Extension - Don't be afraid to scrap it

I received some great feedback on comments on my last post and wanted to add 1 more piece i worked on. This is Trixie Treats from the Monster Dolls dance troupe. I did a few concept sketches early on to not only figure out the expression but to study her features and proportions in 3D. She took 3 tests that i scrapped before i decided on the one i liked. I did a warm up sketch and covered it and put it away, came back to it the next few days and looked at it and compared her through looking at her and comparing pics on overlays in computer.

As long as you enjoy and learn from every piece its not a waste of time, even if it isn't worth saving.

 

Don't be afraid to Scrap It!

        Who has ever worked on a piece they weren't completely happy with? Who has just kept working on it either adding details hoping it will get better or just finishing it so you have a new bust and just do better next time? This is a problem i ran into in the past, i had concepts that i wasn't 100% happy with and some of them i would just try to hurry and finish them so i could start something new. Over the years with my clay sketching i learned to not be afraid or worry about scrapping a piece. I created more sketches than i would be able to complete which forced me to really nail down and critique my work. I also did studies to focus on learning anatomy and expression. These were pieces that i would spend 1 hr on and know ahead of time that i probably wasn't going to keep the piece. Bottom line to all of this is that each new piece will represent you at this moment in your life. Don't be afraid to throw away or start over on a piece you are unhappy with, don't waste your time trying to save a piece with a bad structure or character. Each person is only given a set amount of time in this life, Don't Waste It.

Please don't confuse this with not being able to finish a piece or an excuse. This is a tip for critiquing your work and using your time wisely on the pieces that deserve it. There will be times that you work through that the piece may not be amazing but you will still have the passion for it and know that the end result will be amazing. There will be learning steps and years of growing so don't hold off trying to make that perfect piece. Jump in and get something out, learning sketches are better than nothing.

Next Week i will do a post on Finishing and calling it finished.

Below are a couple concepts and pieces that i worked on but didn't make the cut.

First is a tentacle creature concept - for me he didn't stand out or speak to me.

Next is a demon concept - this one i liked in the beginning but there were a lot of structural issues led to me losing interest.

Finally a female hunter character - Now this one i learned a lot about structure and form on this one but her proportions were off. A learning and thinking exercise, taking in slight gesture moves, anatomy, as well as creative thinking about the possibilities of molding and casting. This is a piece that i spent more time on than i would have liked but i did learn from it. In the end my time was more wisely used on other pieces.

Joker and Mr. Stay Puft mini-bust

Two new resin mini-busts i completed recently.

First up is The Man Who Laughs. The original art is from Chris at bigchrisart. This piece is 1:2 scale resin.

 did a zombie version for this one because the casting didn't come out perfectly.

Next one is good ol Mr. Stay Puft. He is a limited ed. piece cast in resin and is UV activated.

These pieces and more are available through my web store. Check it out here.

alter-egos store

Monster Mania 24 prep

Two weeks until monster mania 24 in cherry hill NJ. Anyone in the area come by to check it out, monster mania is always a good time. A gathering of horror fans and great people mixed with the stars in the genre.

I will be unleashing a few new demons and creatures at the show. Now its time to get everything ready for the display.

check it out

Monster Mania

5 hr challenge

Here is some pics from an exercise i did yesterday. I wanted to challenge myself to create a piece in 5 hrs and use it as an exercise, not rush a piece to get it done.

Here is my base, just newspaper on a pipe.

Started out with a demon face, but wasn't crazy about the character.

Changed him into more of a hellhound creature.

Refined.

Refined and added more forms.

Smoothed out the piece.

Jackel mini - bust

Here is the finished sculpture. Got the mold made and cast up my first resin piece. Blanks and painted versions will be available soon.

Here are a few new concept sculpts.

Dream Demon - in training

Wolf pup

evil pumpkin

creature

Bloody Mary

Mr. Grimm

Here is a new 1/2 scale mini bust i have been working on.

Last year at mask-fest i purchased an amazing scarecrow creature mask from my friend and fellow art Pete Infelise at the devils workshop. Mr. Grimm is an original idea and it is still my favorite piece in my collection, so with that i talked to Pete at the last mask-fest about using the character and doing my own smaller scale bust. He was cool with me using his idea and here is what i have come up with so far, going for a Halloween themed creature and set.

Here is the original Mr. Grimm
http://www.devils-workshop.com/masks/originals/grimm/mr-grimm.html

Mask-Fest 2012

Here are some pics from mask-fest last weekend. It was a blast to see everyone, hang out, and see all the new art.