cavity. I pressurize the castings in an air tank to assure no air bubbles get trapped. Once the resin cures, I pull the casting out of the mold and clean up the seams and flashing. Just like cleaning up a model car kit.
After it's cleaned up I get right in to painting. I use all water based acrylics. Nothing fancy. I custom mix most of my own colors and spray the larger areas like pants and shirts with an air brush. I brush paint a lot of stuff as well. I use a lot of washes to create a natural 'painterly' look on the figures. I like adding some dirt, grime, and even a little blood on the elbows or whatever. Anything I can do to give the piece some life and realism.
If there are graphics on the shirt or skateboard to replicate, I also do that myself. I basically grab the document I want, scale it down in Photoshop and print it using a laser printer and decal paper.
Again, this is super tedious but it's gotta look right!
I fabricate my own skateboards from styrene plastic. I custom build all my own trucks and wheels. I spare no attention to detail and this is super hard because every sculpt varies just a little in size and that means the decks have to vary as well. Especially the old school decks because so many of them were unique in shape.
I also fabricate the bases from styrene sheet plastic and loads of super glue. I take careful measurements and try my hardest to keep everything in scale. The handrails are also made from plastic tubing. I paint the bases with acrylics. I try to emulate the gritty textures that you see in concrete and asphalt. I occasionally use real dirt or textured paint to simulate that effect.
Mounting the figures on the bases is always a pain. I generally use 3/16" steel rods. I'll drill a hole in the figure and try to get the rod in at least two inches so it'll be as stable as possible. Then I'll usually take a big hunk of plastic and glue it inside the base (this is obviously done before the base is finished.) I'll drill a corresponding hole in that piece of plastic and insert the other end of the steel rod in to it. It usually works ok but this is an area that I need to improve upon. I feel that one of the weaknesses of these sculpts is the fact that many of them need to be supported by these rods. And it can look ugly if not planned right. The trick is hiding the rod so it doesn't interfere with the aesthetic of the sculpt. But it also needs to be self supporting. Not an easy task. This is probably my least favorite part of the process.
So I guess that's it. LOL The whole process takes anywhere from 100-200 hours depending upon size and complexity.
People also ask about my materials so here's a quick breakdown:
I sculpt in wax. It's called castilene and I mix it with carnuba, bees wax, and hardener pellets. This was McFarlane's recipe.
The sculpting is primarily an additive process. I'm not carving away at a block. I start with rough, generalized masses and actually add little by little until it's defined enough that I can start on the details. The wax melts and can be worked very quickly at about 300 degrees. I use a wax pen (kinda like a little soldering iron) for this. At room temperature the wax is very hard and is self supporting. I can handle it all day without wiping away details.
I sculpt with a lot of metal dental tools. I use a little alcohol torch to heat them up. I also us a wax pen. Couldn't live without that.
The molds are made from GI1000 silicone rubber. It's the best stuff available and it costs me roughly 100-150$ to make the molds for one figure.
The castings are made using two part urethane resin. Much like what our skateboard wheels are made from.
Paint is done using exclusively acrylic products. No fancy brand or any weird tricks. Most of the time I actually use primary colors and mix my own paint.
Decal work is done using Photoshop, water transfer decal paper, and a laser printer.
Most of the fabrication work like the bases and skateboards, trucks, wheels etc. is accomplished using styrene plastic.
For those of you that want all the details... here you go.
The process begins with a concept. You pick the the subject for your sculpt (in this case Jamie Thomas). Then the pose - smith grind.
At this point I begin gathering reference. The more the better. I usually create a folder on my computer for the subject I am sculpting. Then I spend hours browsing the Internet gathering photos that I feel will help me. It's actually more difficult than it sounds because every pose is so specific to the subject that is being sculpted. Good portrait reference is especially hard to find. In order to sculpt a decent portrait you need as many angles as possible to sculpt from. It's often impossible to find exactly what you are looking for and you have to fill in the blanks.
Sometimes if I'm really struggling trying to capture the anatomy or clothing, I'll try to approximate the pose myself and take pics. My wife is very patient and she never tells me I'm weird. ---
Once the reference is gathered I dive in to the sculpting. I usually start with a generic body that I sculpted specifically for this process. It's 12 inches tall (1/6 scale). I cut the body up and re-pose it. It's usually a big mess at this point and I spend a lot of time re-establishing the anatomy to make the basic structure of the figure correct.
Early on I also need to start thinking about the base for the sculpture. Particularly the terrain that needs to be duplicated in order for the figure to look correct in the pose that I've chosen. Whether it's a hand rail, pool, ledge, whatever, I really try to get everything correct. It's important to consider how the skateboard sits in relation to the feet and the object that it's being ridden on. If this isn't established early on, it will not end well.
So now that I have the basics established and I'm happy with the pose, I start sculpting some details. Roughing in the clothing, tuning in the anatomy etc. Making my final tweaks to the pose.
I'll then really go nuts with the detailing. I try to capture the movement of the fabric, and the specific type of material that I'm imitating. I try to make sure the anatomy is as realistic as possible. I often find myself struggling to sculpt these skinny skaters after spending so much time sculpting huge muscular comic book characters for McFarlane. I do my best to get the sneakers correct too. Sculpting laces and tread patterns on the shoes is a pain but I find it necessary to get the look I'm after.
The portrait is always the hardest part to nail down. As I mentioned before, finding good portrait reference for these guys is not easy. Especially because I really need perfect profile, 3/4 and frontal views. Your average skater isn't going to be posing for beauty shots. So I do my best with what I can find. Ideally I'd love to take photos of the person I'm sculpting so I can have exactly what I need, but I haven't been this lucky yet.
The sculpting usually involves a lot of back and forth. I make tons of mistakes and often rework areas 3 or 4 times before I'm satisfied. The final detailing of a sculpt eats up a lot of time. I'd say the average sculpt takes about 90 hours to complete. (That's JUST the basic sculpting.)
Once the sculpting is all done, I double check to make sure that he fits correctly on the board and the base (stairs, rail, whatever). I then cut the figure apart to prep it for molding. This step is needed to assure the best possible castings. Without going in to a lot of detail, if this process is not thought through well, you can have big air pockets get stuck in the mold or it will just be impossible to pull the casting out of the mold.
So I make a box for the pieces I'm going to mold and I pour silicone rubber over them inside the box. Once the silicone cures, I cut the mold open and pull the wax original out. I then seal the mold back up by wrapping packing tap around it and pour liquid resin in to the cavity. I pressurize the castings in an air tank to assure no air bubbles get trapped. Once the resin cures, I pull the casting out of the mold and clean up the seams and flashing. Just like cleaning up a model car kit.
After it's cleaned up I get right in to painting. I use all water based acrylics. Nothing fancy. I custom mix most of my own colors and spray the larger areas like pants and shirts with an air brush. I brush paint a lot of stuff as well. I use a lot of washes to create a natural 'painterly' look on the figures. I like adding some dirt, grime, and even a little blood on the elbows or whatever. Anything I can do to give the piece some life and realism.
If there are graphics on the shirt or skateboard to replicate, I also do that myself. I basically grab the document I want, scale it down in Photoshop and print it using a laser printer and decal paper.
Again, this is super tedious but it's gotta look right!
I fabricate my own skateboards from styrene plastic. I custom build all my own trucks and wheels. I spare no attention to detail and this is super hard because every sculpt varies just a little in size and that means the decks have to vary as well. Especially the old school decks because so many of them were unique in shape.
I also fabricate the bases from styrene sheet plastic and loads of super glue. I take careful measurements and try my hardest to keep everything in scale. The handrails are also made from plastic tubing. I paint the bases with acrylics. I try to emulate the gritty textures that you see in concrete and asphalt. I occasionally use real dirt or textured paint to simulate that effect.
Mounting the figures on the bases is always a pain. I generally use 3/16" steel rods. I'll drill a hole in the figure and try to get the rod in at least two inches so it'll be as stable as possible. Then I'll usually take a big hunk of plastic and glue it inside the base (this is obviously done before the base is finished.) I'll drill a corresponding hole in that piece of plastic and insert the other end of the steel rod in to it. It usually works ok but this is an area that I need to improve upon. I feel that one of the weaknesses of these sculpts is the fact that many of them need to be supported by these rods. And it can look ugly if not planned right. The trick is hiding the rod so it doesn't interfere with the aesthetic of the sculpt. But it also needs to be self supporting. Not an easy task. This is probably my least favorite part of the process.
So I guess that's it. LOL The whole process takes anywhere from 100-200 hours depending upon size and complexity.
Jamie Thomas
Jamie Thomas has long been a mover and shaker in the skateboard industry. His part in Toy Machine's 'Welcome to Hell' video had an enormous impact on the skateboard community. It was definitely a game changer when it was released and it absolutely had a lasting effect on me. Say what you will about Jamie, watching him destroy those enormous handrails while Iron Maiden belts out 'Hallowed by Thy Name' was unforgettable. I felt it would be fitting to make my first skate sculpture an ode to this beast. I didn't chose a particular scene or photo to base this sculpture on. I just thought, 'Jamie Thomas = Smith Grind'.
This first one was definitely a learning experience. There is a lot of room for improvement but the most glaring mistake is that pole stuck in his butt. I should have found a way to incorporate it in the hand rail. Live and learn.
The finished product...
This first one was definitely a learning experience. There is a lot of room for improvement but the most glaring mistake is that pole stuck in his butt. I should have found a way to incorporate it in the hand rail. Live and learn.
The finished product...
In the beginning...
Circa 1994... I was standing outside my Jr High School waiting for my mom to pick me up. I watched in fascination as two fellow 9th graders rolled by on their skateboards. Mike Manidis looked up at me after attempting some sort of flip trick and said, "I know there is a skater in you." (Mike is currently directing the Element skate camp, and I think that makes perfect sense.)
He was right, and the following year I began skateboarding. 15 years later, I still ride. A lot happened in the interim of course. I (barely) graduated high school, went to art school in Philadelphia, started sculpting professionally, got married, bought a house etc etc. Through all the ups and downs, I had two constants. My art and skateboarding.
During the 7 years I spent sculpting for McFarlane toys, I had a lot of time to reflect on my interests. At some point in 2007, it dawned on me that I could combine the two great passions of my life in to one pursuit. I could sculpt skateboarders. Few things in my life have seemed more obvious. I could combine my years of experience in professional sculpting with my years of experience as a skateboarder. I immediately felt as though I had found my 'niche'. And so with no real goal in mind other than enjoying myself, I went home that night and started sculpting a skateboarder at my kitchen table in our tiny studio apartment.
He was right, and the following year I began skateboarding. 15 years later, I still ride. A lot happened in the interim of course. I (barely) graduated high school, went to art school in Philadelphia, started sculpting professionally, got married, bought a house etc etc. Through all the ups and downs, I had two constants. My art and skateboarding.
During the 7 years I spent sculpting for McFarlane toys, I had a lot of time to reflect on my interests. At some point in 2007, it dawned on me that I could combine the two great passions of my life in to one pursuit. I could sculpt skateboarders. Few things in my life have seemed more obvious. I could combine my years of experience in professional sculpting with my years of experience as a skateboarder. I immediately felt as though I had found my 'niche'. And so with no real goal in mind other than enjoying myself, I went home that night and started sculpting a skateboarder at my kitchen table in our tiny studio apartment.
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