Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Pteranodon: Work In Progress

Sometimes when working on a piece of artwork I hit what I call the point of no return. This is when a creative decision has to be made that can't be undone.

I reached that point this weekend with my Kong battling the Pteranodon sculpture. I couldn't continue work till I committed to how the flying reptiles wings would be posed. And more importantly how Kong would be grasping his opponent.

After planning ahead I decided that the Pteranodon has to be sculpted ( and painted ) before it can be put in Kong's grasp. At the moment I'm toying with the idea of sculpting the hands directly onto the reptiles wings and attaching them to Kong near the completion of the sculpture.

Before I got to the complicated work I thought I'd insert the reptile's eyes.

Then I procrastinated a little longer by making Kong's hands. They are a block of balsa wood and braided green floral wire.

I purposely left the wires long and glued them into holes I drilled in the wood hand.

Okay I couldn't put it off any longer. I folded the Pteranodon's wing into the pose I had decided on and used a bulldog clip to keep the screen out of the way.

I then locked it in place by beginning to model Apoxie Sculpt clay over it.

The wing is delicate being made of a single strand of aluminum wire and plastic window screen.

I learned of the technique of using screen as the armature for wings in a great book titled: Dinosaur Sculpting by Allen A. Debus and Robert Morales.

Amazon.com: Dinosaur Sculpting (9780965146302): Allen A. Debus: Books

The book is a good introduction to sculpting dinosaurs in polymer clay. I found the only slight drawback was that the pictures are in B&W. I was spoiled by the color cover of the book and wanted to see more of Mr.Morale's outstanding dinosaur sculptures in color.

I'll update as work on the Pteranodon progresses.

8 comments:

  1. Je suis subjuguée par cette réalisation remplie d'une imagination incroyable et incroyable est votre travail. Bravo encore...
    I'm subjugate with this execution full with a fabulous imagination and fabulous is your work. Bravo again...

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  2. Hi Brian, I just want to say, thank you so much for the information you are sharing. I have always be a little fearful of what I should use for bulking out my piece with. You are renewing my confidence. Thank you once again. xxx

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  3. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Love your sculptures!

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  4. Wonderful as always!
    Brian I have passed the Happy 101 Award to you. Please visit my blog when you can to check out the rules.
    Hugs!

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  5. I was just stopping by to say "hi' and thanks for visiting my blog. (Sorry for the long delay in getting here ... I was on a vacation when you first visited). Anyway, this looks really neat! My 5-year-old is really into dinosaurs and likes these kind the best! (I always called them pterodctyls ... did they change the name on me? I felt like they did on brontasaurus too .. they seem to call it a brachiosaurus.) I think it is neat to see the artistic process so it was fun to see your art developing.

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  6. Ho Brian~ I just realised that I had not follow you. I am sorry about that. After giving birth to 7 children,i don't think is any brain cellsleft here.Hahahha.
    I Love reptiles.That maybe a strange thing but I do. I really like what you are doing now.Apoxie is a wonderful medium but not too easy to work with although at the end , you have a result as hard as ciment. You have done the face so well...
    I did a dragononve when I used to make faeries and I used the screen for teh wings too, it worked great! I will make sure I vist you often. Smiles,,Pat

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  7. Brian, I am honored with your comment left on my blog~grin. Your work is truly fantastic and I have a weak heart already for your turtle listed on etzy. What anamazing details! Adding wool to your extraordinary work willonly compliment. I want to see it!warm hugs~

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  8. Brian~ I made a dragon ship and it was about 4 years ago. I have pictures some where on my photo host...send me your email some time and I will try to find it. It was a Medival Vessel . I had a 12 " faerie laying inside. I sold this piece and it was alot of fun. I sculpted with apoxie like you do and I used the screen for the wings too .... the dragon was just the *head* of the boat... I had a lot fun then!*grin*

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