Quang,an EXCELLENT article on the "whys" of sculpting !! Thanks for posting,my friend.Cheers !
Kenneth :lol:

BTW,LOVE the cats ! Are they yours ?

Dani,

On the topic of the whys of Art, there's a newly-released DVD entitled 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring' which (hypothetically) retraces the making of the famous painting by Vermeer.

Girl with the Pearl Earring

The story is fictional of course but the technical details about Vermeer's paintings are as accurate as can be. If you think the photography in the 'Duellists' was exceptional, wait until you see the images of this film. I knew nothing about Vermeer until I saw this film and read the book it was based on. I'm hooked! :lol: Now, how about a Vermeer bust as a companion to Rubens?

Hello Kenneth,

Yes, these are our cats Moka and Vanilla.

Q.

DRESS REHERSAL

The subject is about to reveal itself :lol:

The sculpt is dressed-up (temporarely) with modelling clay.

The purpose is to check out the 'silhouette' and the 'attitude' of the final figure. I'd like a cowboy to look like a cowboy, a samurai to look like a samurai, etc. If the bulk and the build are not correct, there's no point to go further because even if the details (and everything else) are excellent, the final figure would look wrong.

At the same time, we'll mark out which parts will be visible and which parts will be hidden by the clothing (we wouldn't want to spend our time sculpting something which will be hidden in the final stages, would we?).

And lastly, in the case of a commercially-produced kit, it would give an idea of how the kit will be broken-down in 'castable' parts.

Mmmmmh... could it be a Traffic Police Officer with a reflective vest? But that hat does not quite fit this conjecture...

... and North Sea fisherman's rubber boots? :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol:

... this photograph puzzles me - do I see there in the background yet another new figure taking shape?

:lol: :lol: ... THAT'S IT! A North Sea fisherman! You should give him a beard and a trawl net at his feet, and he will really look the part.

A north sea Fisherman! Cool! I'll take two.....It'll come as nooo surprise that my Great Grandfather was a Drifterman (steam trawler) out of Lowestoft. (check my surname, folks) :lol:

Rob,

Are you related to the Haddocks of Cape Cod?

Sorry folks, I've been to Papa's one time too many. :lol:

Q.

Quang, I think your fisherman figure is going to be an awesome addition to the PiLiPiLi range .
One thing though, if you allow me: may I humbly suggest that you use something more nautical than a stool to rest his foot upon - how about a mooring bollard, complete with seagull droppings! :lol:

Ah, I can't wait to see the finished figure !!!

Cool! You're sculpting a US Marine from OIF, right? :lol:

But seriously, a Vermeer bust? Sure, but I need to get my hands on one of your Rubens bust first. I'd hate to have an incomplete series.

Thanks for taking the time to share this process with us.

Quang, I really like the look of your figure. Getting the period look to a subject is more involved than just getting the anatomy and drapery just right, it's got to not only be accurate but look right as well. After seeing "The girl with a pearl earring" I too became really interested in Vermeer. While the story may not have been the best, the look and feel of the period look so accurate. The scenes with Vermeer in his studio were my favorite. I'm sure this is where Fletcher Clement got his inspiration for his vignette of the same title. A Vermeer bust would be neat using paintings that suggest Vermeer is a figure in the painting along with some researched conjecture. Neat stuff.~Gary

amuro: the green stuff is Kneadatite, another brand of putty. I happened to have some of it left over on my bench so I mixed it with the MS.

Gary and Steven: It appears that there's no self-portrait of Vermeer. So, we'll have to rule out the idea of a bust. Hopefully, there's plenty of other subjects (and painters).

OK, folks. The wait is over. Time to reveal the subject of the sculpt: a musketeer of the Royal Household under Louis XIII.

Here's a picture of my initial mock-up in clay. For once, there's no great difference between the original idea and the result. But like I already said, things are not as smooth and straightforward as it appears.

I did some 6-7 unsuccessful tries with the cassock. It just didn't hang right until I'd figure out the pattern of a real cassock. Once the pattern's correct, the four panels of the cassock did fall effortlessly with natural folds.

Due to the leaning pose, the front panel of the cassock hung miserably like a limp rag. So I decided to gather it closer to the body with the left hand (originally resting on the hips).

Other adjustments dealt with the tilt of the hat, angle of the head, how the bucket tops of the boots would 'fall',... It's somewhat like arranging flowers in a vase, or the folds on a dress before shooting a portrait. If sculpting miniatures is an art, THIS is where the artistry goes.

Quang, I love the mock-up. Your well on your way to creating another "classic". I love the look of the period's clothing. Maybe a female of the period will be in order one day.~Gary

WAY COOL,Quang !! Thanks for posting the SBS and the reason/inspiration behind each step of the process;much appreciated ! So,when will this new one be released ? Cheers.
Kenneth

Sorry, guys, for the long hiatus.

But I was way over schedule with the figure (as always :lol: ). Anyway, to make a long story short, here it is, in its final configuration.

I hope you like it.

Quang

AWESOME Quang.....................another for my "want list" Keep up the super work......love seeing it born and come to life here

You bet I do. , he turned out great - you can put one aside for me .


.... Why don't we go to Ostend to eat grey shrimps and drink Rodenbach to celebrate - we could sit there and watch the fishermen bringing in their catch ...

Great new figure, Quang. Looks like he stepped out of an illustration in the book by Alexandre Dumas, and yet he's historically accurate - 10/10 !!!

Quang, very nice, you've captured the look and feel of the period, another classic.~Gary

Great work Quang! Another beauty. Thanks for sharing your insights with us as well!

-jim cox