Brute Jonny

Tthis will be my first attempt at documenting my toy making process. I’ll post photos as I go along just to give you guys some insight into what actually goes into making them. This is more of a documentation of my process than a tutorial, so I’ll try not to be too wordy (yeah, right).

The very first step is deciding what type of character I want to do – whether it’s one of my signature characters (like Danny or Charlie) or something a little different (like Pepper or My Little Arpie). For this figure, I’m going to make one of my signature characters, and I’m gonna shoot for around 6″ tall.

Next, I spend about 30 mins to an hour looking through my folder of reference images and browsing fashion blogs (some favorites are Lookbook and The Sartorialist for street, The Fashionisto for editorial). For my characters the clothes play an important role (even if they’re very simplified), and I usually decide on their clothing before I decide how their faces will look.

After I decide on the general feel of the character, I do a couple of rough sketches (and I mean ROOOUGH):

That’s it, no joke. Because I’m in charge of the process from start to finish, there is no need for crazy detailed sketches – I know what I want to do – so at this stage I just do a couple of 30 second drawings. When drawing turnarounds for a client or another sculptor, the sketching and drawing process will take days of painstakingly detailed sketches from all different view points and pinpointed proportions and pantone colors. When I do the sculpt, my initial drawings are rough and dirty.

Usually I don’t decide on the name until after the first prototype is cast and painted, but for clarity’s sake, I’ve decided to name him now.

So stay tuned for the next step of the making of Arthur, I’ll be making the armature to begin sculpting.

Here is the second version of Pepper that will be available next week. All the details are in the shop.

This is the first public release of the new sculpt Dillon. He will be available tomorrow (Friday May 21) at 3pm pacific. All the details are in the shop here. The print is available for purchase now here.

Here’s a peek at some of the mini resins that will be available in the shop tomorrow at noon (pacific). They’re all handmade and hand-painted in varying editions. All the details are in the shop.

Here are the full-reveal photos of my collaboration with Felt Mistress. These guys stand almost 3 feet tall. They are available at the Rotofugi Gallery in Chicago, IL or online here. Thanks again to Felt Mistress for doing such a wonderful job! Check out more photos plus some more progress shots on her blog here!

Progress pictures courtesy of Felt Mistress:

New museum quality giclée art prints are now available in the shop. They are printed with rich 8 color dye-based ink on textured acid-free 50 lb. cotton rag paper. Each is limited to 100.

Work from my Teen Dream solo show at Rotofugi now! Click here to view and purchase pieces.

My current solo show Teen Dream opens tonight at Rotofugi. Show runs April 9-25, 2010. Opening Reception Friday, April 9, 2010, 7-10PM. If you’re in town, swing by and say hi!

Click for map & directions
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I did a couple custom resin figures for Neon Monster‘s Resin Showcase at Wondercon in San Francisco. This is the first painted version of the new toy Dillon (on the right). Each are one of a kind and will be available at Wondercon booth 944 & 946 April 2nd – 4th in San Francisco. Visit Neon Monster’s Blog for more info.

Update (Friday, April 2): Each piece is priced at $200 (US). Here is the purchasing policy direct from Neon Monster: First come first serve at Wondercon. In the event there are pieces remaining, they will be offered to the public via the Neon Monster website. We will attempt to be as fair as possible.

I have been wanting to collaborate with Felt Mistress for quite some time now, and was thrilled to get the chance to work on a plush project with her for my upcoming show at Rotofugi. Here are some sneak peaks of the collaboration. It’s a rare opportunity to work with someone with such artistic vision and technical genius, and I’m very proud of the collaboration. Be sure to keep an eye out for the full unveiling at Teen Dream which opens at Rotofugi on April 9th. In the meantime, visit Felt Mistress’s Blog to check out her work!