Daniel Monahan

As promised here are the images.  I gave the piece a McFarlane toys meets Playmobil kind of vibe that blends both detail, as seen in the brow and drapery, and abstraction as found in the hands and eyes.  It was a fun experiment to blend two styles that are generally at the opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum.  Accessories are still lacking, but they will be more fun as a separate post.

How did I do it?  I created a wire armature by braiding copper welding rods around themselves and posing them like Steve.  I then used HBX-2 clay to build up the figure.  HBX-2 is great to work with because it is very malleable when heated and able to hold detail when it cools down.  The plus side to this clay is that it allows you to achieve a very expressive sculpture, the downside is that I can’t achieve a true “toy smooth” surface with it – but that will come later.

Next Post… Getting approval on the likeness.

Since the idea behind this blog is to give people the experience of creating a toy from the back of the mind to the front of the shelf, the first post will be dedicated to subject selection.  In this case, the subject just happens to be an up and coming comic by the name of Steven Kramer Glickman (SKG) who spends most of his life on Melrose avenue performing at the Improv and Paramount Studios.  Since the Vinyl scene in Los Angeles also revolves around Melrose Ave (Munky King, Kid Robot, Gallery 1988) I thought that I would make him the subject for the first piece on the site.  He’s also happens to be my friend, writing partner and my excuse to drive to Los Angeles to watch stand up.  So Steven, this one’s for you.

…Stay tuned for more images of the sculpt