KU's Recent Work (Update:8Sept2009): Saint Claymore Zombie

[KingUnicorn]

It's been a while since I posted anything new, and I've decided to condense the upcoming work I have to share into a single thread.

I didn't end 2008 as productively as I'd hoped, so I spent December contemplating my direction and refocusing my energies to attack 2009 right out of the gate. This is my first piece from that period of reflection: A Son of Innsmouth - a work based on the writings of HP Lovecraft.

Materials: Super Sculpey/Sculpey III
Height: Approx. 6 inches

Thanks for looking.

http://www.kingunicorn.com/resources/images/KU_A_Son_Of_Innsmouth.jpg

~KU

[joshMonster]

Wow! I love all the detail, the tentacles on the chest are awesome! What did you use for the eyes? You have done Lovecraft proud :D and have kicked off '09 with a bang

[Bongsplat]

absolutely crackin!:)
All the details are amazing,I agree about the Tentacles,they look fantastic.
Looks really detailed for its size,Will you paint it?
How did you make the buttons on his jacket, they look really crisp?

Very inspiring,Thx for posting:)

[TeaMonster]

:bow:
Please tell me, with talent such as yours you do this for a living.
I'd be very envious if you were a hobbyist :)
Amazing!

[Conrad.R.]

Lookssss great , Specia;ly the big eyes

[Nadarian]

Love this sculpture, looks amazing!! It would be great too see bigger images, detail photos above all (is it said "above all? xD)

Do you use to paint your sculptures? I'd like to see it painted too. All the details on the chest and head must be very funny to paint.

I'm new on here and I only knew of your very helpful crits on the rest of works, but now I know your skills too! Srry if I can't be as constructive as you :(

[original willow]

Oh, my word! Just look at this gorgeous piece of work! You must not hear a thing that goes on around you when you make something this detailed and precise. It has to take tremendous concentration. The eyes are perfect, as well as the down turn of the mouth.

Love It!
~~Willow

[KingUnicorn]

joshMonster: Thanks for the comments. For the eyes, I used a pair of glass beads/stones you can find in any craft store/floral supply shop. Because they’re oblong and aren’t uniform, it does take a little time to find a pair that are of similar size and shape.

Bongsplat: There are a few concepts out there for the citizens of Innsmouth and I really didn’t want to just recreate another fishman/frogman. I have a love of mutation and transformation, so I approached this sculpture with the intention of creating something that was more than just clearly a man-fish or a man-frog. I wanted something bursting with the whole of the ocean.

I plan on having this cast, so I won’t have any painted pieces to show (other than a possible trip into CS2 for some color scheming) until that phase is complete.

The buttons were made using a combination of pre-cast jewelry spacers and my sculpey blend.

TeaMonster: Thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately, I’m still very much a hobbyist who takes on small projects here and there. However, I’ve toiled in quiet obscurity for long enough. This is my year (or so I believe), so hopefully I can report some personal and professional achievements by 2010.

Conrad.R.: Thanks for your comments. The big eyes were important to me. I wanted something large and unnatural looking.

Nadarian: Thanks for having a look. I do try to share helpful suggestions and provide constructive feedback when I think it’s useful. But I do recognize it’s hard to see where I’m coming from if you don’t have my own examples to review. I’m hoping that this thread will create a strong point of reference.

I think your response was constructive in its own way and I look forward to seeing more work from you in the future. I’ll pull some detail photos and post them up soon.

Original Willow: And thanks go out to you as well for your thoughts. I love detailing and am still working out some processes that will push my future projects in the right directions. I’m not someone who can work in quiet spaces, so I put on some good music and try to get in the rhythm of whatever’s playing.

As I didn’t want to stray too far from details of the story, I did start with a fishy foundation that led to the down-turned mouth. The Goliath grouper was my reference of choice.

~KU

[Assemblit]

I love how neat this is and the details are incredible! Is this still being worked on?

[OmenSpirits]

holy SHNIKESSSSSSSS!!!!

Damn thing looks like its going to blink at me!

:D

[ManaBurn]

That's awesome King!

[giorgione]

i love the design and details
Great work

[KingUnicorn]

Omen-S, ManaBurn, giorgione: Thanks for your comments and support.

Assemblit: Love the Patton Oswalt quote.

While the initial design and development phase is complete, there's still a bit more to do. Because of the level of detail, I'll have to carefully go back over the piece and fill in any gaps, cracks, or crevices that might cause sticking or bubbling in the mold. It'll take a bit of time, but - in the end - will offer a better final product.

I'm also working on a Dagon-inspired pedestal/base for this fellow to rest atop. I imagine a blending of something you'd find in your local aquarium supply shop and nightmares about drowning.

~KU

[dreamsorcerer]

It's been a while since I posted anything new, and I've decided to condense the upcoming work I have to share into a single thread.

I didn't end 2008 as productively as I'd hoped, so I spent December contemplating my direction and refocusing my energies to attack 2009 right out of the gate. This is my first piece from that period of reflection: A Son of Innsmouth - a work based on the writings of HP Lovecraft.

Materials: Super Sculpey/Sculpey III
Height: Approx. 6 inches

Thanks for looking.

~KU

Hello Sir. Unicorn Brother Dude.. Well you certainly have made a success of attacking 2009 with a bang my friend. It's a wonderful sculpt, as you know I'm not as celever as you when it comes to giving constructive comments (however I always try, but your comments always sound better lol) I do enjoy seeing your sculpts, and there's always a 'feeling' that I get when seeing them, like I can imagine what they'd be like in the flesh, how they'd behave, how they'd smell, and how they'd even walk even. It's like you give it that much 'life' to them that you give them a very unique personality and strong character of their own. And this particular sculpt, I have to say is one of my favourites, you've really put your soul into this my friend. Beautifully done my friend!

:sungod:

[Doggy]

Man, this is great! Lovecraft´s writings are vague enough regarding the creatures to be up for a wide variety of enterpretations, but this is clearly a deep-one. And one of the more original and exciting ones i´ve seen:)

[Assemblit]

Yeah Patton Oswalt is just so funny.

Can't wait to see! Hmm not sure who Dagon is but sounds pretty cool.

[KingUnicorn]

D-Sorcerer: You, sir, are a wealth of movitvation in your own right and I find your comments as clever as anything I could hope to offer. I appreciate both your support and your feedback. It's my hope to keep creating pieces that have a life of their own - as if they represent things that could possibly exist in some other time or place beyond this world. I believe you and I are of the same mind in that regard.

Doggy: When you work up something based on a mythos that has been interpreted and copied for so many years, it's hard to find a place in the visual library that feels new. I'm pleased, as a Lovecraft fan, that you enjoy what I've created.

Assemblit: If you have a half-hour free in your day, you can check out the story here: Shadow Over Innsmouth... (http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskatonic/library/stacks/literature/lovecraft/novellas/shadowin.htm) It's an interesting read.

~KU

[VulgarDragon]

I'm not familiar with Innsmouth, but I think your sculpt perfectly capture the Lovecraftian horror. Grotesque in a deliciously beautiful way.

[KingUnicorn]

In an effort to keep the momentum going, I've been working under a soft, two-week deadline for this series of busts on my project list. I'm going to miss my mark this week because there's a lot of tightening and external accents I need to prepare to finish this next piece. So, in the meantime, I thought I'd toss up a little preview of where I am with this bust: Urban Pacification Organism: LONG PORK...

Still a lot of refinement and detailing to go, but the general shape is in place.

M-Cross: I really appreciate your comments. You've certainly developed a clear voice that makes picking out your pieces almost instantaneous. There's a consistent handling of the clay that makes your work so recognizable.

~KU

[maddmaestro]

Awesome work once again KU! I always look forward to the peaks inside your twisted realities, and dreams! Thanks for sharing them with us! I love the way he looks as though he was just deformed, like his skin was just bubbling,and oozing into place. Awesome!

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[troyboy]

Another awesome piece KU, and big props for giving yourself some
deadlines. Even if you go over (which I do all the time), it really helps
keep you disciplined. Like Kenshiro said, you've really exploded out
of the gate this year and at this rate, I can't wait to see what you've
got in store for us for the rest of the year.

LONG PORK looks fantastically bizarre and creepy. What are your
plans with these busts? I'd be nice to see some kit producer pick
them up from you. Anyway, awesome job once again dude. :teeth:

[Bongsplat]

I love your vision's for these sculpts KU:)
They are out there-but have a really realistic look thats believable,
Which I love ,
Always enjoy checking your thread

thx for sharing

[KingUnicorn]

Madd-M: Thank you, sir! And glad to see you back around here. You've been gone to long and we're in need of updates on your projects.

This guy's an awful mix of bubbly, fleshy bits and Giger-esque bone fragments (which make up the bulk of the back and neck area and aren't visible in this sample pic). I'm actually working up some hardware for him right now to give him some street cred (nutrient plugs, neural enhancers, metabolism stabilizers - all that pseudo-science stuff that makes reading speculative fiction so much fun...)

T-Boy: I've taken a lot of your advice to heart. Not only are you cutting your way through the sculpture world, but you're also leaving a trail of important tips and suggestions for anyone to pick up, examine, and follow suit. I'd be nowhere near where I am right now without the help of artists like yourself.

I'm hoping to have a few busts produced this year. As much as I'd love to see a producer pick one or two up and run with them, I'm prepared to kit them myself and push them out into the world on my own.

Bongsplat: Thanks for your comments. I do want things to have a certain realism to them. And I'm pushing to improve the design elements and details that add to that realism. Well, as much as a bubbling, fleshy product of mad science can have a sense of realism!

Thanks again all!

~KU

[Wiggins]

I was about to ask if you could send along any extra strips of bacon, but reading what you have in store to garnish this porky fellow...I don't think I'd want that taste in my mouth.

A creepy onset, with an eerie aftertaste.

But cooked in a skillet of focused energy and vision. I really like the motion and shape you gave on down the torso area, doesn't look so static, like a lot of busts tend to. I can't wait to see the itty bitty accents!

[dreamsorcerer]

Hey Master. KingUnicorn Dude,

There is so much character in every piece you do, it's astounding. THis particular dude looks like he's in pain, with such a horrid 'skin/flesh' disorder going on. He reminds me a little like the elephant man, but a much more alien/mutated version. Don't get me wrong bro, I mean that as an absolute compliment. I look at your sculpts and think, 'how the bloody hell does he make his sculpts come alive like that?' You're really pushing out the boundaries, and it shows very well. (I've probably said all that before lol)

Oh and I love the names you give your characters. Well, actually even if you called dude, 'Brian' or 'Fred' I'd still love it! :)

All the best bro,

Kenny!!!!!!!!!!

[KingUnicorn]

Wiggins: You are right, sir. This is not something you'd want served with your Grand Slam Breakfast or Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity. Thanks for noticing the torso. I'm really trying to avoid focusing on the head. A few busts I've seen (particularly in my primary interest group) seem to put all of the energy into the head. Certainly the head/face is one of the focus elements of a bust, but I want there to be more to it than that without overpowering the key features.

D-Sorcerer: There is a little Elephant Man in there. Also a little Mason Verger (from the Silence of the Lambs sequel Hannibal) and the butchers from the grim dungeon kitchen in the film Legend.

As for the names: They just seem to develop with the characters. I'm certain I have a Jerry or a Fred bumping around in my head that might creep out one day. Of course, the ones that sound the most common and everyday are the ones that are really scary.

Thanks again for having a look. I'll have an update here shortly with all sorts of technological mayhem.

~KU

[DMN Creative]

i think any Jerry or fred you come up with would be all the more terrifying.. just knowing that they've come from your mind would have me worried about their strangley calm exterior.... :)

glad you posted this latest creation, its stopped me looking at the tentacles coming out of the other guys chest, there's something about the wriggly slimey organic elements next to the nice crisp jacket lapels that freaks me out, and i mean all of this as a compliment!

[KingUnicorn]

Here's another small update: I'm working out a specific design for the shoulder armor for this guy and had to place an order for supplies that won't arrive until mid-week next week. So, for the time being, I thought I'd share some texture work and "cybernetic" attachments.

There's still a lot more work that has to be done. Lots of refinements and smoothing that I'll hold off on until I've finished and mounted the shoulder pieces (and a few more biomechanical bits).

DMN-C: Compliment taken. I'm seriously thinking about taking on the challenge of creating a character entirely around a very common name. I think "Fred" is the winner here.

~KU

[Doggy]

Oh man, this one is gnarly! The stitching is great, and the texture is coming along nicely.
Can´t wait to see more!

[EvanCampbell]

I love all the work you put in on the Son of Innsmouth sculpture...are you going to paint it...seems like tons of possibilities!

[KingUnicorn]

Doggy: Thank you, sir. I finally received word today that my shipment was finally mailed out. I'm hoping to have this one completed and imaged this weekend to post up here.

Evan: Thanks for dropping in here and having a look. The Innsmouth piece was a different approach for me and I've been trying to apply that new mindset to my present work. I'm hoping to have this one cast (after a few days of cleaning up any undercuts and patching any troublesome spaces), so I won't have anything painted up until mid-Summer. I'd love to see someone with better painting chops than I have rock the bust out in brilliant, creepy colors.

~KU

[Doggy]

No no no, thank YOU for sharing your stuff:)

[SalOnimaruRem]

holy crap :D sick dude just siiick x]
Loving the detail of his chest of the tentacles and so on
the second lovin that one too, cannot wait to see more of it :}

[KingUnicorn]

Well, folks. I've been busy with work and holding off an update here until I got further along with the next piece. I've also been waiting to get some design changes with Long Pork completed so I could share the final. Sadly, there's been an accident.

I woke up this morning and discovered that the unbaked piece had cracked the entire circumference of the head (right in the middle of the mouth and descending around the base of that ugly skull). I can only assume that this was related to temperature. Perhaps the expanding/contracting of the steel armature underneath? Has anyone ever heard of this happening with unbaked SS?

Anyway, I'll be making repairs today, cleaning up all the detail work that's now spent, and getting the next piece ready for previewing.

Oni Rem: Hey, thanks for stopping in. I was hoping to have a strong update today, but that's now gone south. More to come shortly.

~KU

[maddmaestro]

Yeah sadly I had this happen before KU...unsure of the cause either. A new piece I was working on did this. Didn't have the heart to fix it so I started something new. Good luck brother! Looking forward to the next updates!

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[VulgarDragon]

I'm not sure what could cause it, but would depend on the armature, thickness/age of the clay. Strange. I had that happen to one of my sculpts before but I believe it was because it sat on the shelf for several months...unbaked.

Anyway, I hope you can fix it. I'm rather fond of this piece because it somehow reminds me of that deformed orc from the Lord of the Rings movie.

[KingUnicorn]

Madd-M/Mad-C: It's a real mystery. In fact, after repairing it yesterday, it started separating again this afternoon. I wish I had a time-lapse video of what was happening. I'm just going to blame the workshop goblins.

I went ahead and hit it with the turnpenoid and baked it. It's cooling in the oven as I type this. I'm tired of repairing unbaked clay that's just probably going to separate again. I figured a baked piece would be easier to tackle with epoxy and a some light sanding.

Deformed Orc from LOtR: Haha. I can see that. The warg-riding general from the RotK, right? Someone else said he looked like an evil Mr. Potato Head, so I'm apparently spreading my influences all over the place with this one.

~KU

[razimo]

KingUnicorn,

!!!!

I'm sorry, that means 'Dear Sir, I started to type this, then I had an epiphany..' .. what shape is your armature, underneath Mssr. Pork? Is there a cross-member, or baked Sculpey under there somewhere?

My thought was 'Hey.. I wonder if the only thing supporting that mass of Sculpey is a single upright? If that's the case.. that mouth area is thin, and the fantastically grossly deformed belly much, much larger.. large enough, I bet, to sssllllooowwwly slip its way down an armature, if it didn't have a cross-brace to hold it up.'

Just a thought.. perhaps it will help!

[KingUnicorn]

Hey, Razimo. I think you're onto something. I do have a wire and foil attachment underneath the bulk of the clay, but - if memory serves me correctly - I didn't weld it to the upright (as I normally do) when I affixed the epoxy "head bulb." This upright was actually cannibalized from another bust that didn't work out right, and I didn't replace the epoxy cap at the top.

The foil and wire are probably slipping under the weight as you surmise. I have a gold star somewhere around here to throw at you.

Sadly, I pulled him out of the oven and - sure enough - he's split where I repaired him. He's off to the epoxy clinic for the night, so tomorrow we'll see what shape he's in.

~KU

[KingUnicorn]

I'm finally ready to put a fork in this one. I've repaired him four times over, so we need to pack up the mutagenic equipment and move on. You can tell by the extension of the mouth that this one's become a wee bit taller due to the clay slippage. If anything, he looks particularly hungry now. I don't recommend putting your fingers anywhere near this fellow's gaping pie hole.

The shoulder armor didn't work out at all. Given the fact that he has no arms, the long shoulder plates look more like strange wings. I cut them from the design and replaced them with the "wired reflex" plugs.

Materials Roll Call: Super Sculpey, Sculpey III, Steel, Foil, Mighty Putty, Aves Apoxie Sculpt, Brass, Bits of Metal, Wood, and Madness.

Thanks for looking.

~KU

[dreamsorcerer]

Master KU Dude,

I was going to comment on your last post.. in fact I started writing in some tips on what you could do to fix it but then I thought.. 'hmm.. lets see what KU will do first..' And lookee here! Wow. It looks brutal, disturbingly amazing my friend. I got me tingles looking at the sculpt, because I can really see in my mind how this thing would move, wriggle around like a maggot. I dunno how you do it master dude. Great work Batman.

:)

[Bongsplat]

KU

I Love this fella, He is grotesquely beautiful!:)
All the details in his skin and the stitched parts look absolutely brilliant.
I am left asking..What must your dreams be like?:D

Very inspiring work my friend.

[Doggy]

KU you have a amazing way of making god-awful mutated monster thingys, while still keeping the features clear and recognizable. What i´m trying to say is that the son of innsmouth and Pork sculpts could easily have turned in to blobs, but you skillfully avoid that.
And i just adore them:)

[taurn7]

That thing looks like a mutated potato! All the little bumps are so.. freaky.

And I agree with Doggy, you didn't overdo the face, so there's an ugly face that we can be scared of.

Also, are the stitched parts just curled wires?

[KingUnicorn]

D-Sorcerer: Kenny, thanks for your continued support, my friend. As any sculptor can admit, this piece was another study in "obstacle navigation." At every turn something wanted to pop up to get in the way of completing it. The real challenge was getting down to the end and watching 90% of the work trying to evaporate without any hands-on destruction on my part.

The next piece is certainly a departure from full-blown detail, so I'm interested to see how you respond to it.

Bongsplat: Thank you, sir. My work is certainly not for everyone and I readily accept that. Every so often I find myself drawn to more whimsical work - Alan Lee, Brian Froud, even Jim Henson - but there's a part of my love affair with all things eldritch and alien that seems to pull me back. I dare say if I were to flirt with faery art, they would be the sort of fantastic creatures that lead villagers astray or abscond with bright-eyed maidens.

Doggy: Thanks go out to you as well for your support. I don't know if its the experience of hard critiques, study of the work of others, or some inner voice telling me to "STOP!" but it seems when I get dangerously close to overworking a piece, something steps in and forces me to take a break.

Keith Thompson - a fabulous illustrator - says, I’ll pace around obsessively in front of an easel, suddenly laying down ideas as they come to me, then disengaging to pace some more. I find we operate in similar fashions. Most of my sculpting seems to exist in long periods of examination broken by periods of furious clay pushing, prodding, mashing (when I hit chewing, it's time to stop again).

taurn7: It's been referred to as "an evil Mr. Potato Head" elsewhere and that makes me happy in some small way. I flirted with the idea of renaming him "Potato Famine."

The stitching was indeed completed with coiled wire. It doesn't have the tendency to shift around like clay "lacing" and can be positioned without marring too much of the surrounding work.

Cheers everyone!

~KU

[razimo]

KU, are you certain that it was ever broken? You'd never know it, to look at the final piece; every detail has such a deliberate ring to it!

.. perhaps it was that he was just very, Very hungry... *brrr!!!!* Watch your fingers.

Ordinarily I'm not one to suggest that anyone sculpt this or that thing, but I have to admit that I'd love to see what you'd do with the concept of a siren, some seductive, multifaceted thing that lures even the cynical away to doom....... a beautiful face, flowing hair that hides the claws; a shimmery skirt of some gauzy stuff, and that's where she keeps her instruments of taking-apart close at hand.

..anyway! Sorry! I get carried away sometimes.

Fantastic work, sir!

[Aris Kolokontes]

Fantastic!!! I love your style!

[KingUnicorn]

Razimo: Any noticeable absence of cracking or breakage is firmly in the hands of my good friend Apoxie Sculpt. It's great for those last minute cleanups and filling any gaps or cracks. I'm not quite as skilled with it as others to take on full sculpts, but for detailing and cleanup, I trust the stuff.

As for your recommendations, I always welcome suggestions for subjects to explore. And by your comments, I would guess that you've managed to catch a glance of my project list. I'm wrapping up one piece this weekend, but the next bust will indeed be a seductive sort of woman-monster. I've taken inspiration from the broad spectrum of Japanese folklore (in particular a female yokai that appears as a beautiful woman from the front, but a horrible goblin from the rear). I'm hoping to balance an alluring feminine quality with otherworldly elements.

I quite like your siren idea, so I've added it to the project list. Expect all manner of credit and "props" for the inspiration.

Aris: I tracked you down through a friend on MySpace and have been quietly absorbing your facial studies. So many terrific horrors that I can imagine prowling around dungeon caverns or clawing to get through the floorboards. Keep the good work coming, sir - it pushes me to do more.

~KU

[maddmaestro]

KU you have struck something with your and razimo's deductions. I disassembled the piece I had that split and it was the very samme issue. I will endeavor to correct this behavior in the future, cause a little apoxie would go a long way to correct it, and has in the past. I love the way Long Pork turned out, are you making these available to the public or is this for your own personal enjoyment? Keep on inspiring...

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[KingUnicorn]

Madd-M: Anchoring is such an important part of the process, and I had a moment when I considered repacking the old Mighty Putty over the foil and wire to make certain this one would hold. I don't always work my busts to the base of the armature (so I have extra room as needed), and that's when things really need to be anchored in place. As Razimo pointed out, things just slip away.

Long Pork (and a few others this year) will be produced for the public. LP especially since he's got so much room to cover with delightfully sinister paint schemes. Everything's moving forward, so expect a May release date.

I'll have a preview of the new piece up tonight.

~KU

[troyboy]

I'll have a preview of the new piece up tonight.

Oh yeah! Lookin' forward to that. :bounce:

[KingUnicorn]

T-Boy: I find it quite curious that whenever I make a public proclamation that I will be posting a new piece, a sudden rush of work and personal responsibilities rises up out of the aether and commandeers my time. Dark forces be damned - I've got an update to share!

This is my latest character/creature concept: Amon Gallus - The Oracle of Saturn. I wanted to work up a mystic/sorcerer character whose body could no longer contain the psychic/magical energies surging through his veins. As a result, his physical form has begun a process of transmutation, reshaping itself to better hold back the power that will eventually shatter him.

Still lots of work to go with this one (clothing, armor, jewelery, smoothing, and detailing) but I needed to get it off the workbench and into view to keep pushing myself to meet my private deadlines.

Thanks for looking.

~KU

[taurn7]

wow KU, your designs never ceases to amaze me, it is so new and unique. It is always interesting to see what you come up with. Do you take reference from stuff or is this all from your brain? Are you going to paint this one? I would like to see the colors of the jewelry, the veins, the robe, so it all just comes to life.

[Bongsplat]

A-Ha KU I've been really looking forward to an updated:)
This new character looks very cool,The way you've done his face looks brilliant,so much detail and it looks so freaky,which I love.

There is something fascinating about the freakyness of your concepts that I absolutely love,I really cant stop staring!:)

As usuall , nothing bad I can say about it,fantastic work:)

[razimo]

Patience isn't my strong suit, KU.. I've peeked in twice an hour, I think, for the last two days; hoping to see what you'd found underneath the fog this time. This was worth waiting on!

What strikes me most about it is the clarity.. even at this fairly early stage of sculpting, there's an impressive degree of conviction to be had - it's very much as if you can already see this, and it's just a matter of taking a little bit of reality and twisting it around an armature until it suits your vision.

To be honest with you, I'm very much afraid that that robe will, at any moment, slip off of that increasingly deformed shoulder... I hope it stays up there; I have to sleep sometime.

brrrr........

The only thing that I, personally, would handle differently is the way the sculpture merges onto the base.. Currently, the robe is very vertical in movement, and that linear motion is neatly cross-cut by the line of the base.. to my eye, it's too 'tidy,' but I'd be perfectly willing to cede that that's personal taste. There's a satisfying, writhing sort of twist evident in the side view, that I long to see more of.

Stellar work so far! I'd ask how long you've got in this so far, but I suspect that the answer would just make me burst into tears... I am slow!

[VulgarDragon]

When I saw the sculpt and the title, "Amon Gallus - The Oracle of Saturn", I mentally constructed a story almost immediately. I can imagine this ancient being living alone in a cold fortress situated on one of the moons of Saturn, or even floating in the atmosphere of Saturn itself, to be visited by travelers seeking his ageless wisdom. Such is the skill of a master sculptor, to be able to tell a story without uttering a word.

I am unsure of how to compare your style.... I can see bits of H.R. Geiger, Clive Barker, and Lovecraftian touches in your work. It is always exciting to see what you come up with.

[hedorah59]

Great start, KU! I really like the idea of the concept. Too often I start sketches and doodles that end up going nowhere because there is no destination to them. I think in creating a story like this it can't help but lead you along the creative path to completion. Thank you for sharing, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the progress on this!

Kirk

[nofingers]

I can't believe I missed this thread. Damn KU, your work never ceases to impress me. I think that the Son of Innsmouth is still my favorite so far, it seems to have so much personality, not to say that the others aren't amazing as well. I can see that your artistic visions is really starting to come together. I feel like I could easily pick a KU sculpture out a line-up everytime. You totally inspire me.

If I may offer a minor crit, what is the purpose of the screws and grommets on Long Pork's abdomen? They don't seem to serve any function, other than as more decorative techno bits.

[troyboy]

Wow dude, this looks AMAZING! You've absolutely captured that
look of expansion you were going for, especially with the entire
facial area. It completely appears that he's slowly splitting apart.
And contrast between the smoothness and simplicity of his head,
chest and robes against the chaotic and disgustingly organic elements
exploding out from within is just fantastic. This lineup that you've
got going on is just so well done and unique.

And like MadCross was saying, it's always exciting to see a piece
that gets your own mental storyboards working. You look at this
guy and a whole storyline begins to form in your noggin.

These look as good, if not better, that a lot of the movie conceptualization
pieces you see for different F/X studios. Have you pursued this kind
of work yet, or considered it? At the very least, I'm sure you've
thought about it, right?

Anyway, another brilliant piece dude and I'm glad to see you're not
letting the grass grow under your feet! Take care!

[KingUnicorn]

I can’t thank everyone enough for the initial feedback with this piece. Every time I catch it from a different angle, there’s something happening that calls out for me to work on it some more.

I’ve been tethered to the ‘puter with work and website building over the weekend, so I’m finally getting back into this tonight. I hope to have an update in another couple days.

Taurn7: I keep a pretty extensive “visual library” locked away in my head. I’ll see a shape or a design or a pattern that strikes me quite soundly and I log it away mentally for a rainy day. It also has to do with influence. I’ve devoured the work of some truly inspiring artists and there’s just no denying that their impact on my development manifests in small elements here and there.

I try to reference as much as I can when it comes to anatomy and clothing. I keep a mannequin here for clothing reference and just popped the arms off to sort out how the robe might look hanging off the body. Thank you for your comments.

Bongsplat: I’m really very influenced by what the old Fewture crew put together back in the late 90s/early 00s. They didn’t pull any punches when it came to their designs, and back in December I made the same sort of commitment. I’m pleased the freakiness in these pieces grabs you. That’s what I’m after with this whole pursuit. Thanks for the feedback, sir.

Razimo: I tend to set down abstract ideas when I start a sculpture. For this, I knew I wanted a clean, masculine face that I could explore in my own fashion. Once I had that foundation in place, I just let the shapes drive my direction until there was something in there that started to rise to the surface. This leads to your comment on the robe-base intersection:

I initially had planned a head-n-shoulders bust. However, as I got to work and the face came into being and that “alien apparatus” started growing out of his mouth, I had to start accommodating for the growing length. I agree that the intersection could be too clean. Had I started with a bigger base, I could see attempting something more fluid. I always appreciate your feedback.

Mad-C: I’ve seen a few discussions happening here about writing that I’ve quietly stayed out of. My background is in writing, but the practice has been consumed by daily work that prevents any flights of fantasy. So, I turn to this craft to reveal the private stories I’d share if I weren’t so throttled by wordsmithing. They come out as these independent, isolated sculptures, but the stories are still there.

Geiger, Barker, Lovecraft – they’re all there. I have a relationship with their vision that goes back to my youth. Thank you for the comments, sir.

Hedorah59: I seem to develop the piece and the story in tandem. As you’ve said, I think that helps drive the process. It certainly boosts the excitement level and the desire to see something through to the end. I hope you’ll enjoy where this ends up.

Fingerless: Haha. Now you see where I’ve been these last few months. I really appreciate what you’ve said here. You’ve seen me start and stall with various projects, and I can tell you with full confidence that I’m feeling a bit tenacious with my work right now.

As for the screw/grommets in LP’s stomach: They’re purely for show. I imagined them as some sort of nutrient plugs that could be unfastened so food could be pumped into his gut. So, they’re functional only within the confines of my mind. For everyone else, they’ll hopefully turn out like random techno bits when cast.

T-Boy: Man, I’m thoroughly blown off my feet by your response. You’ve picked up all the key elements that I’ve really enjoyed working up with this piece, and I can’t thank you enough for following my progress here and elsewhere.

I have thought about F/X conceptualization, and I long for the opportunity to move closer to entertainment-oriented work professionally. I’m hoping as this year draws to a close and my artistic voice becomes clearer and more consistent that I can begin heading in that direction. Until then, I’ll focus on releasing a few resin kits and continue to enjoy the DIY/indie garage kit family that makes this hobby such a rich and rewarding experience.

~KU

[dreamsorcerer]

Hey KU,

I can't believe I missed this, I do apologise for not commenting earlier buddy. It's truly amazing. Your sculpts are getting more and more detailed now and I'm loving it. And yet another original creation! I'm not very constructive this morning my friend as I not long got up lol Well done you!

Thanks for sharing my friend!

Kenny.

[KingUnicorn]

This is an insignificant update. Thanks to the need to pay bills, I just didn't have the time in my schedule last week and into the weekend to give this the attention it needed. Fortunately, that's all out of the way now and we're back on track.

I'm still roughing out areas and trying out some different "elements" until I strike on something that I'm happy with. This is the experimentation phase that I enjoy. I have no idea what's going to come from this step, but once I discover it, this piece will wrap up fairly quickly.

You might also notice that I'm working in a circular fashion (from one side of the piece, down the chest, and back around to the other side). I have no idea why. It's just the way this piece is leading me.

D-Sorcerer: No worries, my friend. There are so many great pieces popping up in here that it's not easy to keep track of them all. I do appreciate your dropping in and your continued interest in what I'm working on.

~KU

[Bongsplat]

looking greatKU I'm really looking forward to seeing another finely polished piece of yours!:)
I won't even attempt a crit like the ones you pull out!!:D
All I'll say is "Awesome"

Can't wait to see more:)

[KingUnicorn]

Ah, we're nearing the final stretch now.

As you might guess, I'm saving the cloak for the end. All that loop tooling, smoothing, creasing, texturing is going to be a steel-fisted monster to tackle.

Nothing too terrific to report. Just a little progress.

Bong-S: Haha. Thank you, sir. I hope this one finishes up as solidly as the others. Still lots of work to tackle. I appreciate you stopping by to have a look.

~KU

[troyboy]

Oh wow KU, this guy is just getting better and better!! All that detail work is INSANE,
and the fact that it's all SS is even more impressive. You've really got to jump into
wax at some point. It's made for this kind of project and you're going to find the detailing
stage SOOOOOOOOO much easier and enjoyable. Add to that, the fact that you can't
smush any previously laid-down details and you can hold the whole thing in your hand,..
...you just can't go wrong. As a matter of fact, it's a shame you can't do a mold of this
piece now and cast up a wax copy. Even if you've never played w/ wax before, the
learning curve is not that hard to get over and the end results are well worth it. Just
something to think about. ;)

Anyway, I'm just blown away by what you've accomplished so far and I can only imagine
(actually, I can't!) what the end result is going to look like. Beautiful work my friend!

[dreamsorcerer]

Bloody hell KU mate,

Wooo Hoooo!!!!! Check you out dude!!!! Wow. The concept, the detail.. THE DETAIL!!! You clever git! Proud of you my friend :)

------> walks away wiping tears away..

Kenny!!!!

[VulgarDragon]

I agree that it is an exquisite piece of work, indeed. I could spend hours looking at all the details and not get tired. Can't wait to see it finished and painted.

[KingUnicorn]

T-boy: I take your advice quite seriously, and if you say that wax would suit my work, wax it is. Especially if it will spare me the extra work I have to complete doing repairs on stray marks and gashes from wayward tools.

I've been watching the number of wax projects cropping up with a measure of excitement. I love exploring new materials to work with and the benefits you describe all support the changes I'm looking for in my process. SS has helped me take my projects pretty far, but a wax option might take them even further.

D-Sorcerer: This is my first run-in with being called "clever" and a "git." The fact that they come in support of each other is a private joy! I've really been enjoying going in after detail. Although, I did have some mishaps last night working out the "cap." Lots of smoothing to correct some rough starts, but I'll have another go later this evening. I think you'll be happy with the next project on the list.

Mad-C: It looks like this one's going into a silicone bath (which will buy me some time to train up some airbrushing skills). I'm going to keep a copy for myself and have a go at it. Of course, there are those with far better painting skills who will recreate this fellow in ways I could never hope to unlock.

Thanks again for looking everyone. It looks like we'll have this one wrapped up on Monday/Tuesday.

~KU

[maddmaestro]

KU my friend you set the bar really high. Your level of imagination and the skill you apply to your work is nothing short of staggering and awe-inspiring! I eagerly look forward to your posts, and am never disappointed. Awesome work, here. I think Troy might be onto something with the wax suggestion, after looking at others work with it, and your work with ss I can only envision it catapulting you to the stratosphere. I need to get to work, so i can try and reach your lofty heights!

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[KingUnicorn]

Madds: You're too kind, sir. I've still got a long way to go (knocking on various wooden objects around me) with my learning and development. I do take this craft seriously, and I hope that by this time next year I'll feel more deserving of your praise.

I haven't moved forward very far since the last update. I had a horrible issue with the migration of my website from the test server to the live site, which resulted in my spending the last few days redoing a lot of the code and having to dump a lot of the galleries I'd already prepared. The new site is live now for those that want to check it out (The Black Market Creatureworks - in my signature). It's still very much a work-in-progress, but it's nearing a point that I'm happy with.

I'll be returning to Amon Gallus today to wrap him up this week.

~KU

[KingUnicorn]

Okay, folks - I'm double-posting with good reason: Amon Gallus is done. Well, there's still a lot of post-bake work to do (sanding, epoxy fillings, general cleanup, etc.), but the clay shaping is wrapped. I'll be sinking him in silicone in May and releasing him mid-to-late June.

Materials Roll Call: Super Sculpey, Sculpey III, Foil, steel bits, a glass marble, glass pearls, and the usual dose of mutagenic love.

As usual, thanks for having a look.

~KU

[razimo]

His cloak immediately called to mind sea-sponges; it's as if a simple piece of clothing, once it's been too long in contact with his magic-warped skin, is coming to life in a decidedly unnatural way.

Gruesome and fascinating, not that I expect less from you! .. what scale is this? I'm boggling over here, that you've wrung such finely done detail out of Sculpey.

Very grim and fascinating.. I will eagerly await a painted version of this!

[bcutty]

This looks Great KU awesome work on this piece.
Brian.

[VulgarDragon]

Nice! I could only imagine how he would look painted, but I do like the blue tint in your thumbnail...imparts some kind of eerie coldness to him.

[The Dark Power]

Wow, first time I've had a look at this - the level of detail is amazing, I can't believe how many textures you've got on this, amazing stuff!!

[KingUnicorn]

razimo: I’m pleased you’re the first to respond to this. As usual, you’ve immediately struck on what I wanted to work out in this piece and the sort of emotional response I was hoping to invoke.

The cloak is indeed a living sort of thing. Not in the “limbs and teeth” manner of more conventional organisms, but something like a membrane – or a sea-sponge.

Scale is a great question. Maybe 1/5th scale? He’s approx. 8.5” H x 4.25” W. I await a painted version myself. I won’t have time to tackle this one on my own until much later in the year, so I’m hoping I can share someone else’s vision for the coloring of this piece as the summer hits.

bcutty: Thanks, Brian. I really appreciate the kind words you’ve shared on this. I’m watching your dragon bust progress, waiting for that moment when you start diving into the details that give it a real sense of life.

Mad-C: Thank you, sir. I’m hoping to balance out my schedule to spend some time painting a cast or two. For now, I’m keeping the samples very monochromatic. The blue seemed to suit him. I have fondness for that sort of eerie color.

Dark Power: I’m secretly pleased you’ve caught this at the end. Going back and looking at those early shots makes me cringe. I’m glad you like the textures. I’ve really been experimenting with the building and layering of different textures to break up the composition and to hint at the materials that might be used in the clothing/costume.

Again, thanks everyone for having a look.

~KU

[brandonshiflett]

Jarrod and I love us some King Unicorn.

B
http://www.shiflettbrothers.com

[dreamsorcerer]

Hey Master KU Dude,

This really has done it for me, your texturing skills are so insane it makes me want to give another man-hug! I love it, the concept and design is perfecto. This is my favourite KU piece so far dude :)

You really are a :ac: :al: :ae: :av: :ae: :ar: :ag: :ai: :at: :a!: :sungod:

[Wiggins]

It's time for "pick the brain of the King Unicorn!"
So honestly speaking, I've been hooked on stuff you sculpt since I happened across the post with the witch-like character doing what seemed to be a pretty half-done job of turning some poor bastard into a toad....at first when I saw that sculpt I thought "hey that's cool." Then I looked at it again when I had more time and started wishing "damn, if I had a huge high-res shot I could see all those little boils and bubbles of toil and trouble on that guy's skin!"

I'm also curious as to where the steam is building for a resurrection of that "demons and girls and guns" project that was going on earlier....:P


This isn't picking your brain at all...I should put the brakes on the praise and drool ramble...

Is most of your blending done through solvents like alcohol or turpenoid?
And im curious as to know if you pre-bake much at all, and then layer in smaller details.
I have a bit of an issue trying to layer a pipe or bead of clay on top of something that's still soft and succumbs to errant pokes and prods.

[SoulWraith]

Hello KU my Friend!
Damn. Every time I see what you have been up to, I am amazed all over again with each piece! As you know, I do not have that wonderfully beautiful grossening imagination that you so lavishly sculpt, but I sure do love to look at it! I have problems training my brain to think "It's ok to go wild". Yeah, I suck. LOL
Love Ya!
I cannot even start to pick a favorite.

[KingUnicorn]

Brandon: Oh, man. I don’t have the words to respond to a comment like that. I owe a large part of my development to you and Jarrod. I'm hoping to repay you both at SD-CC one of these years. Drinks are on me.

D-Sorcerer: Haha! Thanks, Kenny. Man-hugs all around! I’ve got a few pieces on deck for April/May to manage, so I’m hoping one of them tops what I’ve worked up here. I feel like I’m reaching a sort of plateau, so I need to mix up my process to keep from settling into a comfort zone. As always, thanks for your support.

Wiggins: Hey, man. Let’s see if I can answer your questions:

The Lord of Dreadwaste project is on indefinite hold. I started it in a different place and had some huge setbacks with it (mostly through professional changes outside of sculpting), so it represents a place where my head was at last year. If I do return to it, it will be from scratch and with the application of some of the new discoveries I’ve made.

I blend using a tool with a curved, leaf-shaped head. I’ve just started using alcohol for brush smoothing and knocking back detail. I over used turpenoid in the past – brushing too much without letting the turpenoid just work its magic. I seem to be having better success now. I’ll brush with alcohol periodically during the sculpting process and finish the thing off with turpenoid prior to baking.

I haven’t pre-baked since I lost three pieces at the same time last year (which led to this new run of work). I just work unbaked clay over unbaked clay until I’m about 98% finished. After baking, I touch up details and any cracks with Aves Apoxie Sculpt. You can read a little more about my detailing/baking process here KU's Blog... (http://kingunicorn.blogspot.com/2009/04/polymer-alchemy-for-clay-enthusiast.html).

I’m all too familiar with errant pokes and prods (and fingerprints and dents and all the other nicks and marks that show up). I do have to go back and clean up a lot of the areas due to my current process, but I find that it does make editing a bit easier.

I might suggest using a needle for blending pipes (snakes) of clay against clay. You can go underneath the snake to give it that tube-like shape. It works for beads as well, but it does take some time to smooth out the bead to give it the right shape.

I hope something in there helps. Thanks for continuing to follow what I'm doing here.

SoulWraith: I haven’t seen one ounce of suck come out of your work. This latest horse (which I’ll have to come back and comment on later on) is fabulous. It makes me want to try my hand at an equestrian-style beastie. I’m glad you’ve dropped back in to share your work. Thanks for your comments. I hope to keep providing some entertaining sights here.

~KU

[KingUnicorn]

Hmm. I know I've updated this page, but it didn't take. Please see above...

[Bongsplat]

Hey KU
Once again you turn out an awesome piece:) I'm totally in love with the textures on his cloak.
I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say We want to see one painted:D
I can imagine all sorts of slimy, chewy goodness down one side in full colour glory!
As always, I'm excited to see what you create next.

[solondageb]

Amazing sculpt KingUnicorn, i loved the all details. I have saw your latest work and i noticed you like the Lovecraft's mythos, your son of insmouth is a great fine piece!

Maybe someday i back and sculpt other creature from his historys again (or remade a new Cthulhu O.O)

Cya!

[KingUnicorn]

Many apologies for not keeping up with this thread. I'm packing up my house/studio for a move, preparing to reign in the professional duties that have kept me away from sculpting for the last couple weeks, and working through a couple commissioned pieces for mid-May.

I have started a number of personal projects that I'll start sharing progress on once May hits and I have things unpacked. For now, life is running off the rails and I'm doing my damnedest to keep up.

B-Splat: I've been delayed getting back to this, but I appreciate your feedback. I've partially boxed this fellow up (I'll need a second box to secure him for travel). He's going out tomorrow for molding/casting and might be making an appearance at Wonderfest here in the States. I hope to have a painted sample to share soon.

solondageb: Thanks! I'm starting to wrap up these bust pieces. They've been a terrific experience and very helpful in working out some challenges I'd previously run into. Lovecraft has a terrific body of work to pull from and I hope to try my hand at a few of his other stories.

~KU

[Bongsplat]

KU

Just took a visit to your new website, awesome stuff.
I love your concept designs and I'm really looking forward to seeing the bits that are coming soon especially the "Changling things" section.
Looks great

[rvbhal]

Wow KU !!! Great sculpt. Worthy of any first class SI Fi movie.
Reminded me of some great ones...
Congratulations!!!

[Breath of Life]

Sweet! Glad to see him almost done. It's so neat to watch the progress. I love these forums and I love you! ;)

[dreamsorcerer]

Hello Master KU Dude,

I've been looking through your website and I just wanted to praise you for your concept art. Wow mate, it's amazing. Your sculpting skills certainly match your drawing style and they work beautifully in harmony with one another. And I'd love to see your drawings come to life in clay! Well done my friend :-) You're a creative force brother :) Can I link you on my website please?

Best wishes master,

Kenny!!!!!

[briannewman]

I want to hug you...
I love this, all of this... KU is now one of my favorite people ever. :D
My favorite part about the lastest guy is his cloak, that thing is BRILLIANT. Spongy and scratch on the outside,but sooooo darn SMOOTH on the inside... you can really tell that it's made of several materials...

I just want to touch him...
I don't quite understand what he is, but he looks like he's being slowly ripped apart by science and machinery. Wicked.

[ReconMarine]

KU Your work is absolutely amazing. Your interpretation is fantastic! Tentacles rock. I can't believe the detail on this one. Did you do any rough sketches?

[KingUnicorn]

B-Splat: I didn’t really announce that my site was live as the original site I built was incompatible with my host and it was a serious blow to my invested time vs. benefit ratio. You can tell from some of the graphics that it’s just not quite right. I’ve started a thorough redesign that I hope to complete in June for a relaunch. I just needed something as a placeholder for the time being.

I’ve only been able to do some concept designs lately with my schedule, so expect to see that section beef up fairly quickly until I’m in the new digs and settled. I'm glad you like what I've put together. It's only only going to get crazier in the coming months.

rvbhal: Hey, thanks for the feedback. Every time I ramp up to tackle the feminine form you go and drop some serious hotness. I’m always inspired by your work and I hope to craft a female figure that blends your careful attention to anatomy and my particular aesthetic.

B-of-Life: Haha. It would appear we’ve got a lot of sculptural love being spread around here! I’ve been really excited by the work you shared from your last show. Such a broad range of techniques in so many different pieces. That’s motivating.

D-Sorcerer: Thank you, Master Kenny. I’m making it a point to share more of my conceptual designs. In the past, I kept those elements on the outside of what I was doing, but I do see their value in helping people see the direction I’m heading toward. Besides, after seeing your wonderful concepts for your Dragon Man, it only made sense to share more of the work that happens behind the scenes.

Link away, my friend. I have every intention of linking to your site once I complete the Artist Links page after my move.

briannewman: Haha. Thanks for your excitement and your comments. The cloak was not originally intended for this piece and stretched out the development time by an additional week. I did set out to create a variation in the materials to play on the “pattern” that existed in the smooth/mutated elements in the head. I’m pleased it’s grabbed your attention. You’ll see more of that style in the near future.

Recon: So glad to see you in here, man. This place is brimming with talented, inspiring artists across the full spectrum of creative styles. You’ll never find yourself wanting for something new to look at.

I’m pleased you like what I’ve been putting together. This year has kicked off with some great explorations and experiments that have all paid off in some way (and created obstacles to navigate in others).

I didn’t really do any rough sketching for this one, except playing in the clay. I had studied some images of Venetian masks and gas masks from WWI and wanted something that married the two. So, I put on some scary music, mashed some clay around into a shape that seemed to fit what I was after, and then went in with the tools. I like to spend long hours researching and studying different elements that I might use in a piece. I find that once I lock them into my brain, I can drive through a design on the fly.

Cheers, everyone! I’ll be back in May with new work.

~KU

[KingUnicorn]

[I finally found my camera cord after the move, so I can start sharing some new work from the past month.]

As a devoted Halloween enthusiast, I've been growing some pumpkin seedlings to plant in the garden out back. Joking with a friend about sitting out in the small patch on Halloween like Linus awaiting The Great Pumpkin, I became suddenly inspired. What if the pumpkin patch was sown in foul earth? What if some taint infected the seeds? What would a demonic pumpkin look like?

Here's what developed from that train of thought: a juvenile pumpkin fiend plucked before its time and shaped in Willow's Zen wax.

Thanks for looking.

~KU

[ZLuca]

Just finished to watch your scuptures and I have to say I'm stunned!
I love your aberrational/mutant style.
In "A son of Innsmouth", as most of people already said, I love chest details.
It seems really coming out from a Lovecraft novel, but in a very interesting and personal taste.
I also love multi-media interventions on Long Pork as screws and metallic rod.

Great work!
Luca

[VulgarDragon]

Being a avid gardener, I have tossed out many rotten vegetables. Finding a putrid vegetable with mold growing on it and worms is frightening enough, but finding something like that in my garden would indeed be very terrifying. I hope to see a painted version of it...it would look great orange with some blackish-purplish patches. Excellent work as usual, KU.

[Aseyngel]

Oh - you are really getting somewhere with your work. - I am busy for a few month and suddenly you grow pro on me.
GREAT TO SEE!!

[maddmaestro]

KING unicorn,
YOU NEVER EVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME... I CAN ALWAYS LOOK TO YOUR WORK FOR SOMETHING FRESH AND ORIGINAL. SRY ABOUT THE CAPS, JUST TOO LAAZY TO FIX. AWESOME INTERPRETATION ON LINUS' NIGHTMARE.

MADDMAESTRO:afroboy:

[Scotty]

KU, you crazy nut, I can tell these come from the deepest parts of your imagination...I like that.
Crazy detailing man.:}

[KingUnicorn]

ZLuca: I appreciate your going through the work I’ve posted here and sharing your thoughts. There’s a lot of strangeness happening in this thread that I think complements and balances many of the other projects featured in this section of the site. I’ve got a whole project list of aberrations to share. Always too many ideas and never enough time to get to them all! Thanks again.

Mad-C: I’ve been looking over images of Fairytale pumpkins. The natural coloring they develop is just amazing. I’m hoping that someone will paint this in such a way that the pumpkin growth retains a natural look, while the demonic elements take on a completely otherworldly scheme. As always, I appreciate your thoughts and hope to see more work from you soon.

Aseyngel: Haha. I’ve still got a long ways to go before I’ll feel comfortable calling myself a pro. These explorations in style, media, technique, etc. are all so valuable. I can’t recommend making serious change ups to process enough. Between my polymer clay projects and wax detailing, I’ve just jumped into Chavant as well. Thanks for your comments!

Madd-M: I’m going to have to tackle The Great Pumpkin one of these days. There are so many great jack o’ lantern concepts already out there that it seemed natural to go the other direction. If I pull this one off, I’ll certainly be attacking a mature pumpkin fiend.

Scotty: Haha. If anyone’s into crazy detailing, it’s you, sir. Your galleries are just stocked with examples of rich texture and imaginative concepts. I’ve still got a ways to go with this, but I’m hoping you’ll be happy with the final result.

And, to help ramp this thread back up again, here’s a small (3-3/4”) polymer clay head study I recently completed of my favorite (for the time being) minion, Barbarus. I’ll be dropping him in silicone this weekend and casting a handful up in resin.

http://www.kingunicorn.com/resources/images/KU_barbarus_03.jpg

Thanks again for the feedback!

~KU

[Aris Kolokontes]

It looks amazing!! Looking forward for the updates!;)

[maddmaestro]

Beautiful as always my friend!

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[Bongsplat]

Ha great to see some updates Ku, the idea for the pumpkin seed is brilliant!!
Barbarus is also another fine piece of sculpting to add to your collection.

Great work as usual:)

[KingUnicorn]

Aris: Thank you, sir. I've been away playing around with some of your recommendations, so I should have something in an entirely new vein to share come next week. We'll have to see if I hit on the right process.

Madd-M: Thanks to you too. I've got a few updates sitting on the workbench and I'm just not spending the time away from the clay to shoot everything up and migrate it over to the site. It looks like I'll be spending next Sunday evening sharing progress.

Bongsplat: I appreciate your having a look at these critters. The pumpkin fiend has already changed dramatically since this last post. Granted the shots are horrible in the previous version, but this latest progress is decidedly frightening.

And Barbarus was a fun little project. I pulled the first test pieces from the mold yesterday and they look great. Nothing like this rough little beastie above. I'll have to add some shots in the next update.

Thanks again!

~KU

[Corpsehand]

Absolutely incredible work! The detail is not only amazing but it really brings your creations to life. Great Stuff!

~Corpsehand~

[KingUnicorn]

Corpsehand: Thank you, sir! I've only recently begun exploring hard/soft details in my work. I'm experimenting with different materials and techniques right now, and it's really helped me get more out of the sculpting experiences I previously collected.

Well, here's a new update. Having looked over Aris' new witch and seeing some similarities, I thought it wiser to share it now rather than wait and pick up too many comparisons.

This is my first go with Chavant and I'm loving every second of it. I'm not really breaking any new ground with the concept, but I needed something I could shape up easily and try out some recommendations Aris shared on his latex casting method. I've been sneaking in work on this one between my wax work (update coming Sunday) and casting up the Barbarus piece (4 pulled). Still lots of work to go before I'll be happy with it and get into details, but here's where it stands.

Thanks for looking!

~KU

[KingUnicorn]

Just a quick update to share some progress. Tom-A-Nail is wrapped up and molded, and I'm pouring and pulling casts as this is being entered.

As I posted above, I'm not breaking any new ground with the concept. It's a simple design to assist with developing some successes with Chavant, plaster molding, latex casting, and keeping other skills sharp.

Now that I've worked out some of the kinks in my process, it's back to monsters of a less forgiving shape.

Thanks for looking!

~KU

[maddmaestro]

Sweet work KU! Keep it up. And keep sharing...yeah you should maybe share your molding and casting process. Any tips and tricks you might have found.

Maddmaestro:afroboy:

[Flipnastywebby]

awesome! it looks like my ex-girlfriend when she would drink :pirate:

i love the texture and detail you put into all your work and as always im looking forward to more

ROCK!

[fritofrito]

your sculpts always amaze me! you're one twisted person! lol in an awesome way of course.

i love the details you put into all your pieces, i love the feeling it gives me, a feeling of wanting to vomit at the boils, bumps, warts and other extremeties that are present in your pieces, though i dont actually like vomitting in a literal sense, i think you know what i mean. and though they arise these feelings in me i can not help but admire your pieces in awe, and just stare at every little detail, for they are truely beautifully crafted pieces of art.

i thank you for sharing your work and keep it up!

-frito

[Bongsplat]

KU

Whilst I do agree with you about "not Breaking any new ground" with the design of this chap,This is still another Flawless piece.

Personally I quite like the classic look he has,I love the skin detailing.
I would Love to see a full body version of this with real ripped fabric and lots of trinkets that he has "Collected" over time.

Please say you're tempted...lol:)

[RedCircle]

Nice stuff!

[KingUnicorn]

Madd-M: Thank you, sir. You know, I built a few masks back in the early 2000s and got started by ordering one of the mask-making kits available through The Monster Makers. Following the mask-making handbook they provide, some additional information from websites, and Aris' tips, it's just like making a large mask only on a smaller scale. I've pulled six of these critters and have found the experience a great break from my silicone and resin process. Of course, I have a silicone pour on deck with this piece for this weekend, so I'm not too far from the old days.

FlipNasty-W: Haha. Thanks for dropping in and having a look. Still lots more madness to come.

Frito-F: I'm bowled over by the feedback, Frito. Thank you very much. I can honestly say that the work here has been a great motivator to create more, push designs to new places, and experiment with new materials. Without you and the other talented artists driving this section of the site, I wouldn't be where I am today. Cheers!

B-Splat: Looking over some of the other pieces in my studio, I certainly played this one safe. But, the trade off in experience was worth sacrificing the design. It means that I can drop the hammer on the next few designs without fear of getting in over my head.

As for your request for a full body version, you'll be happy to know that this fellow was a test for a series of pieces that I'll be working on for a couple opportunities this fall. Your vampire piece will be in good company. So, yes, I've already been very tempted. As always, I appreciate your honest feedback!

RedCircle: Thanks for having a look!

~KU

[Doggy]

Man, i´ve been AWOL for a while and look what happened here! I just have time for a quick glance, but i love the hob-goblin!

[dreamsorcerer]

Hey Master Unicorn Dude!

How are you?? Wow!!! I ain't been here for eons.. and looky here! OMG!! Check you out dude!! You have this magic ability that gives sooo much life and character to all your sculpts.. it's like they have their own background story or something. Amazing work. You have become quite the texture master.. I kow where to come to for hints and tips :-) Well done my friend.

[Aizkur]

WOW,all your works are of a real master of detail,is increible,they are alive,congratulation.

[TitusCrow]

You got to love anyone who loves lovecraft :) fantastic detailed work sir. I'll be doing a lot of lovecraft inspired work myself over the next period, I just hope I can reach your wonderfull level of detail and "wrongness" that these things must have about them to work.
The idea of having a go at these blasphemies was a large motivation in picking up the tools again after many years.
Keep up the bad work - the outright hidious work, one or two of these things in a faux bronze finish would really give this place a lovecraftian look. * strokes beard*

[VulgarDragon]

Excellent work, as usual from you. I like both the Hobgoblin and Barbarus...both have character that shows through.

A little bit of constructive criticism (by no means am I implying that you are lacking in skill), I feel that both pieces could benefit from deeper creases in their wrinkles and folds. You need to pay more attention to the wrinkles and folds of fat that hang out (especially the corners of mouth and below chin) and make sure they "fold over". That way they will have the illusion of being deep especially when light strikes them. I felt both pieces were just a little flat....but maybe I'm wrong and they would look better when painted.

Anyway, keep up the good work and can't see what else comes from your, ahem, twisted imagination.

[KingUnicorn]

Doggy: Haha. I love seeing that rubber-masked icon pop up in here. Thanks for having a look.

D-Sorcerer: You have been away, but your time has been spent quite productively (as I can tell from your thread). I’m not yet a texture master, but I am picking up some nice little tricks to try out on my sculpts. Still a long way to go with this whole process, but it is coming faster and more consistently, which will give me the opportunity to explore a more ideas as the experience continues. As always, I appreciate your feedback and your keeping up with what I’m doing here.

Aizkur: Thank you for jumping through these pages. I do like having all my work in a single thread so there’s a constant reminder of where I’ve come from as the work builds. I hope you’ll enjoy the pieces I’ve still yet to share here.

T-Crow: Haha. Lovecraft is a wonderful source of inspiration for those that love monstrous things (I also recommend picking up The Horror Stories of Robert E Howard. As a pen pal of Lovecraft, the experience shaped a lot of his non-barbarian writing, and his work is just rich with grim, literary beasties).

I’m glad to hear you’re giving some monsters a go. Creature designing is a terrific way to spend your studio time. And I do love a nice faux bronze. It blends horror with a certain decadence that would fit nicely on a fireplace mantle or in a dusty library.

Mad-C: Thanks for the honest crit. Your comments touch on something that I’m sorting out with an upshift to the larger scale: I’m not getting the right look with my wrinkles/creases. Barbarus wasn’t much of a success on that front, and for Tom-A-Nail, I meant to attempt some advice I picked up on another forum using plastic wrap/plastic bag to assist with the detailing. Alas, I bumbled along on auto-pilot and just carved him up in my usual fashion without achieving the right sort of depth to the texture.

That said, I’m I didn’t fall asleep at the wheel on this latest run. I’ll be sharing pics sometime this week, but I believe you’ll be happier with the depth of the detailing. I'm certainly pleased with the progression.

~KU

[Piranha Clan]

Amazing work. The oracle is outrageous. Fantastic, wild design. Dig it. Hobgoblin is looking good too. Great stuff.

[KingUnicorn]

Checking out the date of my last post, it seems like I need to clear some cobwebs out of this thread. And there's no better way to do that than to drop a little zombie love on the forum.

This is a prop I've sculpted for Florida-based Haunter's Headquarters. It's had the longest development time for any piece I've worked on and is also the largest I've tackled. It stands approx. 3' H and is intended for display. I'll be producing a limited run of these for Halloween 2009 (along with several other ghouls and goblins).

I'll post up image of the final, display version once the copies are pulled and painted.

Thanks for looking!

~KU

[Bongsplat]

Hey KU

Wo, its been a while, I was wondering wether one of your creations had perhaps had you away:D

Great to see some new stuff, I lurv Zombies and yours is fantastic, I honestly cant wait to see this painted up, I'm lovin the brains slowly falling out the back of his head!!

Great work M8:)

[The Dark Power]

Good to see some more stuff dude, looks amazing. I really like the way all your sculpts seem to inhabit the same universe, your website and blog seem to suggest that too.

[KingUnicorn]

B-Splat: I have so many projects on the workbench right now, I'm thoroughly a prisoner of my own work. Halloween props, art dolls, masks, some alien curios - I've got pies of every sort and my fingers are firmly planted in them.

I had to make some hard decisions with this as I came on board the project late in the season. It's all about core design and speed right now, so a lot of the detail work I want to do has to be halved or sacrificed in some ways. Of course, I'm reminded that this is supposed to be a functional prop that will most likely be beat up by the elements and stray kids. It's not a collector's piece, so I can accept certain cuts. Thanks for checking in on the new work!

D-Power: Glad you like what's happening with this piece. And I believe you're right about these creations inhabiting the same universe. I've had a lot of freedom with some of the freelance work I've undertaken, so even those projects seem to be an extension of my private landscape. Working alone as I do for such extended periods, I find that all of this is just a grand game of make-believe. I'm world building one denizen at a time.

~KU

[Doggy]

As usual i have no crits whatsoever, so i´ll just stare at the pics in awe and gather inspiration.

[semoet]

i'm so provocate when see the pic ....what amaze the uniqless....GREAAT as always

[troyboy]

He looks really fantastic KU, but I'm very much looking forward to the
pics of the final display image so I can really check him out in detail!

[VulgarDragon]

Welcome back KU...another fantastic piece as usual. So it is 3 feet tall? That is pretty big for a sculpture, would make an excellent coffee table display for someone who is eccentric (like me, ha).