Next look

So now Uncle Earl has static eyelids (still unpainted) and eyebrows.  He's looking more and more like the original 2T Uncle Earl. 

Surprise!

My first full-size Uncle Earl is still moving forward. He now has eyes and eyebrow frames.  I plan to give him static eyelids to reduce his "surprise" look.  I'm not quite ready to add blinkers, though I've been doing some experimenting and I think I'll be ready for them on my next full-size figure. 

I've decided to make a wood block template for bending the brass blinker frames.  I also worked out a way to accurately do my measurements based upon Al Stevens' tutorial, "The Fred Project".  (What a great resource!)

Take a quick tour

This July I will be attending the VentHaven Convention for the first time. It will also be the first time the convention will be held at the new venue, the Cinncinati Airport Marriott. Watch the video below for a brief (and fun) tour of the hotel.

Something to hold onto

I really like the newest style of hands from Braylu Creations.  They're very cartoon-like.  Plus their in-between size works well with 2T or 3T figures.  I painted a pair green and gave them gold fingernails for my "Zoomo, the Space Cadet" figure.  The only issue I ran into was that the wrists don't get wider in the back.  So it was more difficult getting them wired to the stuffed arms.  To remedy that, I added dabs of Magic-Sculpt on four sides of the wrist so the hands won't slip out of the wire. 

Do not try this at home.

Monkey business

This little movie features Nina Conti.

Casper the spooky freak

Wish Icould say I know exactly what I'm doing.  But I don't.  So as scary as this might look, it actually captures the essence of my project at this juncture. (My project is sculpting a new 2T cheeky boy character). 

I have cut away the generic Braylu head to make ample room for a free-swinging jaw frame (now installed) and soon-to-be eyes.  The really scary part is deciding what to do next.  I waste a lot of time staring at the thing, stroking my chin and thinking, "Hmmmmmmmm". 

I think setting the eyes in place is next.  Or maybe adding a platform in the jaw for the eventual tongue and teeth.  Possibly forming a nose...

Hmmmmmmmm.

White lightenin'

"OTIS, THE MOONSHINER" will be looking for a new place to set up his still. He will be accepting bids for his expertise from potential partners on Ebay beginning tomorrow, April Fools Day. (Seems appropriate).

Lines and shadows


I started the detail painting of my 3T Uncle Earl.  I had to use a darker red on the jaw interior to give the illusion of empty space. (He's dentally challenged... no teeth). I'll sharpen the lines with flesh tone.  I'll also do some dry brush technique to smooth the shadow areas. A ways to go yet.

After working with the Braylu slotted eye synchronizer, I figured out a pretty good way to line everything up.  I struggled at first, but here's what I recommend now.

• With your eyetray and eyes temporarily in the head, line up the back springs or posts so that the eyeball irises are centered.  I use a mirror in front of the figure's face as I work in the back. 
• Mark the center spot where the springs insert into the synchronizer slots.
  Cut off the ends of the synchronizer so that the slots are open.  Cut it down further on each end if you're working on a 2T head.  I like to leave at least 1/8" area just to the outside of my marks.
• Fill the slots with Magic-Sculpt, applying from the inside center-post to just past the marks.  Set aside two small pea-sized balls of Magic-Sculpt
• Push each post or spring into the Magic-Sculpt in the slots far enough so that the irises are centered.

• Take your tiny balls of Magic-Sculpt and "cap" both ends.  Adjust as necessary.
• Let it dry. 




Rough until it dries.  Use more Magic-Sculpt
 to smooth over the rough parts for a cleaner look


• I clip off any excess post or spring that protrudes from back of the synchronizer.  If you want to make it cosmetically neater, apply a little more Magic-Sculpt over the rough parts and smooth with your water-dipped finger. 

Two faced

Here's a photo of 3T Uncle Earl with his first coat of paint.  The jaw has also been fit to swing freely.  It will be fun painting in his facial details. 

I've been framed

Another project I'm working on is a new 2T Cheeky Boy character.  The first step is to build a frame for the jaw.  I want to install a free-swinging jaw frame in my armature.  I'm using the new generic cast head from Braylu as my armature.  It's the one I showed you earlier that I cut up a whole lot. 

Fun day

Some figure-building tasks are fun.  Others are less fun (like sanding... interior head-grinding...).  Today's primary job is fun. Today I will do the initial installation of the jaw on my 3T Uncle Earl. 

I've already added the axle tube to the jaw and secured it with Magic-Sculpt.  The brass axle rod has been cut (about 4.5" long).  That will be inserted into the jaw's brass tube. Then small-cuts of tube are slipped over the protruding ends of the axle rod.

After aligning the jaw in the head, I mark where the axles almost touch the sides of the head. That's where I'll put globs of Magic-Sculpt.   I put a little Vaseline on the end-section tubes.  Then I re-insert the jaw into the head... and sink the two axle-ends into the Magic-Sculp.  I'll mess with it here and there to make sure the jaw swings freely.  I'll make sure the axle-ends have formed nice clean open slots as well. 

I'll let it dry.  Then I'll slip the jaw in and out to work on it and to make any gap adjustments.

With the jaw installed, you see the first element of life.  That's why it's so fun.

He's a keeper

Zoomo the Space Cadet didn't make his reserve on Ebay.  So the little alien has been sitting around staring at me.  Hypnotizing me.  So every now and then I wander over and speak with him.  He's blurted out some words with different voices.  Today I think I found his true voice.

Rather than sell the little green man from outer space, I think I'll keep him.  I will covertly interrogate him by disguising my questions in the form of silly jokes. I'll discover his true intentions... is this a random crash landing or impending INVASION!