impsandthings

amazing work

2012-01-31T19:33:00.000Z

A quick post to share some links to other artists I'm in touch with and whose work deserves seeing.

Firstly Rebecca Pople and co at UWE studying animation have just completed a great little short stop motion film at
http://guardiananimation.weebly.com/guardian-the-film.html

I was lucky enough to see their short film Guardian being made and even get a reference in an early mood board.

French matte painter Florence Dubin at http://artemisfullmoon.blogspot.com/ is using one of my pieces in her work. Below is an early version she's just sent me, I think it looks amazing and can't wait to see the finished piece.

Steampunk Oz

2012-01-29T17:50:00.001Z

The Wizard's robot head is now complete, although I may tinker and add more cables and tubes as I go along.
It's taken a few weeks to get him right, because, as ever I'm figuring both the mechanism and the look of the piece as I go, and have added a few movements along the way. Some of these are quite subtle, such as the eyelid, but as a whole it works.

The mask started as a cheap plastic mask which I cut roughly to shape.
It was edged with florist wire and tape to give strength and covered on both sides with papier mache made from newspaper to give a good surface on which to build.
I've used a thick solid card and split pins here to give it a more angular and mechanical shape. The original nose was hidden below the triangular one. The edges of the card are secured with hot glue and covered with masking tape.
The jaw was built entirely from card, and as it was too light to drop open as the mechanism turned has about an inch of DAS inside it. A piece of rass wire created the jaw hinge.
Each section has a few layers of pva added along the way for strength and also as a good painting surface.

Brown and black acrylic are painted over the surface. I use a stiff brush to apply the raw paint and mix as I go, rubbing it back with paper towels. I don't use much paint, spreading it as far as it will, once dry I add more layers, often with a layer of glue in between.

Below you can see I've added some tubes and brass pipes as well as a telescopic eye from bits of brass and palstic.

The back part of the head, which move it from side to side has a weird plastic bit added here. I did this because it needed a counter balance to stop it swinging to quickly. I will add some green fairy liquid to these.

Still lots of work to do 'behind the scenes' of the Wizard's head but I am pleased because this was the most complex part around which everything else will fit.

The Wizard of oZ

2012-01-22T17:47:00.000Z

Since experimenting with automata over the last few months I've wanted to create something with a steampunk feel. This was a challenge firstly because I wanted to have a lot more gears and have all the movements showing as part of some weird machine. The first hurdle was learning to make gears that both look good and more importantly have a smooth and accurate movement. I've tried making these by hand with limited success. However I recently discovered the joys of a computer aided milling machine: plug in an image and the miller cuts exactly what you want, so armed with an online gear drawing program http://woodgears.ca/gear_cutting/template.html and a lot of help from the school tech dept I have started making lovely gears.

the gears after removal from the miller

all sanded and fitted.

Technical problems solved, now what to make?
I had started with a little guy turning a crank, a steam punk Igor perhaps?

I knew I wanted lots of movements and at least a couple of guys operating various levers etc. but I also wanted them to have a purpose.

After a few sketches I came up with the idea of a robot head which reminded me of The Wizard of Oz, where the Wizard is actually an illusion of smoke and mirrors operated by the PT Barnum like showman behind the curtain.

This presented lots of exciting challenges as I wanted the face of the robot to fairly complex: mouth, eyes, eyelids etc.

Below you can see the basic mechanisim worked out. As yet I've not added the other operator (s?) or any of the tubes, vials, boilers and pipes that will give it a real steampunk flavor.

side view showing the head and operators chair.

Lots still to do as I'm spending a lot of time just working out how to get the movements to work.

Finished automata

2012-01-02T12:36:00.001Z

Despite a few flaws, mostly as a result of figuring movements out as I went, this latest piece works well. The biggest problem was the coffin and rising corpse, the coffin doesn't open quite far enough, and to fix this I would have had to rebuild the entire piece. Also the handle is at the back which means the operator can't really see the working automata, again this would have needed a complete rebuild. That said I learnt a lot making this piece and know that I could fix these problems.

Below are some detail shots.

The witches head, amde from sculpey, with 2 different beads for eyes, o give her an old rheumy look.

The witches hair is made from something I picked up from the scrapstore, glued to the head. It is hard to control so gives a suitably thin and whispy look.

The head and arms are operated by brass levers and thread. One arm only has a thread as at it moves it pulls on the other arm, unintentional but it works.

The graves are cut from thick marine ply and sponged with greyish acrylic, then the cracks are exaggerated with black paint. Once attached they will be covere with bits of green modelling moss.

The ghost is a simple head sculpted from Das on a brass rod with a cross piece for the shoulders. The one arm slots through this and is attached by a thread to the base, so as the ghost moves the tension on the tread makes the arm rise.
The figure is covered with thin white gauze to gve a ghostly finish.

The corpse is built on a basic ply shape, hinged at the hips so it can sit up. the arm and the head are joined to the base with thread so as the corpse sits up they are pulled into position.
The figure is stained with yellow/brown acrylic to give and old look, the skull modelled in das has a bead eye and whisps of hair.
The coffin itself is wood line with red material.

you can see a more finished video clip of the automata on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1w11UmCVEw

Raising the dead automata

2011-12-29T14:33:00.000Z

I've nearly finished this latest automata after a week long session in my studio over the holiday period. My aim was to experiment with gears that would allow different figures to move at faster or slower speeds by using a ratchet (see alst blog) This was actually fairly easy, but it took me a while to get the rest of the movements correct: a coffin lid slowly opening, a corpse sitting up and then falling back down, the witch swaying from side to side and a ghost appearing in the background.

The coffin was the hardest part and then putting all the bits together so they sycnchronised. I tried various versions and took the whole thing apart many times but finally have something that works. There will be a video of the movement later, but for now I'm putting the finshing touches to the figures and background.

Making the coffin work
Below you can see the cam which opens the coffin lid, it took ages to get this right. The cam, operated from the ratchet, slowly turns and pushes the bar down, this in turn pulls a lever which lifts the coffin lid. I've added a curve to the wooden part of the bar because as the cam turns, getting bigger and so applying pressure further from the bars it's axis it started to drop again

Here you can see the mechanism through the coffin, the mechanism above pulls the lever which opens the lid, the weight of which closes it again.

The mechanism from the other side. On the right you can see another cam which will operate the corpse. basically as the cam turns it pushes the wooden bar down, when it gets to the end of the curve the bar drops back into place, allowing the corpse to fall back into the coffin.

The Witches mechanism
I've split the mechanism into two halves, on the other side of the ratchet mechanism is a cog and crank operating the witch. As the crank turns it moves the witches arms up and down by pulling on the cords.
On the right you can just see another cam which will make the witch sway from side to side. These mechanisms are turned by the handle at the back and like previous sculptures move at the speed the handle is turned.
On the left is another cam, this time operating from the second, slower movement allowing a ghost to sway slowly from side to side.

I've used a number of cams in this automata as they are a simple way of moving something, the diagram below, I hope, explains the basic principle.

The corpse

Now that the mechanism is sorted I can focus on the actual characters, although there will be a few more movements to add as I go. I'll add more detailed shots later, but for now here is the corpse the witch will be rasing from his coffin.

wakey wakey

2011-12-04T12:30:00.000Z

I'm continuing experimenting wth automata and am now attempting something a bit more complex. I want to create a piece that has a sequence of events rather than just continual repeating actions. The plan is for a witch, standing over a grave, waving her arms while a coffin lid slowly opens and up rises a figure.
Someone suggested using a ratchet, so I decided to experiment.
You can see the results so far, and although it's a bit rough it seems to do what I intended

Some of the movements need re working, and the cams which opperate the coffin lid and zombie need changing in size so the lid stays open longer but so far so good.

I made the spiral shaped cam by drawing 2 circles, adding lines every 20 degrees and then marking a point x cm from the centre, each subsequent point slightly further away and then joining them. Not mathematically perfect but works.

Witches

2011-11-14T18:41:00.000Z

I've been really enjoying getting automata made for the open house on Sunday

Here's the latest video. My plan is to experiment a bit more with lighting and editing, even so the result is fun, if a bit crude.

Witches Abroad

2011-11-01T18:09:00.001Z

It's been a few weeks since my last post due to a dead pc so lots to share. Had a lovely visit last week from a bunch of UWE anmation students who wanted to see my work as there tutor had shown my work as example of good model making. Lots of interesting questions on materials and techniques so I hope I was of help to them. Needless to say was very chuffed by all the attention and I look forward to seeing some of their work very soon.
Also I will be showing my work as part of an automata open house on Sunday Nov 20th at the home of Wanda Sowrey a talented automata creator along with other automata artists as part of the Bishopston arts trail. More on this later in the month, but if you lve in Bristol it will be well worth popping in.
In preparation for this I've been working on some new automata.
The Witch, below, is a mini version of The Hag and unless I sell it will be an xmas present for a good friend. If it sells I'll have to make another!

I've been having a lot of fun with these pieces and feel I'm getting to grips with some workable techniques so I'm now going for something more ambitious, 3 witches!

I was givvn some good advice about trying to work everything of one central rod and I originally intended to have all the cranks, which pull the cables and make the witches move on a long horizontal one. However I realised that the pull on the cable wasn't right and it worked much better off a vertical central rod (which works the cauldron) I think this is because the cables are always moving in the horizontal plane rather than vertical.

So most of the actions come off 3 cranks. Different lengthed levers for arms etc allow for different movements. The tricky bit was getting the witches to move without catching each other.The central witch is basically a remake of the previous one, as is the one on the left.

I wanted a different movement for number 3 so she rocks from side to side. At presnet she is just a stick but I plan for her arms to go up and down too.

I also reckon moving trees at the back will look cool (I have an idea but can't explain it)

The basic mechanism ro work the cauldorn, thick ply and carefully measured brass pins give a smooth movement. The vertical bits are vital to keep the rods centered and stop the cogs becoming unaligned.

I've added 3 cranks here, snugly held in place by horizontal pieces. I was woried that the cranks would not be strong enough and that the pull of the rods moving the witches would distort them but they seem fine. I used wooden rods slightly thicker in diameter than the holes so a ver snug fit and thin brass pegs hold them all in place.

Below you can see the first 2 witches hooked up to the cranks, heads, bodies and arms all have different cranks so combine to give interesting movement.

The Hag

2011-10-18T07:34:00.000+01:00

I had great fun making this piece and although it's mechanism is quite simple I learnt a lot about automata creating her. I'm going to try a simple mini version next to give as a present.

In this first video you can see all the mechanisms. I've started to play with some sound effects.
Below are some close up shots of the deatils.

Having added some sound effects to the basic video I wanted to play with lighting effects, so waited till it was dark and filmed her with a spotlight and smoke effects.

The Hag week 3

2011-10-09T15:10:00.000+01:00

The hag is pretty much done now. I've added some bits, notably the tree and the bat as well as replacing the planned cat with a talking skull.

All that's left is the cauldron which needs remaking and a bit of detail and colour in places.

The Hag week 2

2011-09-25T15:32:00.000+01:00

A busy weekend refining and making the mechanism for The Hag. I've always had problems getting accurate gearing so opted for brass rods for teeth set in thick ply. The thick ply allows for deep holes to be drilled with a pillar drill giving accurate and firm setting for the rods. You can see from the video how the mechanism turns the wheel in the cauldron to make her stir the pot. The other arm and head are operated from an offset cam via cord. I've added a lever as well which will make a cat lick her paw (hopefully). This is just a crude card shape at present to give an idea.

The next stage is to finish the sculpting and cloathing of the hag and find/make a better cauldron.

I think I will add lots of bits to the mechanism box and base to suggest cobwebs, roots etc.

The Hag

2011-09-18T15:35:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to make a witch figure for some time and suddenly had a burst of inspiration so made a pair of heavy Granny Weatherwax boots out of sculpey. I often start with feet when trying to capture a character, I don't know why but it works. Having a starting point I decided that it would be fun to make her as an automata. Initially I wanted her to be stirring a big cauldron because this a nice simple motion to make but as she has developed she has aquired other movements.

So far I've roughed up a basic shape and simple movement (not yet operated by one mechanism so in the video I'm moving the bits by hand)

The stirring mechanism is a simple rotating wheel and the hands are moved by the brass rod (which will become the spoon), arm joints are just string which seems to give a nice loose movement.

I may end up with her stirring one hand and have the other waving over the cauldron if I can figure out a mechanism.

The head just nods up and down and this will eventually be linked to the same mechanism as the cauldron.

Here are a few close ups

The basic sculpey head with blind eyes, this needs to be baked and be bulked out top and back.

With a shawl.

The basic armature worked out, you can see the wheel and brass rod that will become the cauldron and spoon as well as the wire at the back of the body to move the head.

The armature with some bits of fabric to give feel of how she will ook when clothed: lots of tatty wrags and shawls I think.

Bits and pieces and a load of junk

2011-09-11T17:44:00.000+01:00

Firstly the finished girocopter, which has been done for some time with photos on facebook but not on the blog.

This summer has found me in the creative doldrums. I've made stuff but nothing has really sparked for me and pieces have been slow to come to fruition. Normally when I lack inspiration I make a head or fiddle with something and ideas quickly flow. Here are two of these:

Firstly a weird mechanical device for the back of an old man. I've no idea what it does or will become but you can see how it started.
I've been trying to make my mechanical stuff have a more interesting surface texture and look more authentically mechanical. I do this by using lots of found junk and joining the bits with various thickness of brass rod, which doubles as pipes. I often just gather bits together and try mixing them up.

The only made bit here is the barrel which is card wrapped around two plastic circles. Drilled wooden balls are great for fixing things to. The brass rod here was bent to give an interesting pipe effect and brass beads added. As always vials of fairy liquid give colour.

I have no idea what this is supposed to be, the tube here into the mans hand is just a trial, he may have other bits added.

I want him to look loaded down like some kind of tinker or hudy gurdy man.

I've also been working on a dwarf like figure, a bit of a rehash of earlier ideas, again not sure of the end product, possibly a kind of mechanic or prospector.

I like the idea of a big bushy beard under a helmet or cap and a short squat body. I'm using two newish techniques here, firstly filling the goggles with modellers water which sets clear and making the hands from plastic tube over a wire armature with split pins slotted in the ends. They look smoother, chunkier and cleaner than just wrapping the wire in tape, which I do for smaller hands.

The head needs a lot of work yet as I've just set the bottles in a polystyrene ball onto which I will sculpt in clay, but you get an idea of body proportion.

girocopter part 4: details

2011-08-24T13:36:00.000+01:00

Once I've finished the basic structure I start to play with all the surfaces and details which create the steampunk look: lots of wooden surfaces, brass, tubes and stuff, mostly made from found objects or lengths of brass and beads.

Below: two shots of the foot rest. Originally intended to be a flat piece of wood this looked wrong, all the bits of brass rod used to hold all the bits togehter looked much better, so I added a few more. Eventually all the ends will have small brass beads added.

Every machine needs an engine.I don't worry about making something that actually is functional just interesting. Plastic vials filled with fairy liquid held in place by brass rods, which will be cut to size and given knobs. The vials will have a plastic tube coming out of the top going into the engine.

Surfaces are created with masking tape strips to represent wood and stained with a mix of burnt umber and black acrylic. Only a small amount is added, no water, and rubbed into the surface, then wiped back with tissue to bring out surface texture.

I've kept the figure fairly simple with a big collar.

The goggles are made from beads set in modellers water which sets clear.

Girocopter part 3: wings

2011-08-22T18:55:00.000+01:00

Having not made wings before I had to try a few techniques to get a suitable effect that was sturdy but light. Below is the process used to make the tail section, The rotors were made in exactly the same way.

I used a card template to work out size and shape.

A wire skeleton was cut to shape for the ribs

Wide masking tape was layered carefully over the wire ribs.

The wing was turned over and a layer of tape added to this side, care was take to push the tape over and around the wire as it was applied. This was done with a rounded wooden tool and meant the tape was flush with the wire.

A coat of pva was added to give the wing strength.

The tape was then cut down to shape, a bit like a bat wing.

Here you can see the rotor blades, same technique but thinner with more ribs. The main wire arm of the rotor extended well beyond the tape so it could slot into a brass fixing.

The finsihed tail sections. I added small brass knobs for finish and a hooped tube to the very top through which the brass control rod slotted.

Girocopter part 2: the frame

2011-08-17T09:27:00.000+01:00

When I startedt this piece I only had a very vague idea of what it would look like: a chair in front of a boiler with 2 rocket pods on either side. I had a couple of plastic bottles ideal for the pods, so I started with a simple cross of mdf that would slot together to create the chasis. You can see two circles of mdf added to the cross piece so that the bottles can be slotted on. I've found out to my cost that when you don't have a clear plan, which I never do, it's useful to be able to dismantle the pieces so you can drill holes etc. later on so each piece is either held in place by brass pins or slots together.
The piece of dowel will have the boiler and blades added to it. You cna see holes drilled in it so the boiler can be pinned securely in place.

A simple chair made from thin mdf was added next, again pinned but with 2 longer pins which will slot into the figure and hold him in place.

Below you can see the rocket pods, made from a bottle cut in half and covered in strips of masking tape to give a wood effect, the ends are plugged with dowel to allow a propellor to be fitted.

They are slottted onto the mdf cross oiece and secured with 2 brass rods, these were an after thought and both gave strength and improved the look, but involved a complete dismantle to allow the holes to be drilled.

The boiler was made from a few bits of bottle and plastic I had in my scrapbox. They are all pinned to the central dowel . I've also added wheels and a support rod.

With te figure added and the tail fins in place I now have a good idea of the final look. It needs lots more brass bits and tubes etc though.

Girocopter part 1

2011-08-14T14:04:00.001+01:00

I'm now working on rehashing an old unfinished piece. I had palnned to make a figure sat in a chair below a dirigible, powered by 2 propellers. This is now going to be a girocopter, similar in design to the gironaut. My aim is to use lots of brass struts to give intersting surfaces as well as capture the feel of old fashioned cloth and wood planes which used lots of cables to keep the wings rigid. See this photo of the boxkite plane in Bristol museum

Over the next week or so I'm going to document as much of the making process as possible, starting here with the initial sketches of the copter and engine bits.

This design is pretty much what I'd already made, showing addition of controls and tubing etc.

Trying to work out ow the wings and flaps will fit to frame.

Ideas for some bits and pieces to add to the engine. I also considered alternate ways of designing the seat/cockpit, from very deep bucket seats with lots of consoles to the simple upright one I've gone with.

At one point I thought of having the figure on a bike.

The Gironaut

2011-08-11T16:23:00.001+01:00

I've not been very creative over the last few months and this guy was an attempt to make something, anything. I had no real aim when I started so just made a basic head, a pair of goggles and leather flying hat. I often find that making a basic shape helps me get going, especvially if I can find some good bits and pieces for goggles or respirators. From there he evolved and along the way sprouted wings. I've tried a few new things, firstly using a substance called realistic water to create a glassy look to the goggles. It's used by modellers to create water, you pour it in and it sets clear. Also more detail using brass tube and sheet for things like the giro's hand control.

He's a bit derivative (9 and Stephane Halleux) as I looked around for inspiration but after a frustrating start was fun to make.

You can see the effect of the 'realistic water' fairly well here. I discovered this in a local hobbyshop and thought I'd give it a go as I run out of all the little black palstic bits I've been using for goggles so far. The liquid took about 18hours to set enough not to move so the figure had to be supported so the eyes were on the level while drying. The little brass beads in the centre work well and overall I like the difference in surface finish to the rest of the piece.

Where possible I'm trying to use as many brass bits as possible as this adds to the range of colours and surfaces.You can just make out the split pins used for the ends of the gloves and in other places. In many cases these are used to secure bits of the sculpture together, as in the centre of the harness.

The giropack is made up of found bits of plastic and bits of brass rod and splitpins are used both as decoration and to join the bits together. This is stronger than glue and also allows for dismantling when I need to add other bits.

I struggled for some time with the hand controls, originally I wanted to rigid arm rests coming out of the backpack, but I couldn't get them to look right with the materials I had. In the end I opted for bent brass rods which wrap around the figures arms and then slot into the hand controls. I think these look much better than my original idea plus are really easy to secure to the hands. The odd shaped finger coming from the hand was inteded to slot into the original control pad design, as a result looks a bit odd. I like the idea though for future pieces.

As I continue making steampunk figures it is clear that use of brass bits or other found objects is much better than trying to fake materials. I guess the next step should be making real leather coats (or maybe straps to start) and then learning to cut and solder brass!

flying things

2011-08-07T17:54:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I've created anything, partly through lack of inspiration but mostly because the weather has been too nice to be inside, so all I've done is fiddle around with a few ideas. None of these were really going anywhere but a few days of rain has provided time and motivation so I now have a few projects taking shape.
Here are some photos of where I am now.

This first guy was originally going to be a puppet but he was looking too much like a character from the movie 9 so I made him static and added a coat.

I thought he would look good with some kind of jetpack, which has since evolved into a helipack which you can see below in an early stage, made up from bits and pieces.

The second figure has been hanging around for about 6 months and was originally going to be part of a dirigible. I liekd the idea of a helicopter so as with the guy above stuck some bits together to make an engine and added blades.

Finally a head I made a few months back when first playing with sculpey. He now has a body and will be a thin one legged old man with a crutch and tall stovepipe hat, perhaps a bit Faginish.

Harvey the Hussar

2011-06-26T18:45:00.001+01:00

A bit of a new (or old) departure this one, I'm making a Napoleonic Hussar puppet for a friend who is a serious Napoleonic buff. It's been a while since I've made a puppet or anything other the Steampunk in style so this will be a fun challenge.
The aim this weekend was to make a head to get a feel for the figure, both look and scale. Ben (the puppet's recipient) wanted something that had the feel of Harvey Kietel in The Duellists.

Below is the head construction from start to finsih

The head will need to be hooked to the body to allow movement so I start with a simple armature with lots of spare wire to insert into the body.

Over this I build a simple skull shape from sculpey and cook it so I have a solid surface to build on.

The basic face is built over this and beads added for eyes.

When I'd added eyelids I realised the beads were too big so I removed them and added smaller ones. I want a much more realistic look for this figure than normal so the face must be in proportion.

The smaller beads allow for deeper set eyes. At this stage I'm just making the face from sculpey, once it's cooked and firm I'll build up the back and hat.

I'd originally intended to use plastiroc (which is air drying) for the next bit so painted the face with washes of brown, red and black acrylic to give a weatherbeaten and swarthy complexion.

I started to build the hat but wasn't happy with the fimo/sculpey join so went back to sculpey. the lump you can see below is to create a shape around which the hat will be secured. The forehead is sloping so the peak of the hat can be stuck to it.

I was worried how the acrylic wash would react to another cooking but it was fine.

The brim of the hat, made from double layered thick paper reinforced with wire is glued to the head, it goes all the way into the head so once the hat is built it will be secure.

The hat is plastiroc smooothed to shape and wrapped in thick parcel paper. There was a dent in the shape which I've smoothed over with more plastiroc

The finshed head has a piece of wire through it. This is inside a brass tube, the wire will eventually be removed and thread inserted to allow the head to hang and move. The brass tube means no unsightly hooks and also stops the thread damaging the head when it moves.

All he needs now is detailing on the hat and some hair. Oh and a body!

Another technomage

2011-06-20T18:12:00.001+01:00

I was really pleased with my last figure The Technomage. I liked all the pipes and tubing and the bits growing from his back, as well as the result of using sculpey for the head. The next figure was an attempt to develop my sculpey sculpting skills with a mor realistic head.

He's a bit rough around the edges in places, but I like the look. The head is sculpey (white I think) stained with red and burnt umber acrylic which ahs given a pleasing flesh effect. The sculpey is slightly transparent so looks like real flesh, as long as you don't overdo the painting. Lots of staining with watered down acrylic, lightly rubbed back with a tissue and built up over time.

Because I wanted this figure to have his workings showing and he has no legs I built him around a hollow card shape.

This is the very basic shape over which I'll add the clothing. The head is on a brass rod which goes through the body and will make up part of his mechanical workings.

The front of the figure, much like the earlier figure is made of segmented body armour (a bit like a wood louse) The sections are made from thin couragated card, edged with thin wire to allow it to keep it's shape. The pieces are then covered in masking tape and a few coats of pva (this strengthens the shapes and also covers the tape joins. This is then painted/stained with black brown acrylic. Very little is used and is worked into the surface with a stiff brush giving a lovley finish. I've found that a good coat of glue is needed as the edges of the tape easily pick up an extra bit of paint, spoiling the effect. You can make out the corrugation of the card where the paint has picked up the subtle changes in surface texture. You can also see a larger section which will become the coat. This is made in the same way but using thick parcel paper. It's strong and flexible.

The armour segments are hot glued in place. A last piece is added over the shoulders to make up the edge of the hole in the back.

A section of tube filled with fairy liquid becomes a hose. Thick wire is pushed into the end and this is slotted into a hole in the body.

The coat/robe is made to fit over the body shape. This normally takes a few goes from newspaper before I'm happy with the fit and shape. The collar is especially tricky as you can't lie it flat. As before the shape is edged with wire, covered in tape and layers of glue before staining.

Once I'm happy this is attached to the body with hot glue.

The basic figure is now taking shape, all it needs is arms and the mechanics.

The Technomage

2011-06-04T17:32:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I experimented using sculpey to model some heads, with no real idea of an outcome. Here is what the head became.

These photos are from a shoot I did using a smoke machine. I've had limited success with this as the smoke is so hard to control, it's really designed for stage work. I set up a box with holes below the sculpture and let hte smoke rise, taking loads of shots on a rapid setting. I've done a bit of manipualtion on them but I like the result.

The Technomage (named after a set of characters from Babylon 5) was partly inspired by David Warner's Evil Being character in Time Bandits. He was a tall thin character in red robes with lots of bone like bits (see below) and an ongoing love, if that is the right word, with the wonderful Skeksis created by Brian Froud. I always thought the bug like segmented armour they wore was so cool.

Animatronic ant

2011-05-29T16:59:00.000+01:00

I've just watched a lovely little movie called Africa United, the story of a boy DuDu and his journey to the South African World Cupwhich includes some fantastic animated scenes. The animation uses very low tech methods such as simple puppetes but in a sophisticated way. An ant, based on a simple African child's push toy caught my eye and I've attempted to recreate it's mechanism with the plan of developing my own ant creature (probably in a steampunk style).
Below is a video of the ant I've made today out of card. It's still very rough but woks well. Also a short film on the making of the puppets for Africa United.

The Ghosthunters

2011-05-22T19:12:00.000+01:00

I had a lot of fun recently creating Professor Gogol; Demon Hunter. He was a fairly quick sculpt using some very simple shapes and structures which gave a really nice look and different to other work I've done recently. He's been sat on my shelf crying out for some backup, lets face it demon hunting is no fun without someone watching your back.
I'm keeping these guys simple, focusing on interesting body shapes and funky top hats, with detail in the goggles and their equipment.
So far each figure is on it's own base but I think they will look good as a set on a round base, all facing outwards. This will be a bit of a pain as the first two have their feet modelled onto the base so will need some fixing, but I think they will look good together.

The third figure of the group, which I've just started will be small, hunchbacked with an oversized tophat and massive thechno thingy on his back, partly to add to the character but also to give interest when viewed from behind.

Fimo. Sculpey or DAS, which to choose?

2011-05-09T18:32:00.001+01:00

Choosing the best modelling clay for my work has always been a problem for me.
I trained as a ceramicist (fancy name for potter) and for many years sculpted in crank which is a very groggy clay (the grog is small fragments of fired clay) which is strong and easy to work in although not suited to small work. When teaching I use a basic school clay which is soft, malleable and holds its shape when being handled as well as taking detail easily.
So when I moved into mixed media work some years ago it was important to find a good modelling clay which I could work in but didn't need a kiln.
Below are some comments and experiences on the clays I've used.
DAS or plastiroc.
This is cheap (about £3 for half a kilo). I've used it for years after discovering it at school and it's a staple for GCSE and A level sculptures. It sticks to anything, can be built onto itself when dry and can be worked in reasonable detail and drys hard and white and can be sanded.
The problems are it is very soft so if you are working on a shape in your hand you can easily loose the detail. Also in small pieces it can be fragile.
2 examples below, on the first you can see tool marks yet to be sanded and on the second a slight stain to show up shape and detail on the white clay surface.

Fimo

I started using this for some work a few years back after watching a demo by Wendy Froud. The preparation she went through, chopping and blending seemed complex but the effects are stunning. I bought a few packs of a light tan colour and used it straight out of the pack.

I built heads on thick wire wrapped in tin foil, this gave a good solid skull to build on and something to hold, even so it was easy to damage detail as you held a head, and working on one area you could feel the shape moving, especially as I added small lumps to build up detail.

The end result was good and strong and an ideal colour for staining (see below). The main problem was that I found some packs very hard and almost impossible to work with, being used to soft workable material this was a pain.

Sculpey

A few people have recommended this, including the local craft store Creativity so I bought a few packs.

It is much softer than fimo and can be worked in the hands to soften it so is easier than fimo. Also you can fire it and build onto this and fire again. This was a big bonus as I like to create a skull on a rod onto which I build the head (see below) all you need is a little vaseline on the surface (this can also be used to help smooth the surface and remove finger prints).

I've tried 2 heads, one a white steampunk figure and one a troll. The first was in white sculpey and has given a lovelly opaque partchment like skinn colour, ideal for the old scientist it will become. The whit was much softer than the buff and at one point was like working in chewing gum, but I let it cool for a bit and was fine.

You can see it has taken the detail far better than the das head and has a much more interesting finish, which I may also stain to bring out the detail.

Below you can see the troll head take shape from basic skull on a rod (set in a base for ease of handling)

Once I had a skull I could use small lumps of soft clay to build ut the basic shape. The eyes are beads and survive the cooking process with no ill effect.

I sometimes left the clay to harden a bit before working in the detail.

The teeth are white sculpey fired and pushed into the soft head.

The horns below were added in white onto the fired head, you can make out the wire which was pushed into the head before firing. The horns were wrapped around this.

The final piece is about 9cm across from horn tip. I've stained it with brown acrylic.

I'm pleased with the end results and plan to explore this material again.

Professor Gogol Demon Hunter

2011-05-02T17:04:00.000+01:00

Lost the muse?

2011-05-01T18:52:00.001+01:00

Some time ago I was corresponding with an amazing artist called Hellgnome and we were discussing what to do when you can't seem to find inspiration. I've been trying to create a dirigible for some time with no real excitment. The idea is for a figure in chair hanging below a blimp like device but I just can't get going on it. So with a long weekend in the studio I started to play with a few other ideas.
When stuck I usually make heads and from these a character will come to life, (failing that I clean and tidy my studio, a clean desk often helps and you sometimes find bits and pieces to stimulate ideas).
Below is the result.

I liked the head but wasn't clear on the body. I fancied a large stocky figure with a big coat, here are some ideas I played with. I need to work on the backpack a bit more, this will probably depend on what interesting bits I find.

Because the figure is mostly body I created a very simple armature on which to build him. Below you can see the figure from start to completion of basic figure. All told this took about 6 hours.

The finished Steampowered Pennyfarthing

2011-04-24T08:33:00.001+01:00

I'm not sure this really falls under the genre of steampunk. I've seen a lot of discussion about what is or isn't 'steampunk' and much criticism of the 'whack a pair of brass goggles and a few cogs on it' school of thought. Personally I just love the creative opportunities the genre offers and for my own work the richness of materials, surfaces and characters I can explore.
This piece is a little rough around the edges in places but I had fun making it which is my main goal.

Pennyfarthing

2011-04-21T21:17:00.000+01:00

The nearly finished piece. I just need to add some more metallic finish and a few little details.

Pennyfarthing

2011-04-18T20:44:00.000+01:00

This is one of those sculptures that just came out of nowhere. The figure was originally the pilot for a dirigible which I have yet to make, but he was too big, so after a bit of playing the work below came about.

I had originally planned the figure to be a pilot with a kind of traditional British RAF officer look, hence the handlebar moustache and goggles. This seemed wrong for the cyclist so I gave him a monacle and top hat.

Construction of the bike is still in the planning stage here, handlebars and headlamp need to be added and some of the wood will be repalce by brass rods to give a more period feel.

And obvioulsy this wont be a normal pennyfarthing. It will be steam powered!

Shock trooper

2011-04-16T14:15:00.000+01:00

Pleased with all the tubes and bits, less happy with the gasmask. I may redo this at some point.

Shock trooper

2011-04-13T18:01:00.000+01:00

Progress has been quick the last few days and the figure, tentatively titled Shock Trooper is almost complete. Below are various shots of the progress. I've experimented with lots more tubes on this figure, often filled with fariy liquid and I think the range of colours and materials works well.

You can't see much of the boots under the coat.

Close up of the finished gas mask.

Steampunk soldier being constructed.

2011-04-11T19:14:00.002+01:00

Things have been a bit slow lately but the arrival of the school holidays means I've been able to put some work in on this figure. Originally intended as a bulky figure as a companion to the Imperial Guard, inspired by some concept designs from Sucker Punch of WW1 German steam powered zombie soldiers in gas masks.

I started with a simple wire armature wrapped in card and masking tape to get the basic body shape. The armature is sunk into a block of mdf for a base, the feet are then built up using plastiroc (DAS). Below you can also see that a roll of card has been added to the leg to creat the boot shape.

The head starts with a small ball of paper and tape onto which I've built modelling clay, The plastic eye sockets of the gasmask he will be wearing are sunk into this and the clay smoothed round them

Early on I added a piece of dowel as the breathing tube of the gas mask but this didn't look right so was removed later on also the groove you can see was to allow the breathing tubes to slot in, they didn't fit as planned when I changed the design later.

The hands were made from thin wire twisted into an armature and covered with thin strips of masking tape

A small shaped piece of card was added to give shape to the hand and the whole thing covered in masking tape. The hand is given a coat of pva to add strength and stop the tape peeling off.

Then the hand is attached to the figure. Quite often at this stage individual fingers are the wrong length so I chop them down, you can see the cut edges below.

Much later on in the figures progress I add gauntlets. These are made from pieces of thick brown paper (courtesy of the scrapstore) stregthened along the edge with thin wire so I can bend them to shape.

Displaying work; an internet journey.

2011-03-20T18:05:00.001Z

It's been nearly a year now since I actively started using this blog and promoting my work online (with the intent of selling). Its been an interesting process. I tried a few online galleries to get going; Deviant art proved great for getting feedback and a way of drawing people to the blog. It was interesting exploring how people were directed here, and I was amazed how often I found my work promoted on other sites, always respectfully and with links here.
Two weeks ago I started a facebook page called The Professor's Steampunk Emporium. I feel the name Impsandthings doesn't really reflect the steampunk work. I found many steampunk sites on facebook and 'liked' them and posted links to my work. Again an amazingly quick response and 50 'likes' already plus a lot of extra blog traffic and more followers here.Thankyou to those of you who come back again and again and add comments, it's great to get feedback and know I'm not working in a vacuum

All this has made me realise the need for better quality photos of my work. I saw on Tom Banwell's blog (a really talented maker of steampunk masks) some time last year the advantage of quality photos to enhance the work.
My aim is to create some sets for some of my pieces, maybe add smoke and good lighting but to get the ball rolling I took some quick pics with a arker painted background. White is not good for such darkly coloured sculptures. So far this is just a piece of mdf with sponged browns and black acrylic but already I can see the improvement.

The Captain

2011-03-13T16:18:00.000Z

New Directions

2011-03-06T18:59:00.000Z

My last few pieces have encouraged me to explore some new directions. Firstly creating smaller detailed more human figures although with slightly styalised faces. Secondly more machine base work like the bike and this is one reason for making smaller figures as they have to become part of a bigger piece.
Having a new direction always makes me motivated so I now have two sculptures underway; an aviator who will be hanging below a dirigible/airship in a pilots seat (seats are great fun to make as I found with the bike) and the guy below.

In these photos of the early construction you can see the basic shape made up from wire card and reinforced newspaper (two layers glued together, edged with thin wire and covered in masking tape then coated in pva)

Originally he was going to be a punk with spiky hair, I found some lovely blue thread joined in tassles at the local craft store (Creativity) and imbedded them in the plasti roc head, the look I wanted was pinched from a Keith Newstead automata I love his work both his automata and the figures he adds to them. They look simple but are a result of very clever and skillful use of materials.

However as he developed he took on a new character altogether:

For some reason he has taken on more of a C18th cavalry officer look (with added straps and buckles).

I really like this type of jacket and the red was a nice change from the usual black and brown leather I go for. Below you can see I've started to explore a breathing mask for him. He may also get a jet pack or wings or even a BFG. He needs something as he's a bit static at present.

The Joy of Sale

2011-02-26T10:32:00.000Z

I've had very little success selling my work (mostly through lack of effort to be honest) but as ebay are having a listing free weekend I thought I'd list the bike:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330535555490

I feel that the web is not the best place to sell sculpture as people really want to see up close and personal what they are buying, but this is free so worth a go. Most of my work is made purely for my own pleasure so selling is not the goal. Certainly having work seen on the internet is rewarding, I have lots of psoitive feedback on Deviantart and have found my work all over the place in online galleries, blogs, articles etc which is great. I guess the next step is to look into copyrighting.

Steam Punk SAMCRO

2011-02-24T16:18:00.000Z

So here is the finished piece, of which I'm really pleased. Not sure of a title yet, anyone recognise the title here?
My next job is to create some good backdrops so I can take some suitably moody pics of my work, may even employ a smoke machine.

Steam punk bike

2011-02-23T17:26:00.001Z

Now that half term is here (and the weather is suitably grey and uninviting) work on the vehicle has sped up. I have been stuck on the basic shape for awhile, partly through lack of enthusiasm but also as I couldn't figure out how the forks and handlebars should look. An old hosepipe nozzle did the trick. I've drilled it and used thick brass rods to make the handlebars with old plastic ampules for the grips. I've been using brass rod a lot lately, it is great for joining pieces together securely but I can also then deconstruct to add more bits. This is important for someone who makes stuff up as he goes along!
I've used the rods to join the 2 halves of the frame together rather than cutting mdf, it's strong and light and once you get the hang of aligning holes much easier: I just slot the bits together.
I've used it to make control levers also (with white beads for knobs)

Also I think the extra type of material adds to the overall finish.

I realised the other night that my bike needs a really cool exhaust, after rummaging through my bits box I found these sweeping curved tubes, which once sprayed looked just right. I had a bit of trouble securing them but finally slotted thick wire inside and then sank them into dowel, this was then fitted into a plastic drum. Fortunately I had drilled decorative holes into the frame (see top photo) so 2 more bits of dowel allow the whole thing to slot onto the frame securely enough to take the weight of the long exhaust.

The bike is close to finished in these photos, I just need to add foot rests, a few little bits and pieces for detail (these will come from my dwindling plastic bits box) and finish off the engine behind the seat.

This is always the fun part and sadly over too quickly.

A perfect circle

2011-02-06T17:06:00.001Z

I started the weekend by trying out my idea for cutting a neat circle.
The plan was top make a jig that would allowe me to turn the mdf from which the circle is to be cut on an axis, ensuring a clean accurate cut.
I measured the circle, drilled a central hole to take a dowl and then cut another hole into a thin piece of ply which fits perfectly against the base of the band saw to hold the circle the correct distance from the blade.
I had to cut a line into the mdf to take the blade (this was at right angles to the circles diameter), once done I gently turned the mdf on the dowl and ended up with a near perfect circle.
Cutting the inner circle for the wheel was not as effective because aligning blade and curve was difficult but now I have the principal I will get there!

Once I had the front wheel I went back to the design and made a basic chasis, with lots of reference to choppers and trikes. So far everything moves including the steering column. To keep construction simple and not spoil the lines I'm using brass rods to pin all the sections together, this proves strong and easy to take apart as I cange and add bits.

The last photo shows some bits of plastic resting in place as I try ideas for the mechanics.

Making wheels

2011-01-30T17:31:00.000Z

I've been struggling for a while with making wheels. either as part of an automata or just cutiing round shapes from wood, especially for wheels. Where possible I've used found bits of plastic, which has been fine, but as I experiment more with automata this is not always enough. When I started thinking about my latest project, a steampunk racing car, I knew I'd need to come up with a practical solution.
There are various options:
You can buy circle cutters for pillar drills which are fine for small circles and cogs. they are relatively cheap and some are adjustable.
For larger circles, such as the wheels of the car I'm making, I need something else.

Below you can see various wheels I've made today:
First some plastic bits I had lying around; either too small or just not the right look.

Secondly I tried cutting a shape from MDF, lots of careful measuring and drilling holes, but still not what I wanted. However I did realise when doing this that having the wood on an axis allows for a smoother and more accurate cut. Initially I held the wood by hand and rotated it applying pressure to the centre. Better than before but not perfect. My next job is to rig some kind of clamp to my saw that allows me to do this. I figure if I have a dowl spindle in the centre of the circle I'm cutting and attach this to a clamped arm I will have a reusable tool for cutting circles.(we shall see)

The final wheel was again hand cut but with brass spokes added. Again careful measuring was needed to mark the spoke position.

A dowl (which doubles as the wheel's axel) was added to the mdf circle and by clamping the wheel I was able to cut a series of vertical holes for the brass rods.

I then cut out the inner shapes (this meant the wheel rim has a slit in but this doesn't really show) and repeated the process. You can see the first attempt split in half.

The end product, lacking some spokes looks just right.

The circles are not perfect, needing some sanding but are far better than previous attempts.

Steam punk racer

2011-01-23T16:30:00.004Z

I'm still enjoying making mechanical contraptions as part of my figures. While making The Professor in his walking chair I played around with the angle he was sat, or in one case reclined, which gave me the idea of a steampunk sports car. I haven't decided on the style yet (sleak and curved or more along the line s of early Victorian steam cars) but it will ahve lots of moving parts behind the figure.

The plan is to make a static version and then recreate it as an automata.

So far I've made the basic figure (a close copy of The Professor) from a wire armature covered in folded newspaper and card for shape/bulk.

In the second photo you can see where simple card shapes have been added to the armature with masking tape to create the basic jacket. The figure has just been covered in PVA to keep the masking tape from peeling off and create a smoother surface. I've found that building up layers of tape and glue gives a better finish than covering with a layer of tissue which tends to hide detail and wrinkle.

Below you can see straps and buckles drying ready to add to the coat. The straps are cut from a double sheet of newspaper (glued together before cutting) and then wraped in a piece of tape for strength and thickness. A brass ring is being held in place while the glue dries. Holes will be added with a spike and a small piece of brass threaded through to create a buckle. The back looks messy but when glued to the figure looks fine.

More bits to be added, you can just make out straps for goggles and 2 pieces for the coat, made in the same way as the straps but with thin wire all around the edges. The result is very strong and flexible, far better than the sculpted card in ealier figures.

The chair clamped toghether while drying.

Finally a couple of pics I found while searching for ideas

The Professor

2011-01-16T16:21:00.000Z

2011-01-09T17:02:00.002Z

Steam Punk Chair

2011-01-03T16:10:00.007Z

After a couple of weeks of fiddling with this figure over the school holiday's it's finally taking shape and I'm fairly happy with the direction it's taking. I have all the main shapes including the figure worked out and am now happily adding details in the form of cogs, pipes etc to it. Sadly the new term beckons so it will take a while to finish. Always te way, you get into a piece after a bit of struggling and then have to leave it!

Below you can see the chair waiting for the figure to be slotted in. It has just had plastiroc padding added to the arms and some plastic neds removing and spraying but you can see the display console which I really like, made from 2 brass rods threaded through various bits of plastic. It even swivels.

You can also see the green tubing which will go into the figures back which I removed from some piece of medical equipment I found which has a suitable mad scientist look.

I've yet to add all the cogs and gears below te figure. Sadly I hadn't given tis any thought until well into the making but I realised it really needed the complexity of these showing to give it the look I wnated. As a result on careful examination the fianl piece will look totally impractical.

It has given me the urge to create some more mechanical automata though. I fancy a steam punk race car next as I really enjoy making these retro looking macines.

I have considered adding a mechanical hand to the chair, but again as this is an afterthought not sure how to add it. The photo below is of a figure I started last year but never finished. I may use the design of his claw hand.

As I develop more of this kind of work it has become self evident that I need more planning and design work. Normally I have an idea and just start making, but these more complex mechanical forms don't come together so easily with this approach, to quote Xander Harris "Measure twice, cut once, for the longest time I tought it was the other way around"

chicken legs

2010-12-31T16:45:00.003Z

The two legged chair (I've seen this called chicken legs, presumably because of the jointing, but I can't say that it gives the air of menace I wnat from this figure!) has finally got past the basic construction and is now taking on the character I wanted. The legs need a lot more detail and gears etc to give a steam punk feel and I hope to add more consoles and arms to the chair but you can see where it's going.

The chair has been covered in plastiroc modelled to look like padding. The boiler is bits of plastic I've found wrapped in strips of card studded with split pins, you can't see it but the boiler is covered with strips of masking tape which when stained will look like planking.

I found some coiled plastic tube which I plan to have coming out of the figures back like feeding tubes.

The figure is taking shape, he is a thin wire armature with almost no padding covered in tape to give him a gaunt skeletal look. He is awaiting a long coat and lots of straps and tubes.

steam punk cricketer

2010-12-25T17:51:00.002Z

This was a modified version of my steam punk droid made as an xmas present for my cricket obsessed dad

2 legs easier than 6 (or is it 8?)

2010-12-20T16:38:00.003Z

After a few attempts to make a spider legged base I just wasn't geting anywhere, mostly as it looked too bulky and didn't give the figure the precarious look I wanted. (I've since seen a lovely tripod design which would have been perfect)

Anyway keen to move on I sketched some designs based on animal legs, which look very much like Imperial walker legs because I guess that's where ILM got their design from, still looks good though.

I've used a basic mdf one piece leg which I'm adding too to give the effect I want. This was a quick and simple way of making the figure stand up so I could move onto adding the chair.

I need to figure out a way of creating some nice pistons so the legs look like they could function and add a boiler too the back of the chair. This will alos have lots of funky consoles and controls coming off it as well as some kind of foot support for the stooped figure. Not really sure how he will be finished, possibly lots of tubes coming off him.

Below are some images I found for inspiration. I love the metal jaguar by artist Andrew Chase

his work is amazing and well worth checking out.

spider chair

2010-12-18T16:09:00.004Z

The last few months have been a creative vacuum, too tired and cold and with no clear ideas to get engaged with. Now school hols are here I feel revived. I've had the idea of some kind of robotic chair for some kind and while sat doodling some head ideas during a cover lesson yesterday I came up with a clear idea of a thin little guy on a chair with lots of controls which moves around on spider legs. Kind of a Davros like figure judging by the eloctodes sticking out of his head (I'm fed up of top hats)

While making the chair I sat the driver in 2 poses, one as intended stooped over the controls sat vertical, (as seen below) another with him led back in a more racing car pose. I like this second idea but was worried it was too much like the racers in Phantom Menace, maybe I'll make both.

automata delight

2010-11-21T16:43:00.007Z

I was lucky enough to go to open house art exhibition today and saw some wonderful automata art work by Wanda Sowry who had opened her home for the day. I was greeted by two amazing automata on the hall wall and then a lovely cup of mulled wine (well mulled ribena as I was driving but it was still good). Wanda's automata can be seen by clicking on the image below.

Also on show were Robert Race's driftwood automata, very simple but so clever and effective. My personal favourite was a Trophy with moving eyes seen here (click to see more)

Both artists were really friendly and willing to share some their experience as well as let me take photos of their mechanisms. Wanda's skeleton figures have inspired me try a skeleton cricketer for my Dad's xmas present.

I've taken a break from the steam punk droid to finish a figure started over 2 years ago. The shape was there but he just needed a bit of work on the clothes and painting. Not sure why he was abandoned for so long but I like him. Perhaps once the call of automata has passed I will do some more like him as I haven't made this kind of work for years.

Should he wear a coat?

2010-11-14T15:44:00.004Z

The droid is nearly done. A coat of paint and a few extra bits of scrap ahve made all the differnece. I'm really pleased with the new technique for making the coat too: it proves much easier to amke and more flexible to position.

I'm not sure if the figure needs it though, what do you think?

Steam punk droid nearly complete

2010-11-07T16:11:00.003Z

I've spent the weekend spraying and putting a lot of the bits together so he is starting to look finished. I was worried that the top hat on it's own looked a bit odd, and that he looked like a reject droid from The Phantom Menace, so I've added a coat. I've tried making this out of paper and thin wire edging covered in masking tape. This has the benefit of being quicker and more flexible than the usual card I use. I'm reasonably happy with the result, it's certainly easier to change it's shape, but has minimal stength so no good for some other figures where the coat is part of the stucture.

The photos are not great but it was getting dark when I took these.

The ray gun has been shortened since last week. I found some good bits of plastic (an old pipe joiner I think) and really like the snub nosed look. I had a load of short thin straw like shapes (red) which make up the centre of the barrel. An old medical vile (courtesy as ever of the Scrapstore) filled with shower gel finsihes it off.

If you like Stteam punk ray guns check this video out from Doctor Grordbort's web site.

Steam punk droid

2010-10-31T15:38:00.004Z

Firstly I want to direct you to a fascinating article called 'Towards a Steampunk Without Steam' by Amal El-Mothar over at Tor dot Com. It explores the values of the genre and challenges the concept that it is just brass, leather and goggles, worth a read and will get you thinking even if you don't agree with it.

Anyway after a week (it's been half term whoo hoo!) of fiddling and not getting to grips with anything that reall seemed to work or grab my enthusiasm I finally got an idea. I was sat at my desk staring at bits of junk and an old hat I'd made and not used for another figure when I realised they would make a great head and body for a robot. 24 hours later you can see the result.

Proves what Picasso said "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working"

Typical that I get my inspiration just as I have to go back to work though!

mid term malaise

2010-10-10T16:49:00.004+01:00

I'm at that point in the school term where my creative energy is at it's lowest, combine that with a piece that I just can't get to grips with means I haven't done much in my studio for a few weeks.

I remember an artist once saying that the best thing to do in these circumstances is just to do anything to get you going, stretch a canvas, anything. In my case I find just making the first thing that comes to mind helps, so here are the results of my art therapy!

I want my GCSE art class to make sketch book covers for a project on surrealism (the theme is strange materials, impractical objects, visual puns)

So we have a book with spines, a book made of stone,a sardine tin, a sliced loaf and a mouth. The result of an afternoons work to inspire year 10.

While researching images for Surrealism I came upon a sketch for a weird beast by Shaun Tan. If you don't know him he does amazing illustrated books, possibly for children)

Anyway it's a friends birthday soon so I thought they might appreciate a weird steam punkish creature. It will have legs and eyes soon.

Finally Mr Hyde, who is living up to his reputation as a troublemaker.

Mr Hyde

2010-09-19T15:29:00.006+01:00

I was discussing with someone on Deviantart the idea of creating Steampunk characters based on well known novels. She suggested Oliver Twist. Fat too cute.. so Mr Hyde. I've already done a few doctor/scientist types so it seemed a good choice. Plus I wanted something with a big mechanical arm, a dangerous looking beast of a figure. I know Hyde is not mechanical but this is steampunk so lets assume that Jekyll's skill is not medicine but robotics; hence half man half machine.

Below are some pics to get me thinking (I've tried to include links to the artist's pages where possible):

I want to include some of my favourite elements such as a big Victorian greatcoat with shoulder cape, I used a plastic vial full of washing up liquid in my last figure's back and this would fit with Hyde, along with other mechanical bits in his back. Also a big mechanical arm dragging on the floor and big heavy boots all topped off with lots of straps and buckles.

I'm not sure about the face, goggles and respirator or a distorted human face, perhaps one side mechanical (terminator style)?

Steam Punk Gentleman finished

2010-09-12T17:13:00.006+01:00

I had planned to show more images of this under construction but time was against me. I really wanted to get him finished before the school term saps my creative energy. Also I'm considering sending some saleable work to a new craft centre opening near Leicester so I need to create a few more imp heads. They are not hard but I will need to clear my desk which is a real mess with all the bits of junk etc from this figure.

Anyway I think this figure has worked well, I really like the bent body shape which shows off the cogs and a new idea (for me, but you see it in lots of Steam Punk work) which is a vial of liquid, actually washing up liquid! It's a bit yellow as I didn't have any green which would look better.

I'm really getting into the idea of lots of tubes and bits coming out of my figures. I've also added lots of bigger straps (a bit of an Edward Scissorhands influence here) to suggest that his coat has to be strapped over a mechanical body, and who knows how human he is under all that leather?

I would love to try one of these figures in metal or maybe clay (I have no skill or facilities here for the former) or even leather. I want to simplify the materials to make more of the body shape, for example 3 pieces of metal joined togehter for this would I think be great. I could make more use of the construction techniques eg bolts to hold the 3 pieces toghether would enhance the effect. I remember seeing a sculptor's work in Bristol many years ago who made big metal sculptures of robed figures using very simple styalised shapes: a mix of monk and 3D Klimt. I have some pics somwhere which I must uncover.

Will have to give this more thought as I want to create something more resilant. the card and mixed media sculptures look good but are very fragile.

more mechanical figures

2010-08-31T14:47:00.005+01:00

One of the things I enjoyed creating with my last couple of figures was the mechanical bits coming out of their backs and the robotic arm. I have a few ideas for developing this, one is a bulky cyborg type figure, possibly a mechanical Mr Hyde, another is a development of the wheel chair bound figures, but this time with a smaller seat actually built into a giant robot, possibly with a wizened old man driving it.

However with school holidays nearly over and the restrictions work place on actually making anything complex I came up with a simpler figure of a bent old man with mechanical bits coming out of his back. This figure was originally inspired the electric cables coming out of the back of a piece by Stephane Halleux, I liked the body shape too. (kind of reminds me of Belleville Rendez-Vous)

Over the next few posts I thought it would be helpful to explain how I make a sculpture.

Here you can see the basic body taking shape. It is just a basic cardboard shell roughly taped with masking tape. I use quite thin corrugated card which is very flexible. The corrugations allow it to bend nicely in one direction, in this case they go upwards so the shape curves towards the rear. I sometimes score the card if I want it to flex in more than one way.

It takes a bit of playing to get the shape exactly as I want it but once I'm happy I reinforce with gaffa tape. The top of the shape which will become the hole in his back is reinforced with florist wire.

Here you can see two plastic shapes for goggles bound onto a piece of wire for the neck with a bit of newspaper to pad out the chin. I've used two bits of flexible palstic tube for arms with stiff wire inside so they can be bent into shape. I normally use rolls of card but I found this and thought it would look good for him to have thin arms.

Because the figure leans forward he kept falling over so I slit open the back and packed it with a lump of clay moulded to fit.

I've skipped a bit here to show the figure nearer its final incarnation with bits of plastic and cogs just poking out of his back. I had originally planned for him to be pushing some kind of cart with cables coming out but I like these slightly claw like walking sticks. They are just slotted into the arms so may change.

Complete automata

2010-08-26T18:25:00.003+01:00

almost complete automata

2010-08-24T18:28:00.005+01:00

I've now started to sculpt and add detail to the figure. All the actions work but it is clear that although I've learnt a lot about making mechanisms the final piece just doesn't have enough movement to make it interesting. At the very least the cogs in his back should move. Also I'm not happy with the the head movement.

Another day or so should see him complete. He will look nice static anyway!

I also now have more inspiration for another (static) old man figure with a mechanical back.

steam punk wheel chair automata mechanism

2010-08-21T15:19:00.005+01:00

After a week of battling with various types of mechanism I've finally got it all working and I'm feeling rather good about the end product.

The big challenge was making a movement for the back of the wheelchair, and it was clear that I'd have to use cogs. So far I've had little success with these but as they are an essential part of most automata I realised I'd have to figure out how to make them.

Using wheels with pins seemed the best way as I knew I could make these fairly precise.

As you can see I made a simple jig (just the toothless cog set into a block of wood on its axle) to ensure each pin hole was the correct distance from the centre.

The cog on the main axle turns the cog at right angles to it for the back mechanism. I spent about 8 hours getting this to actually work. It kept jamming, after various changes I realised the gears were not close enough: you can see a bit of wood slotted behind the cog to push it gently against the other one. Success!!!!!

This allowed me to add another movement in the wheel chairs back, it doesn't have a function other than to look nice. I did want a flywheel in the back but it was too complex and would have involved major changes to the chassis, which already needed a hole added for the up and down piston. I will eventually add something to the other end.

Once the movements were sorted some cosmetic work was needed on the figures arm and the back area.

The back had a selection of fake cogs and bits added, inspired by some clock insides, I would have loved to make this all move, maybe next time.

I had a basic arm movement and was happy that it worked well but it looked wrong. I could have gone for a very stylised figure and made use of the joints as part of the look but it didn't feel it would go with the rest of the figure. I hit upon the idea of a robot arm, after all he is built into a steam powered wheel chair!

The arm still need a bit of work cosmetically but it works fine.

Now I have all the movement sorted I can work on sculpting the figure. It will be inspired by the last figure, my steampunk technomancer but not a copy. The challenge will be to allow some bits to be removable in case I need access to the movement inside. I also want to try using real leather but we shall see.

I've learnt a lot from making this, not least the importance of careful planning, and perseverance has payed off as you can see from the video which shows some of the main movements.

automata mistakes

2010-08-17T17:35:00.003+01:00

I am now in new territory so have spent a lot of time building and rebuilding mechanisms. I have been trying to discover the best way of getting everything to work off the main axle and lack of knowledge means trial and error (helped by a great little book 'Cabaret Mechanical Movement' from Paul Spooner's web site). I haven't helped myself by not having a clear idea of what I want to do. I have used a bell crank (which in this case turns a vertical movement into an horizontal one, with the intention of making the figures head turn from side to side.

One thing I've learnt is that trying an idea out in card using split pins for joints really helps visualise the end product. I've then moved onto making a simple version using florist wire (you can see this in the head mechansism). As you can see this is a bit of a rough version but it does work. I can now rework it to improve strength and smoothness of movement.

One thing I am pleased with is the change in speed from the wheel spinning in the background to the gentle left to right head movement. That was a total flook!

Saw a great quote from the director of Toy Story 3 who was discussing the experimental approaches they use to create Pixar movies: "Screw-ups are an essential part of making something good. That's why our goal is to screw up as fast as possible"

New Automata

2010-08-14T17:41:00.007+01:00

As it's been positively autumnal today I've spent the entire day on the new automata. The aim is to learn some new skills and work out how to use more types of mechanism. The automata will be loosely based on my last sculpture of a steampunk wheelchair but will no doubt change as I try at new ways of making the thing work,

Today I've built a basic frame and a mechanism to make the wheels turn. I was admiring the work of Keith Newstead who often makes all the movements originate from the wheels which are on rollers (check this video out). This seemed like a good idea and a fun challenge. My main problem was creating a smooth action where the wheels meet the rollers, if this isn't ok then the whole thing fails. I tried various wooden wheels but it quickly became clear that my cutting skills were not accurate enough; cutting a perfect circle is really hard, ask Giotto and he only had to draw one!

So I opted for using plastic bits I had in my junk box. I think they actually look better than the wooden ones anyway, you can see both versions in the photo. The rollers are covered in a piece of soft textured foam for traction.

Once this was worked out I cut a basic frame and base onto which everything else can go. The next problem is how to make the wheel movement operate the engine. I had planned to use an elastic drive from the wheel shaft to the next mechanism, but this just doesn't seem to have enough traction. So it will need a cog or crank on the wheel shaft. That is a problem for another day.

Steam Punk Technomancer

2010-08-11T17:59:00.001+01:00

steam punk wheel chair necromancer

2010-08-10T17:55:00.004+01:00

Nearly finished now. At stage of adding details and painting as you can see form these shots. I am not sure about the face itself though; I've abandoned the idea of a breathing tube and at the moment it looks skull like which is unintentional it was just the shape I sculpted to attach the mask to but it has potential. Also I've added a new eye piece based on something I saw on deviantart which I think looks kind of scientific.

steam punk wheel chair

2010-08-08T16:57:00.005+01:00

This figure is quickly taking shape, but has changed dramatically from the original sketch in that he is now in a wheel chair. I always wanted the mechanical bits in his back so this is a fairly logical evolution. This has meant some rethinking of the figure's coat, which was originally intended to be a long leather one. I am thinking more along the lines of a lots of straps and rivets, a mix of Edward Scissorhands and the work of Stephane Halleux. (If you dont know this sculptors amazing assemblages check the link out)
I am still determined to recreate this figure as an automata, I've figured out the basics but I want to add some thing a bit weird, maybe something slowly coming out of a door in his back. Not sure how yet but it will be a fun challenge!

Another Automata?

2010-08-06T18:56:00.004+01:00

I've had some good feedback on deviantart for the spider and I'm keen to use what I've learnt to do something more ambitious. Ideas so far include a steam punk fish with moving fins and mouth or a winged figure or possibly a figure in some kind of flying machine. While thinking how to move forward I've gone back to a figure I started last month. Although I had some ideas for this I was a bit unhappy with the way it was developing, so I got out the junk box (courtesy of the scrapstore) and started to play. The result is the figure is now part mechanoid with a chimney and fly wheel in his back and wheels! He is turning into a steam punk Davros so maybe some Dalek type panels rather than a leather coat?

As the figure developed today I realised he would make an excelent automata. I will complete the static figure and then recreate as a moving figure. the wheels and flywheel could move but not sure what else, maybe a turning head and moving arm?

Anyway here are some photos of the bits from today.

Steam Punk Spider automata

2010-08-04T19:33:00.004+01:00

Well after nearly 2 weeks it is complete and working!
It would have been done earlier but I decided to add some extra movement. The mandibles move (not much though) and I've put a little motor into the body to turn a big wheel. it doesn't actually do anything but I like it!
Let me know what you think.

I feel really pleased with the end result, especially as it was my first go. Some of the movements are a bit sluggish (not helped in the video by me turning the sculpture while operating it) but this could be rectified if I rebuilt it. I've learnt a lot and it became more ambitious as it went along and as my confidence grew. The one thing that I think lets it down is the head, I was so engrossed in the mechanism for the body I really didn't consider this until too late so it was a bit bodged.

complete spider mechanism

2010-07-31T13:11:00.004+01:00

After over 3 days of failed attempts I have finally constucted something which works fairly well. The 2 individual mechanisms were quite simple; an eccentric cam to create the up and down movement for the body (which also lifted the 6 main legs) and a rocking mechanism for the two tapping front legs.

The BIG problem was linking the two together so they worked from one handle and at the correct speed. I tried various methods to avoid using cogs because I just didn't feel confident I could make them well enough. It was fairly obvious that this was the only solution though. After about 4 sets of cogs I finally got a pair that worked smoothly.

The finished product looks crude but does work better than I could have hoped.

Spider legs up and running

2010-07-27T17:43:00.004+01:00

After a little experimentation the spider legs, well 6 of them anyway, are working. I settled for a simple cam below the legs so the body just goes up and down making the hinged legs gently move too. Its a bit rough as the base is still loose but it seems to work well enough. Next I want to add two front legs which tap away making it look impatient. Not really sure how this will work....

Steam Punk Spider begins

2010-07-24T17:22:00.005+01:00

I have started to experiment with making a steam punk spider as a automata. I had originally planned for all the legs to move but now I think only the front 2 will move up and down, tapping impatiently while the body itself slowly lifts and drops. This will be easier to make!

Int he background you can see a very rough mockup which i did to get a feel for joints and scale. In the foreground I have made a pair of legs from thin wood, jointed with brass with a few bits of plastic added to give a more mechanical feel.

The next step will be to make the body mechanism.

Steam Punk sorcerer, early designs and influences

2010-07-23T18:04:00.011+01:00

I've always loved Jim Henson and Brian Froud's skeksis from The Dark Crystal. The long flowing and mishapen robes of office over the weird bodies give the characters such grape character. I've played with this type of figure before once as a clay wizard and 10 years ago as a puppet. A love creating long leather coats for my steam punk characters so I thought it was time to revisit the idea.

For years I've had a figure from The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (a Tod McFarlane model) sat on my shelf. I thought the two would go togehter really well.

The McFarlane version (right) really exaggerates the body shape and even has goggles.

I want the steam punk figure to have the usual goggles and breathing tubes but also some kind of mechanical bits coming out of his back. The elongated Skeksis type body is ideal for this.

As you can see I've constructed a very basic body and head from card and plastiroc. This is very crude and really only there to give me an idea of the shape so I can build onto it. Now I can play with bits of plastic and start to create the details which will give it character.

carnival of insects venice

2010-07-11T10:53:00.004+01:00

I recently saw an advert for cannon sureshot featuring some amazing giant insect puppets in Venice. With a bit of hunting a found some more clips and images (click the photo link below or follow the address)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7OcwKzbN5c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECBBCHIuI3A

I love giant puppets so was instantly captivated by these, especially the preying mantis. I'm not working on anything at the moment and in fact have been too busy to really feel motivated but I now have an urge to amke a steam punk insect automata. I have a vague idea so far on making the legs move but will have to experiment.

I know who I am!

2010-06-20T09:28:00.004+01:00

Tesla Guard

I am really pleased with this figure now, partly because it took me so long to decide on the final look but mostly because I've used and refined some new techniques to get the Steam Punk look I want.

I'm not sure who this is?

2010-06-13T18:03:00.004+01:00

Some time ago I saw a design for a scary looking docotor, very Frankenstein looking, with weird goggles, a long coat and strange mechanical instruments for a hand. I liked the idea of a mad steampunk scientist and started developing a head with weird bits coming out for eyes. As you can see it's gone through various incarnations and now looks more like a guard than a scientist.

I like all the funky helmet bits which give him character even though he has no face. The face mesh is one of those cones used for wool or thread cut up

I've realised that the best steam punk effects come from simple bits of palstic carefully cut and glued together, rather than trying to actually sculpt shapes which then tend to look too organic.

The almost complete figure will be holding a spear/cattle prod attached to his back pack. I saw a fab design for this in Mike Mignola's Witchfinder graphic novel.

When it came to making the gauntlets and the leather cowl (you can't se the latter in the photos) I tried using a different technique. Normally I would make them from card but I wnated something that looked more like giant rubber gloves. After a few experiments I hit upon using wire mesh. I've had this stuff around for ages and a colleague of mine uses it a lot, covered in tissue, but I've never got to grips with it. I covered a section in wide masking tape on both sides and coated it with PVA. This proved very flexible and gave a good finish. I will be using more of this!

The Highwayman

2010-06-03T14:45:00.004+01:00

He is now pretty much finished although with a new name. He was originally going to be standing at the controls of somethink suitably steam punky, I even had a great wheel, bit like a ships helm in my box of bits but it blocked too much of the figure.

Really pleased with the gun though as it is nice and crisp (lots of funky bits glued together!

I think the figure is a bit stiff though and his hat looks wrong from the side

World of Froud

2010-06-01T07:14:00.003+01:00

I was very happy this morning to discover that I've been selected to be this month's Froudian artist of the Month on Brian Froud's website The World of Froud

The Captain's Leather Coat

2010-05-30T10:29:00.003+01:00

The coat is made from pieces of thin corrugated card carefully shaped, scored and bent to create the required form. The edges are reinforced with thin wire ans the whole thing is covered in gaffa tape and pva and tissue to make it strong and flexible.

This piece is not finished. The arms, shoulders etc will be added once it has been attached to the body.

I'll paint it with layered washes of brown and black acrylic and pva to give it the old worn leather look.

The Captain continued

2010-05-30T10:12:00.006+01:00

The figure is now developing some character. The eyes have been covered with goggles made from bits of plastic and plastiroc. A jacket inspired by Robert De Niro's in Stardust has been made from card and splitpins with a few bits of brass for the buckle on the shoulder strap. I can now add the coat which is partly made over this and give him arms.

Steam Punk Captain

2010-05-16T11:51:00.003+01:00

This figure is now taking shape, for a while I had no clear idea of what he was going to be. He was based on an idea for a Victorian figure with big moustache and top hat. Originally the goggles (all Steam punk figures need goggles!) were going to be on the hat but not sure now.

I've created the basic coat shape and now need to decide on the collar, probably a big one and maybe big drapes over the shoulder.

He's built on a base so I can add some kind of control levers as if he was at the helm of a ship

2010-05-03T15:41:00.003+01:00

the finished heads, they only took a couple of hours each to make, I wonder if they will sell?

new designs

2010-05-01T16:02:00.003+01:00

I wanted to do some smaller work which can be sold at a lower price than my figurative work. Here you can see 2 treesprite heads, made from twisted wire and fimo with beads for eyes. They are on a baking tray waiting to go in the oven. They were only quick experiments and took less than an hour each to make. They have little loops on the back so they can be hung on a wall.

The start of a new figure

2010-04-25T10:24:00.003+01:00

I normally don't have a clear idea of how a figure will look when finished, or if I do it often changes dramatically during the making process. I often have an idea for a head (or sometimes feet!) and just start making. In the photo you can see some bits and pieces for 2 figures. A hose made from wire wrapped around a piece of dowl, covered in masking tape and pva and then squeezed to give a concertina effect. This looks great when attached to plastic nozzles or oxygen bottles.

There are two heads. For the first I had an idea for a character with a top hat, I'll add goggles to his hat later. Not sure about the rest of him but I fancy a victorian looking officer/pilot.

The second was originally going to be a Plague Doctor, I'd seen one in a film recently and they look great but I couldn't seem to get the beak to work with all the steam punk bits so now he will have a leather mask with breathing tubes and weird googles.

Steam Punk figures

2010-04-25T10:09:00.006+01:00

At the moment I'm exploring the theme of Steam Punk, which is Victorianesque Sci-fi, think Jules Verne's Nautilus. Lots of leather and brass which is a great source of rich colours and textures. It has become a popular style, The Doctor's Tardis has been done up in a steam punk style for it's last two incarnations. I normally work in card wire and modeling clay so I've been adding bits of found plastic (from The Scrapstore) to create goggles and other bits of mechanical paraphanalia.
In the photo you can see a nearly complete spaceman (if you look closely you can see the head is based on an archetyple British officer, complete with handlebar moustache)

Steam Punk Aviator

2010-04-04T08:37:00.003+01:00

I've given this chap aviator goggles made from bits of plastic and moving wings. He is holding a large pistol also made form bits of plastic. Leather effects are created by staining the model with burnt umber and black acrylic and then varnished with PVA. Split pins add touches of brass.

2009-08-30T14:14:00.001+01:00

Tree Sprite made from wire, papier mache and fimo