FIREBIRD And The Automata Prop from Hell

A Quick Photoshop composite quickly establishing the concept 

A mock up model to work out the feasibility of motion 

Exploring the form of the ballet figure. I don't want to carve something out of wood  to create the figure or use a plastic doll. I've been looking at wire armature sculpture and decided to experiment with that concept to create a more skeletal silhouette for the body. Wire was bound around a plastic doll to form the shape. Pins where inserted to hold the wire in place before winding more wire around the body.

The hope was the plastic would melt away leaving just the wire...In to the oven it goes

Plastic pooh!! it didn't quite go to plan, the plastic turned rock hard and all the wire buckled and warped...as if you couldn't see that coming!!

We where asked to produce a series of quick drawings to explore the mechanic's and how they work along with the over all concept...however it just seem so impractical to scribble on paper and have nothing in any critical proportions when you can build in far quicker in 3DS Max and have it accurate...able to render from any angle. animate the mechanical action. make alterations in seconds.

A rough idea of what the finished concept might look like.

Some sexy looking gold foil to decorate the model when complete.

FIREBIRD Costume Designs

Some of the design work on the Firebird production for costume. Bottom a corset made from calico clothe. 

Middlesborough Sculpture

Newcastle Sculpture

Alexander McQueen

Fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier. He is known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 and for founding his own Alexander McQueen label.

Portfolio Work

From guitars to printing in space: 3D goes mainstream

If you dream it we can print it' claims American stationary giant Staples as it launches a brand new service. The company has announced an in-house option that will allow customers to print 3D objects on-demand in their stores, albeit only in the US at present. Although the service will initially enable you to produce fun items such as action figures and suchlike, the wider aim of the initiative is to underline the appeal to business users.

3D printers are sophisticated machines and they're getting smarter all the time. So, before long it's thought that you'll be able to start producing spare parts, fixtures, fittings and all manner of other items that would normally have to be bought off-the-shelf. In the future, however, if we need a component part for something then it may just be easier to simply print one off, no matter how obscure it might be.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s is considering using 3D printers in stores to produce the pocket-sized toys it gives away with children’s meals. McDonald’s UK IT director, Mark Fabes has told journalists he was looking into potential application of 3D printing in the restaurants. 3D printing technology could enable staff at a McDonald’s to print out the child’s choice of toy along with the meal. And the technology would certainly be a promotional draw when it first launched.

Perhaps one of the coolest innovations so far unveiled is the 3DMe experience. This natty little booth can be installed in shops and allows you to be scanned and subsequently turned into a personalised three-dimensional figurine. Such is the technology behind this invention that there is now the capacity for high-volume production of 3D characters.

The other bonus with this amazing machine is that it can also mesh your own scan with other licensed characatures, which will allow you to print out a truly unique creation that will make the perfect gift or keepsake. Granted, it's more fun than practical, but underlines just how powerful 3D printing is fast becoming.

Story on MSN 

21 April 2014

Full Story

Make-Up Trade shows of 2014

If your interested in Props, Special Effects, Make-Up for stage and screen production!!

United Makeup Artists Expo

There’s a new makeup artist event I’ve not heard of before, it’s too late to make it this year so maybe next year perhaps…

http://www.umae.co.uk/

IMATS

The International Make-Up Artist Trade show is looming close with their event held in June 27-29 2014. This is a great event for anyone interested in working in Stage and Screen with most the UK’s who’s who of Special Effects alongside some great American guest speakers

http://www.imats.net/london/london_index.php

Monsterpalooza 2014
The U.S. always seem to do it bigger and better....look at all those toys!!!

ANIMEX 2014 Trophy Award

I was asked at the beginning of the year to mould and produce the Animex Awards second trophy for the 2014 awards ceremony. The sculpt as it arrived ready to start the moulding

The sculpt has had a few folds corrected. Two pins have been pushed into the top of the head, these will be the end point of the cut line in the back of the sculpt and will elevate stress at the end point as the moulds flexed to release from the casting. The mould was intended to be a two part mould which would have been a very different process but as the sculpt was delivered later than expected there was only time to produce a skin mould. You can also notice two plate brass sheeting added between the hand and the cloak and then the bottom of the cloak to the base. This was also to allow the silicone rubber more stretching and flexing when it came to de-moulding, also the hand is going to be a bad undercut and the brass might serve to expel more air. 

The base boxed in ready for rubber, this will be a once piece block mould

Glasplies new Silicone rubber now comes with tinted catalyst. I was a little nervous with using a new rubber, I've used Glasplies for a long time and whenever I've tried other retailer's rubber it's just never been anywhere near as good, so finding Glasplies changing brand seemed a bit daunting. It mixed beautiful with the addition of the colour, it was by far more viscous and it just worked lovely, self-expelling all the air bubbles trapped in the mixture. 

The Silicone layers have been built up to about 4 layers without any thixotropic. I've decided to try a new idea and add a concertina to the back where the sculpt will be sliced all the way up. This should if it works allow both sides to key together perfectly allowing no mismatch when pouring the resin which has been an issue in the past with this type of mould making. It was made from a strip of acetate scored along its length on each side at intervals allowing it to fold down against itself creating a zig zag effect...this was positioned against the sculpt and held with pins whilst the next layer of silicone cured...another strip was added from top to bottom along the outside zig zag...Nothing sticks to silicone other than silicone itself...or any silicone based material of which I'm assuming acetate to be as the rubber stuck to it like glue. A trial and error that paid off with some hard work, luckily.

The silicone work is finished and the mother mould or jacket is been produced in Herculite 2 plaster, reinforced. It's a three piece jacket and you can see the contact line and keys running down against the rubber

The base mould and enclosed trophy mould all complete

The first cold cast bronze casting as it comes out the mould in it's dull mid brown state.

Two of the finished trophies that where supplied for the 2014 ceremony. They've been antiqued with a black metal compound sold for refurbishing black cast iron fireplaces...and it went on really nice. Buffed up with wire wool and then polished to a high shine.