13 Days of Jason

Its time to get creative!

     Wasn't 100% ready for this one but the calendar has chosen. Next month is a month with Friday the 13th which also happens to be my birthday. So i will be taken on this new challenge before i get another year older.

     Jason is one of those icons that i was introduced to at a young age and instantly connected. Something about this guy in a hockey mask that was a result of being born different and being bullied to the point of death. A character that has somehow has so many different looks throughout the different films but yet still holds a very strong sense of continuity and character.

     Next Month i will be taking on this challenge and doing a new sketch everyday! 

I also invite everyone one of you creatives out there to join me. 

I will be on instagram, facebook, and twitter as well as a finishing video on Youtube. So let me see your creative juices and share them with the world using the hashtag #13daysofjason

Stay on the lookout for this wild slasher and stay tuned for my next one that will be following Jason. Little hint: He is Jason's adversary and has searched for and located him to spread fear.

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Who ever said water clay wasn't re-usable? - (re-post)

Who ever said you couldn't re-use water clay! It just depends on if you have the understanding and know how to work with it.

One of the biggest things i remember when i started out and was learning about different clay's for making masks i remember everywhere telling me that water clay was a one time use and the plus with oil based clay's was that they could be used over and over again. Well i started out with what i could afford and fell in love with water clay and how i can work with it. Oil based clay's do have their place, but my own personal preference is water clay.

When working with water clay

• make sure to keep your clay covered when your not working on it
• try to get all the air out when covering it with a bag, if you do a light mist on the sculpture before you cover it the plastic bag will cling to the sculpt and keep the air out
• If you work on it for over the course of a few months make sure to uncover it and spray it a few times to keep it soft
• If your piece does start to dry out put a wet towel over it and cover with the bag, leaving it to sit over night or a couple nights will make soft again. 

I have a video here on you tube with some more tips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD-zfyWY2Kk

Now for recycling used water clay. They do have machines and equipment that can help and are suppose to do it for you, but this is my trick. It takes a little bit of time but i am able to get the consistency that i like.

 Start with a gallon sized Zip Loc bag and some water at the bottom

Next i tear the clay into smaller pieces to fill up the bag.

After the bag is full seal the top getting out most of the air and let the water soak in. Flip the bag a couple times

After the clay softens up you can smash the clay together and have a fresh bag of clay

I put 3-4 bags together to create a block, depending on how much water you add you may have to let it sit out for a little while to dry out a little. 

There you have it, I have used the same clay for at least a couple years. I have bought a new box for when i have a larger project or i let a piece dry out to save, but the same clay has done well for me. 

Hope this helps, feel free to comment if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading.

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Painting in Layers - (re-post)

See the difference just 1 layer of paint can achieve!

When trying to bring a creature to life take your time, go light and working in layers. Now this all depends on your style and what effect you are going for, but whether a realistic paint scheme or a stylistic one will have a certain formula.

When i create my ideas i always start on paper. I like to know where i am going instead of making it up as i go along. Start with your lighter tones and go deeper and darker as you progress with the paint work. Doing subtle mottling as well as splatter will help you create depth and build highlights. Then as you move on to another color pre plan and think about what this next layer will do? How will this color react to the previous? Painting in layers will be like mixing paint on your bust or project. Layers will give your piece natural depth as well as a variety of colors that will mimic nature and give your work more of a believable and organic essence.

Below is a link to my video of painting Vespertilio
Painting in Layers

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment and let me know what you think?
also what would you like to see in the future?
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2015 will be the year of Permission!

 

     This is a new day and this is a new year. I have made a decision and a promise to myself. I will give myself permission.

• Permission to follow my own personal Dreams
• Permission to live the life i dreamed of as a child
• Permission to us the creativity i have been given to impact others.

I am giving Permission to YOU too!

     The troubles of the world and everyday life will try to get you down and break you. It is up to you to stand up and live the life you were meant to. Reconnect with your inner child that always had those crazy dreams, those wild out of this world ideas. That child that should be held dear has been buried so deep by the society and the troubles of adulthood. Don't lose who you are and your roots that you have developed from.

Today i want you to take a moment

• give yourself permission to spend some time with yourself
• give yourself permission to dream
• forget about everything else for a moment and let your thoughts drift into the stars

This is your life and you should be living it for YOU.

     I have made this decision for myself. To stand up for my dreams and face the demons that stand before me. To run head on into the fears tat i have created. The projections my mind has thrusted upon me. I will stand tall and hold my ground for ME and MY DREAMS.



I want to thank everyone who has followed or commented on my work. Everyone who has appreciated my work and my message.


I also want to thank my mentors i have had, both teachers and role models. As well as a big thank you to my current mentors Noah Elias and Terry Weaver for this concept and eye opening truth as well as the changes over this past year.


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How to get Energized, Motivated, and into Studio Mode - Part 2 - (re-post)

TAKE A LOOK AT THE IMAGE ABOVE. WHAT DO YOU SEE? THIS SHOULD HOW YOU VIEW YOUR FUTURE, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH PLENTY OF ON AND OFF RAMPS AHEAD.

NOW WITH THAT IN MIND HERE ARE A FEW MORE TIPS TO GET YOU INTO YOUR CREATIVE MODE, TIPS TO GET YOU MOTIVATED AND INTO THE STUDIO TO WORK AND HAVE FUN.


1 - KEEP A NOTEPAD WITHIN REACH, THIS WILL LET YOU CATCH THOSE IDEAS AS THEY FLY BY WITHOUT DISTRACTING YOU FROM YOUR WORK.


2- KEEP YOUR WORK SPACE CLEAN AND READY TO GO. DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WORK IT IS BEST TO HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE TO GO AND WORK. IF YOU CAN SET IT UP FOR THE NEXT TIME YOU WORK THAT WAY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GET IN AND GO. ALSO KEEP IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF CLEAN OR PREP TO DO THIS WILL DISCOURAGE YOU FROM STARTING OR CUT INTO THE TIME YOU HAVE AVAILABLE. THINK IF YOU HAD A TABLE WITH ALL YOUR TOOLS LINED UP AND HOW INVITING IT WOULD BE.


3 - GETTING STARTED IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST ROAD BLOCK TO MOVE AND PUSH THROUGH. KEEP THIS IN MIND AND JUST GET STARTED. ANOTHER TIP FOR THIS IS TO GET THE PROJECT STARTED THE DAY OR NIGHT BEFORE. INSTEAD OF CREATING A FINISHING POINT BEFORE YOU QUIT FOR THE NIGHT FOCUS ON CREATING A STARTING POINT FOR NEXT STUDIO DAY. THIS WAY YOU CAN GO INTO YOUR WORK SPACE WITH A PROJECT ALREADY STARTED. THIS WILL HELP TO MOTIVATE AND EXCITE YOU.

4 - PUT UP FENCES AROUND YOUR STUDIO TIME. I HAVE MY WORK SPACE IN MY ROOM BUT I STILL LOOK AT THIS TIME AS I AM GOING TO THE STUDIO FOR SOME WORK. WHEN I AM THERE I DON'T WANT ANY DISTRACTIONS. THIS IS MY CREATIVE TIME. ONCE YOU CARVE A SPECIAL TIME FOR YOURSELF THAT IS WHEN OTHERS WILL TRY TO STEAL IT FROM YOU. PUT UP FENCES, TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA DISTRACTIONS, AND DRIFT INTO YOUR OWN LITTLE WORLD.

5 - I KNOW THIS ONE WILL BE HARD BUT LEARN TO SAY NO. SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO RESPECT YOUR TIME AND TEACH OTHERS TO RESPECT IT AS WELL. OBVIOUSLY CERTAIN UNEXPECTED THINGS WILL OCCUR BUT EVERYONE KNOWS THOSE LAST MINUTE LITTLE I'M BORED OR PLANS CANCELED CALLS ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR PASSION.

TAKE VALUE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR TIME.


HOPEFULLY THESE HELP

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How to get Energized, Motivated, and into Studio Mode - Part 1 - (re-post)

     I have my ideas, my projects to work on, and a time slot on my schedule. Why cant i get into the mood?

     This is an issue i have noticed in many people including myself. I have a schedule i try to keep but sometimes i am just not in the zone. Sometimes i cant figure out why, I have some really exciting ideas to work on but i cant bring myself to get them started. So in the spirit of this these are some tips and tricks to sneak into studio mode and get motivated and creative. These are things i have picked up and modified or created and have worked for me. Hopefully they will assist you as well. Use these as a spring board and get started.

1. Get started - Tell yourself "i am going to work on this for 30 min./1hr" and go in with that time in mind. Most of the time once you start moving time will slip away and you will just keep going.
2. Get up and move - A lot of times i am just laying around and my body is too tired to do anything. I know that laying around will just make it worse so try to take a walk or stretch. These small exercises will get your blood pumping so you can get to work.
3. Take a nap or meditate - This is a trick i learned a while back, turn off the lights and TV and just lay down and clear your mind. Now sometimes i will meditate and clear my head and just focus on something like my breathing. This will free your mind and stress. Other times i think ahead about the projects i will be working on. For me personally just laying there in the dark doing nothing gets me anxious as i cant sit still and do nothing. The key here is to set the alarm for 20-30 min and you should feel refreshed. If you are taking a nap do not go over the 30 min or you will start to drift off into a deeper sleep and will wake up groggy and overtired.
4. I don't know what to draw - This is another common one, just get started. Let your inner conscious out and just start. If you draw do some sketches or start scribbling until if forms something. For me i sculpt and i will just start with basic shapes until they start to form something i like.
5. Have a clear goal - This ties into the last one but if you don't know what you are going to do you will either not want to start until you think of something or just start thinking until your head hurts and you cant pick an idea. Have a schedule or a plan ready to go for your time slot.
6. Learn your prime time - Everyone has a time when they are the most productive. Me i am a night owl and i have found that my prime time is around 8 pm - 1 am. Try to work in those time slots and try to make time for yourself in those time slots. Everyone is trying to find more time to work but the key is to find productive time to work. Every person out there could wake up 1 hour earlier and have an extra hour, but not everyone is a morning person and it may take a full hour to do a task that would normally take 10 minutes. Focus on yourself and take notice of when you are most energized, most awake, and most creative. Try to clear this area in your schedule and use it for your craft.

Well these are a few ideas, Try them out, date the ideas and keep or modify what you like. I would also love to hear your thoughts on the subject. What helps you get into the mode and energized?

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Current status and next posts

So i am now getting back on my game and i have things sorted out.

Why? --- I wanted to have my blog on my website so everything would be under 1 roof. I didn't want a home base that sent you here for my blog and here for my store and then back to he main page and over here for my videos.

The problem?

• I had trouble finding how to incorporate or view my blog on website.
• I started a blog on my site, however i do not like the set up and find it much better and easier here on blogger.
• I was having trouble and glitches putting blogs up on my site

So now the solution?

• I finally figured out how to view my blog on my site in a window. I have also included the link at the top of the page just in case anyone is having trouble viewing or want to visit the page separately.
• Now that i have figured out my game plan and set it into motion its time to move forward and just keep going. 

Now over the next few weeks i will be doing new and interesting blog posts as well as re-posting some of my good missed ones so it will be stored here on blogger. 

So keep an eye out on some new content as well as strong posts that will make you think again and maybe help out more the second time around.

thank you everyone for reading and following. Please be sure to subscribe to posts and leave a comment below. What would you like to see in the future? What do you like most about my posts?

Creative Challenges

     What are creative Challenges for me?
     What is my own personal outlook and purpose for them?

     For me these are the warm ups i like to do that get me motivated and ready to work. A sketch i can start with and just let go of the world around me and create whatever my imagination ponders up.

If i come up with an amazing concept, Great!
If i don't, Great! I got a bad idea out or realized a concept wasn't amazing.

     So these are sketches i have been doing for a while now and they have really helped me to grow over the years. I have done them to get me ready for the night and get me started, but i have never done them this way with the pressure and a push. So now i want to work this new idea. Last month i did a challenge for a kickstarter project and i was forced to create 25 concepts in 25 days. Not only did this push me to do it every day but it also pushed me to come up with new concepts. So with those thoughts in mind here it is.

     I will be doing more of these focused challenges that will last for 10-15 days at a time with a  week or two break just so i don't burn out and so i can just do some random free form pieces. Now some designs will be concepts that i will make into new pieces, some will be new monster balls, some will be studies from my favorite artists (like drawing and recreating masterworks), and some will be learning exercises.
   
     All of them will be fun to see and i want everyone to join in and see what i come up with. Do a few yourself and let me see what you come up with. Join in the conversation and let me know what you think, both good and bad!

So get ready! On Monday i start off with "Klownin Around"

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New line of Busts - Personal Expressions

Personal Expressions is a personal series i have developed. An artistic outlet to express myself and how i feel. A creative and therapeutic outlet to release my troubles and share them with the world. Have you ever felt like you had so much built up and unable to release. This is for you to rally behind, a place for you to join me on my journey. Whether this is  a piece you can look at to help you with the struggles or if you can express yourself as well with your own personal paint work. This is a release with endless possibilities to release your struggles and encourage a full and fun life.

Excitement

     Its around that special time when my excitement begins to rise to a boiling point! Halloween begins to get closer and as it rounds the corner and i can see it in sight i become inspired. I would wait all year round for those special shops to set up and open their doors again for the holiday. Then my excitement would explode when the time came, walking into a room full of monsters! Cool new costumes released on the floor and then that massive wall of heads, all those amazing creatures, those wild monster masks all in one section. 

Halloween my favorite holiday that was so inspiring and amazing to me as a child has helped to shape the adult i have become today!

11.5" Tall x 6" wide x 5" deep

Resin bust with resin skull mask

This is a limited edition piece that will come signed and numbered with a special character card. Limited to 35 castings.

True Colors

     Never be afraid to show your true colors! We were all created as individuals, NOT a photocopy of another. Don't follow the herd, be yourself and create your own path and personal etiquette. If your silly be silly, if your strange be strange.

Don't worry about the thoughts of others, they were put in your life as either a blessing or a life lesson. Be your true self, only then will you be able to distinguish the difference.

Sculpted by Brian Dunn & AliKorruption

14.75" tall x 8.5" wide (tongue to ear) x 8" deep

Resin bust with tongue piece

This is a limited edition piece that will come signed and numbered with a special character card. Limited to 35 castings.

Letting go

Every once in a while these moments come and you just have to let go. 

Let go of reality

let go of the troubles of the world.

Turn off your mind and allow yourself to be free. Free to be silly or goofy. 

Tear down your personal restrictions and let your imagination run wild.

Reconnect with your own inner child

Let go and express your true self

14.25" tall x 8" wide (ear to ear) x 9" deep

Resin bust

This is a limited edition piece that will come signed and numbered with a special character card. Limited to 35 castings.

For more pics and info they are now available on my webstore here - Personal Expressions series