Opening Remarks by Vince Sidwell:
Be sure to answer the survey on ABOSG site
2010 industry giants will be moving to a new building

Sculpting Panel:

Patrick Kieth – Started by work in miniatures. Hero Clix type stuff. Work in plumbers epoxy putty. Not easy to work with, but withstands heat and pressure. Uses a method similar to lost wax technique.

Janel Rouge – more of a fine artist. SAIC grad with a strong traditional focus. Janel worked at shed aquarium, fabricating dioramas and exhibit pieces in epoxy resin. Working on large scale bronze moldings. Rouge Portrait Sculpture and now does funerary work.

Edward Ruiz -  started at Dallas Museum of Nature and Science in exhibit preparatory. Began making molds for museum paleontology exhibits. Scot recommends using resin because it is strong and largely indestructible. At the same time, he began developing own characters and making molds. Resin is ok if they are not designed to move. While he has been asked about designing for mass production, he prefers the more immediate aspect of limited editions.

Scott Higgins – Sculptor and toy designer. Scott started in illustration and moved to into 3d. Maquette building is a throwback to 2d animation – it allows animators to have the physical thing to for reference. Scott shifted his focus to the maquette aspect of the program.
Scott has had several Trexie (blank platform toy) designs accepted. These require following a strict set of guidelines including a set number of pantone colors.

(Trexi design submissions – The contest has already passed, but it would be a fun class project)

In order to have a true custom figure produced, it will probably require going to china. Getting your own toy produced is hard work and requires a good deal of money. It is often best to get a middle man to deal with the factories, and be sure to keep a good relationship with him. Any mistakes can lead to a giant error in production – like making a hard toy soft like a rubber ducky. Or you can learn Chinese.

Bigger companies like McFarlane Toys will have in-house sculptors. They sculpt out of Casteline, Sculpy or Magic sculp, then do a mold and cast in resin. These will include all necessary joints and articulations. Once they do a blank, the finished prototype is painted and sent to china for the most accuracy.
Miniatures become harder to cast. If they have air bubbles they will explode – same effect as bubbles in a kiln. BOOM

John Gonzales – not Tyson Summers as scheduled John went to the Art Institute  for 3d modeling. John enjoys customizing Munny blank dolls, as well as some of the blanks from Jamungo – austin. So much better to do it yourself. When sculpting a maquette, create a wire armature the you wont have to worry that it will fall. Lots of people can do amazing sculpts in zbrush, but if the figure is unable to stand, it will not be useful in the real world. This is why many 3D houses still use physical maquettes to evaluate the effects of the environment and determine edge flow.

Group Discussion:
Janel Rouge – Learn to look forward to the accidents – it’s part of the natural artistic process
Looking at a physical model is going to teach you more about the form.
Take a look at Painting with fire – documentary on frank frazetta. Documentary trailer
Patrick Kieth – By studying the basic art principles, you can apply knowledge that to all other areas – even if it is a spaceship. Traditional art is always the key – you can learn the computers as you go.

Vince Sidwell – you can teach a monkey to push the buttons, but it’s the artists who will keep their jobs. And it’s the button pushers that are getting outsourced.

Edward Ruiz – Sometimes you cant get to a computer – or dont have time. If you dont have the skills to communicate the design in pen and paper as needed, you will not get the jobs. Custom toys fall into the category of print work. Pieces are produced on an editions basis.

After the panel, I went up to discuss the casting process and see if I could get any advice for producing my own toys.

Eric brought some of his molds for dispaly, so I asked him agout the casting brocedures. He said to be sure to allow gaps for the air to go. it doesnt necesarrily have to sprue all the way out, but make a cavity in the mold that will allow the air to move. lay the characer flat, and build a clay shell around the bottom. Use a pencil to make registration holes. Make a box around the figure and fill the mold to make the top portion. Flip the assembly, remove the clay and put back in the box. Make the second part of the box and fill. If doing a tail, may need a three segment mold.
Check Hobbytown usa for paints – Testors are ok, but recommend Citadel.

Scott brought some larger pieces and I asked about setting the thicker diameters. He recommended building up an inner form with foil and keeping the sculpy not more than 1/2 inch thick. He also noted the uneven texture on my models and suggested brushing it with paint thinner before baking to remove the finger lines.

Both said to check out Reynolds Advanced Materials for supplies. They are in downtown dallas but will ship anywhere. The also said it was best to buy a gallon at a time to save money.

This was an amazingly informative panel, and could not have come at a better time.