Mech Sculpt (warning, big DL)

[EndTurn]

This piece is part of a portfolio I've been working on that, to this point, is based around one story. The portfolio can be seen at this thread:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=126110

The mech would be used in a big bot fighting sport. I made it at about a 1/48th scale. The model is 7.5 inches tall, and the actual mech would be about 30ft.
http://www.jesseturnbull.com/mechlow.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/mechfront.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/mechback.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/turn.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/shoulderstand.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/shoulder2.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/mechmerged.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/mechanimation.gif
I glued most if the sculpt to death, but I wanted to leave the top part turnable, which you can see above. To do this I simply glued a nut to the top and a bolt to the bottom. (gorilla glue, even using that I had to reglue it once) Sadly the legs do not move. My engineering is still a bit limited.

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/origsketch.jpg
This was the original sketch I did before I started. It changed a bit as I went along. Some of that was due to the parts I had accumulated, and part was purposely shifting the design as I worked. Once I was done I realized I got a little too close to ED-209 from Robocop, but oh well.

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/process1.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/process2.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/process3.jpg
I started by assembling the bits and pieces I pull out of my many drawers of goodies. Little bits of this and that as you can see. I mashed it all together using hot glue, gorilla glue, and elmers.

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/paint1.jpg

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/paint2.jpg
I then gave the whole thing an even coat of silver spray paint. I was surprised how well that brought everything together. I then did a series of paint layers and weathering on top of that using acrylic and watercolor. I also added a few more details and pieces as I painted it.

http://www.jesseturnbull.com/lilguy.jpg
This guy was the final touch. I added him to give the mech some scale. He is about an inch and a half tall(making him 6ft tall when translated). It's the smallest figure I've ever sculpted and I found that I am not destined to create tabletop gaming figures. But I do like that it makes the sculpt feel more sizable.

[Artastic]

I just wanted to comment and say that your work inspired me here. That is awesome that you sculpted something that cool out of household junk. I'm going to go raid my junk drawers now. That is so awesome. I love your last photo too. It makes it look real and HUGE!! I want to see more. Keep up the good work. This is awesome. I can't believe no one has commented yet. Post more man. For sure.

[riteguytu]

AWESOME!! And made out of household 'junk'...! OMG,I gotta try this!!

[Fovos]

very creative. good job man.

[Pavel Sokov]

very brilliant, makes me want to grab junk and make robots as well!
love when you place the little driver on top of the mech!

great job, inspiring.

[teh roxxors]

That is so cool!!! I was going to ask how you got all those smooth surfaces out of clay, then I see what you did farther down the page....

Funny how it looks so bad at first, but you paint it, and the familiar shapes become obscured--suddenly, magically, it transforms from a bunch of junk into a sculpture!

Wild. Absolutely wild. Man, did I ever love those old Mechwarrior games....

[Justin.]

ha! me and some friends did this too.. It's called Kit-bash, and it's really fun if you buy some cheapo plane models and take pieces from those too!

man, talk about "found art!" this is great! Until I saw the unpainted picture, I thought you made it all yourself or made it from a kit!

[EndTurn]

Thanks for all of the the feedback guys. Its great to know people are looking. This is the first 100% junk mash up I've done. Its certainly a different process than sculpting with clay. I have used plenty of found objects here and there in my clay pieces before, and always like that aspect of making something into something else, and playing with the scale of objects. I think in the future I'd like to play around with this some more, but maybe use a bit more clay sculpting in addition to it. Which gets trick with plastic in the oven:)
I'd love to see what comes out of eveyone's cluttered drawers in the end-

I use to post more a couple years back. I've been a bit scattered art-wise. If you'd like to see some older work you can check out my website:
http://www.jesseturnbull.com

[EndTurn]

yes indeed, i certainly can't take any credit for the kit bashing(although I didn't really use any kits). If you take a look at any behind the scenes stuff from the first star wars trilogy, almost all of the ships and certainly the death star are all kit bashed. Very extensive ones too. The miniature for the death star run is gigantic. its just lots of battleship and tank bits pieced together. There is a really good book out now about the star wars sculpting
http://www.amazon.com/Sculpting-Galaxy-Inside-Star-Model/dp/1933784032/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212952279&sr=8-1

And if you get a chance to see the traveling Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination show, do so. Lots of the original models and full sized pieces. It was really mind blowing for a SW dork.

[maxblack]

Really nice job on the mech. It makes me also want to get back to some old fashioned kit bashing. It is good to see some sculpting that uses non traditional materials. If it is going to be a fighting mech it probably needs either some guns or some arm(grapplers).
Check this out for some more ideas,try the artwork section...
http://www.mektek.net/forums/index.php

[EndTurn]

yeah, i didn't figure out the weapons completely yet. in my basic outline of the mech sport, there are no guns used. it is a spectator sport, so there needed to be something to protect the viewer. the mech's can use projectiles, but they must remain attached to the machine by some sort of tether.if the tether is broken then the attached piece is disabled. they also can't use any combustibles as weapons. so the projectiles need to be launched with hydrolics or something of that nature. so i didn't decide if this guy would shoot anything or not. it does have one definite weapon though. those little cones between its legs are attached to arms(in the design, no so much in the model). they can extend out and grab another mech's arm or leg and grind it between them, pulling the mech in closer as it does this. there would probably be some sort of hydrolic spike or tube that would shoot out of the shoulders to do damage once the opposing mech is close. smashy smashy.

[madm4tt]

Great Project I like IT!

Bye

[El Jeremie]

Amazing use of bitz, love the knees. Congrats for the creativity

[maddmaestro]

very cool endturn...if you wanted to add more traditonal sculptin to these might i suggest aves or magic sculpt. self hardens without baking so you wouldn't have to worry about melted plastic, and it adheres to almost any surface. just a thought. this is very cool though. it takes the imagination to a whole 'nother level. reminds me of the things i used to do as a kid. thanks for that.

maddmaestro

[TeaMonster]

Congrats on a great piece, and also on a well executed photo. It dosn't sound much but spending the time on these details is exactly what stops you from kicking yourself in the head, if something should happen to the model.
Oh and thanks for reminding me about kitbashing, I've been meaning to do it for years, cheers!!

[barbelith2000ad]

Wow thats a great scratch built mech,amazingly imaginative to see everyday objects and bits here and there being used this way,i like the photo before you sprayed it silver,it was cool to workout what you used and a big contrast when you see it painted up,the little fellow is a great addition too,great work.

[PelleTM]

Mechs! Nice one, make more!

[Pavel Sokov]

Thanks for all of the the feedback guys. Its great to know people are looking. This is the first 100% junk mash up I've done. Its certainly a different process than sculpting with clay. I have used plenty of found objects here and there in my clay pieces before, and always like that aspect of making something into something else, and playing with the scale of objects. I think in the future I'd like to play around with this some more, but maybe use a bit more clay sculpting in addition to it. Which gets trick with plastic in the oven:)
I'd love to see what comes out of eveyone's cluttered drawers in the end-

I use to post more a couple years back. I've been a bit scattered art-wise. If you'd like to see some older work you can check out my website:
http://www.jesseturnbull.com

hahhaha can u please not put any sculptures with metal and plastic junk in the oven, you know what will happen

[brad262]

Wow!
awesome!
and I love how you did the pics for it,
im going to guess its on car roof?
the entire thing is very very creative and amazing!!

[EndTurn]

the outdoor pictures were taken on the roof of my aparment. so you go the roof part right at least.

[SoufMeng]

Great job!!

[Eytan]

Nice! I absolutely love your method in making this guy, I would love to see more in this style

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Really cool sculpt but your images are offline?