Clayburn Moore's Web Log

Conan the Conqueror Part 5: The Culmination

2008-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the final installment of the Conan the Conqueror sculpting blog, chronicling the making of this sculpture of Conan on horseback from the stunning painting by Frank Frazetta. The main sculpting that remains is the horse, although there are many details in the accouterments, weapons and gear (as well as the sculpture’s base) to do.

The first thing to finish was the horse. The pose is difficult as the horse is in furious motion as he jumps over and into the waiting foes. As mentioned earlier, reference is important in any good sculpture, and for this piece it seemed logical that rodeo photos of bucking broncos would be helpful. Other photos of horses jumping, running and rearing up were helpful to get full anatomical reference from all angles. This reference was used along with pictures of Frank’s own approach to horses, with a strong emphasis on the beautiful Kubla Khan pen and ink works.

The horse is thus strong and powerful, with muscles fully flexed as he hurtles forward. As I worked up the anatomy, I changed things here and there, reworking and adjusting various areas. It helps at times to get away from the piece, to renew one’s perspective and to keep the eye fresh. To do this, I’d break from the horse and work on other details, like the saddle pommel, the axe at his back, the shield, etc.

Frank had decided that the tail looked best flowing back from the body, so I worked it up with long flowing tooling movements to give the impression of speed.

Here are the photos more or less at this point. However, the figure has already been approved and molded. The Conan figure you see here and in the final photos is a resin casting used as a stand-in for sculpting and approval:

After completion, I worked in the studs around the front and rear of the horse and refined some areas, retouching here and there. I then sculpted in the misty shape that would allow the whole figure to sit suspended above the base. (The base will be a decorative raised oval base, painted with a faux marble surface.)

Next, I baked the sculpture to harden it. Except for the back right hoof, the other hooves were difficult to work in this pose. So after baking, I removed the lower legs, sanded the hooves and worked in the horseshoes, adding some clinging mud to the bottoms of the hooves. I also sanded the back of the saddle, which I interpreted as being made of wood, and sculpted in some detail that was reminiscent of the decorative elements on the front of the saddle. It also seemed that the axe you see behind Conan would have been attached to the wooden saddle with a simple loop for ease of removal in battle.

I had left the smaller studs at Conan’s waist prior to discussing with the factory where we’d want to cut the figure for production. The massive belt or girdle allows the separation of the figure at the waist. Thus, the arms would not have to be removed, but can be cast as integral parts of the upper figure in a single mold section. This is crucial as I did not want the factory trying to reattach and match up the two sections of the muscular arms and veins.

The last photos show the figure fully sculpted with almost all elements in place, although I left out the sword (simply because I removed it to make an adjustment to the figure and did not reattach it for the photo…).

I hope you found this blog interesting and useful in understanding the sculpting process. I enjoyed sculpting the piece, and it was a singular honor to work with Frank again. My warmest thanks to Frank for his guidance and generous help on this project.

Please stay tuned as we’ll be posting photos of the completely painted figure shortly. Thanks for reading!

CSM

Conan the Conqueror Part 4: Finishing the Figure

2008-09-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Finishing out a figure is very time consuming and certainly not the most interesting part of the process, but it is extremely important, and there's nothing like seeing one's work finally coming to completion.

The process, though, can try one's patience. It can be a little like hammering nails, in that it is just smoothing out with thousands upon thousands of repetitive movements. Normally when I finish out a figure, I make it as smooth as possible, but I decided to leave a bit of texture, a bit more looseness on this piece to convey the impression of raw power and strength that the painting shows so well. This piece will be produced as both a painted edition and a bronze edition and I felt the effect in bronze would be more successful with some texture. At the same time, the painted pieces would need a certain level of finishing to work well, since very loose sculptures can have a sloppy or unfinished look when fully painted.

Generally, I try to stick to a schedule of finishing an area, then moving on.

This doesn't always work, as I may see something that needs attention on another area. But I do try to finish a part - say a leg, for example - as that will show me how the overall figure is looking. I smooth with cross striations using loop tools and rounded wood tools with a gradually lighter and lighter touch as the figure reaches the level of smoothness I want for the figure.

I began with the chest area (the face being finished already) as the strength of the painting flows from the face and chest and moves outward from those focal energy points. I then finished out the shoulders and arms.

I added the helmet to check the overall look and compare it to the painting.

It was important to finish the arms and shoulders first, as the sides of the helmet would make finishing the shoulders difficult. The addition of the helmet also tells you if the face works well and still conveys the look in the painting, but I held off adding any helmet detail at this point.

After the face, arms and helmet, I spent some time sculpting the necklace.

This is an important, eye catching element of the painting. I sculpted the parts separately, hardened them through baking and added them to the figure to check the look. I decided that I'd make the hair flow out the back of Conan's helmet as it does in the Conan of Cimmeria painting in which Conan is battling the Frost Giants and in Frank's other paintings of Conan as well.

I then added the fur around the top of his thighs and the top of his massive belt/girdle. Next I worked in the finished leggings (straps over fur) which are rather loose in the painting. This is another case where it worked best to tighten them up, rather than go loose, as the paint can be applied more correctly and more easily at the factory.

I then photographed the piece and removed the necklace sections, since baked Super Sculpey will peel back from unbaked S Sculpey and the elements will distort. You can reverse that by laying the distorted pieces upside down on unbaked Super Sculpey and the material will bend back to its previous shape.

I added one of the finished hands (which I mentioned were sculpted separately), but the other hand I left off until more of the figure was completed.

I finished out the legs close to full completion, but, as usual, I always know that even a fully finished area may require adjustment and resculpting.

Again, Frank might see something he wanted changed and I might realize a part that needed tweaking here and there. This can add to sculpting time, but the sculpture must be as correct as possible. It's always a case where you're tempted to tell yourself it's good enough, but then you'll wish you'd adjusted it every time you see the sculpture for, well, forever.

This is the point at which I showed Frank the piece.

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Frank was fine with the arms, chest and legs, (and even the hair flowing from the helmet) but suggested a couple of key changes to the face: giving the eyes a bit more of an alarmed look, moving the head back and bringing in the chin a bit.

Back at the studio, I first tackled the adjustments Frank wanted, cutting off the head and mounting it on a board. This made the changes in the eyes and jaw more convenient, as I could turn the head on its side or even hold it upside down if necessary. The wisdom of the adjustments became apparent from the beginning, as it was clear that the face was more closely matching the look of the painting. I then reattached the head and corrected the neck and hair, which had been damaged in the modification process.

I then finished out the legs, added the helmet detail with a dental tool with a tiny ball end, and generally checked the figure over, making very minor modifications and retouching as necessary.

I also added the second hand, worked in the forearm muscles again and finished them, then added the forearm band, giving it some stitching detail.

The large studs for the belt were sculpted separately on a steel cylinder so that they could be hardened and added to the figure, closely matching the curve of his torso. The smaller studs will be added later, pending a technical decision regarding where the figure will be cut (separated) in the production and casting process at the factory.

Finishing out a male figure often means adding the veins as the final touch.

Veins are difficult and require a lot of patience. They usually need some retouching later and I sculpt them in stages as they are frustrating to say the least. They're not my favorite part of the process, but they definitely pull the piece together and they signal that the long process is finally coming to an end.

I think that covers most of what you see here, at least on the figure. There was still the horse and gear to complete, of course, and that, too, would take some time. So here's the finished Conan the Conqueror figure. You'll see the sword and shield in a future installment. Frank approved the figure thus far and I hope it meets with your expectations.

CSM

Conan the Conqueror Part 3:

2008-08-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the third installment of the Conan the Conqueror Blog. The main points of discussion in meeting with Frank (Frazetta) were to see how I sculpted the overall mass of the figure and the masses (size and musculature) of the horse and if they met with Frank's vision in the painting.

I added the arms and roughed in the muscular mass fairly quickly, although there was some additive and reductive fine tuning. Specifically, I added material to build up the masses, then carved them with wood and horn tools to shape them into the general shapes I wanted and that I felt matched the size and mass of those in the painting. After meeting with Frank, I would finish out the muscular detail. I had roughed in some muscular mass on the horse (as mentioned earlier) and felt he was ready to go. Here's how it looked at this stage:

We had a good visit and Frank thought the masses worked well overall. He adjusted the head placement, moving it back a bit. He felt the masses of the legs, torso and arms worked well, but wanted the mass of the legs to seem heavier and more affected by gravity, so we agreed I'd flatten them slightly and add a bit of material to the inside of the thighs.

Frank agreed that using the Kubla Khan pen and ink works was a good reference point for this horse. Since only a small part of one back leg is shown, we talked about the legs a bit to find the best leg position for the sculpture. We also considered raising the horse's tail because it had a nice dramatic look, even though it doesn't show in the painting. Frank felt that it was important to consider simple changes to the painting if they worked better for the sculpture as seen from other angles. At this stage, we left the horse tail to a future discussion.

Thus far, the figure had a good start. Next, I talked to Frank about the face of the figure as that would obviously be a key element. The face on Conan the Conqueror is somewhat more loosely painted than the face on the Conan the Adventurer painting I had sculpted some years earlier. There is clearly some scarring on the face of this figure and we decided that adding the scarring to match the earlier painting was fine. There is also some scarring that appears in the painting to the other (right) side of his face and we agreed I'd sculpt that in, as Conan by this time had clearly added some battle scars.

Now it was time to get back to the studio. I sculpt the head of a figure separately, usually. I may sculpt the head first, or midway in the process or at the end, after the figure is fully sculpted. It really depends on what works best in the approval process and the overall sculpting. In this case, it was time to sculpt the head and add it to the figure to get as much accomplished in the next meeting with Frank as possible. I used the painting, of course, but to get the contours more correct I reversed the painting in Photoshop and printed it out. I rough out the head and then incise the lines where the brow line and eyes will be, then the bottom of the nose and finally the mouth. I build up the mouth area and sink in deep hollows where the eyes will be. I then cut the face back and away from the eyes and cheeks and then build the cheeks back a bit, if necessary. The nose is added and then all areas are shaped.

After the head was finished, I added it to the body and began to fine tune the arms and torso, putting in more fine detail muscles and shaping them to suit the figure as Frank painted it. I shaped the serratus muscles, the rib cage and the abdominals with cross smoothing to give them a finished skin effect with thick wire loops and a couple of rounded wood tools I keep highly polished for that specific use.

You can also see more tuning of the back muscles and forearm muscles. I find the back to be the most difficult part of the male figure to sculpt. My observation is that other sculptors also have problems with it. I've also laid in more extensively the flexors and extensors of the forearms, a very complicated and interesting set of muscles and difficult to sculpt. I basically lay in long strips of material and work them together with some surface and depth variation between them for a strong, but natural look.

After the muscular detail was more or less where I wanted it, I cut in the leather strap across his chest to check the look and see if the feel of the painting was coming across properly.

Like any sculptor, I also change and adjust areas throughout the process. A part may look correct one day, but may seem to need adjustment the next. The key is to be sure that the second day's eye is more correct than the previous day's eye. As you can see in the photo, I wasn't satisfied with the shape of the lower leg and calf muscle, so I removed the strapping and made the necessary adjustments. I also fine-tuned the thighs to get the right amount of definition to convey the rugged power of the figure in the painting.

I usually sculpt the hands separately, so you can see how I cut off one of the hands with the intention to reattach it later, after fully sculpting it.

As you can see in the photo, we were still experimenting with the look of the horse's tail in the sculpture. At this point, it is flipping upwards, although in the painting it doesn't show. The important consideration to Frank was that the look chosen was the one that worked best for the sculpture.

Next, we'll attack the finishing of the anatomy, the addition of helmet and other details. Stay tuned!

CSM

Conan the Conqueror Part 2: Building Mass

2008-07-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

This second installment of the Conan the Conqueror blog is very late(!), so let's get to it:

Last time we discussed the scale decisions and some background.

Next: How to attach the horse to the base? The horse is jumping and making it appear believable, but securely attached to the base, is technically an important part of the project. Frank and I discussed the misty, hazy quality of the area under the horse and felt that some swirling mist attached to the horse's underside would fit the purpose and would work visually, so that's what it will have.

A base of this kind will also work well for the bronze edition and will give strength and support, while allowing the horse to retain the feel of furiously hurtling through the air. At least that's the idea. The folks at Conan Properties agreed and so we were off to the horseraces.

First, I laid in the sculpting material and blocked in the horse. ("Blocking in" is quickly adding a lot of material to get the basic shape.) I added some detail in the musculature with the idea of meeting with Frank to determine if I was making the horse the right size and with the right build for the statue. The horse's angle doesn't show much of its body, so I referred to Frank's other paintings and pen and inks, especially the beautiful Kubla Khan works.

Next, I added the figure of Conan, but only roughed in for torso, upper arm and thigh size. The forearms would be blocked in later as they can get in the way. Arms can be roughed for blocking in purposes, but can then be removed to work the sides of the figure. In this case, I wanted to set the size of the figure in relation to the horse and have the basics in place for the meeting with Frank. Normally, I would sculpt all the figure and then add any clothing, belts, etc, but in this case the "girdle" (a wide belt used for attaching weapons and accoutrements as well as affording some protection) was so large and matched the natural cylinder of his torso so well that it made sculpting the abdominal area superfluous.

This part of the sculpting process is done fairly quickly. For me, it's best to lay the material in quickly and see how it looks. The adjusting and refining process will take days and days, but this part is more spontaneous and intuitive. Very quick. Most of the material is applied and manipulated by hand although I also use a broad, but fairly small wood sculpting spatula that is like a butter knife in shape.

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In the next photos you'll see the lower legs have been added. I added the straps to the legs as well in order to talk about clothing details with Frank. The idea on a project like this is to anticipate how far to take the piece to get the most out of the visit with Frank to save his time and to give me the most information to go on to get the piece correct to expectations. It's also important to anticipate the mold making process and how the factory in China will best be able to produce and paint each retail statue. These would include sculpting with an eye toward lessening undercuts, assessing the danger of elements that can break in production and shipping, and how the figure will be cast and assembled both by our mold maker in the US and by the factory in China.

You'll see in the back and the legs that I'm beginning to hone in on the look. There is more detail in the back and I'm beginning to refine it. The legs have detail in the thighs and the muscular shapes are fairly well established. At any time, however, a piece may require changes and modifications which can mean changing something that seemed correct when first sculpted. This is part of the process for me. A piece can be close to correct, but just off the mark and this isn't evident until it is close to complete and is revisited later. I usually work and rework a male figure's back because it is such a difficult and complicated area. It helped that Frank painted Conan's back in the Conan the Usurper painting, and I had that as reference for building the muscle mass and the look as best I could. Plus, I'd be able to discuss the piece with Frank as well.

At the point seen here, I've used a variety of tools such as large and small loops for smoothing and joining the muscle anatomy and knife-like tools for shaping musculature and for adding and taking away material.

I use a file of photo reference in my work and have built up an extensive reference library over the years. I advise sculptors that ask about it to work using photos of athletic people(bodybuilders, fighters, boxers, figure models, etc.) and adjusting them according to the needs of the figure.

Studying anatomy and the human form to gain a basic understanding of bones, muscles and the tendons and ligaments that join them is also very important.

Hiring and working from photos of a model is a very good idea and for this piece I shot photos of a model to use on problem areas. There is nothing more helpful on difficult areas like the elbows, the back, the wrists and the deltoid/ chest and deltoid/upper arm tie-ins than having photos of a person in exactly that pose.

In the next installment we'll see the piece as it looked in the first discussion with Frank. I promise the wait won't be long and we'll try to stay to the two week schedule from now on!

Clay

Conan the Conqueror Part 1: Introduction

2008-05-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first installment of the Conan the Conqueror blog, which will chronicle the sculpting stages of the Conan the Conqueror Statue, a 3-D representation of the magnificent painting by the incomparable Frank Frazetta. I had worked with Mr. Frazetta (Frank) on two previous occasions and both were terrific experiences for me as a fan of Frank's work and as an artist. There's no question that I benefited and improved as a sculptor by the experiences, and not surprisingly, that has been true of this association. Frank's input and modifications have been invaluable and I hope that the result will be a representation that fans and collectors will find do the piece justice.

I mentioned in the Kull of Atlantis blog that Mr. Fredrik Malmberg, President of Paradox Entertainment (which owns Conan Properties) and I had met to discuss a continuation of the series of sculptures based on Frank's paintings of Robert E. Howard's most famous creation, Conan the Barbarian, painted for Lancer Books in the late 1960s. As noted, I had worked with Frank on a sculpture of his stunning painting of Conan executed for the cover of Conan the Adventurer (Lancer Books, New York, 1966) and had a fantastic experience. Working with Frank Frazetta again was not a hard decision to make and it was an honor to have the opportunity.

The painting, also called the Berserker, was completed in 1967 for the cover of Lancer Books' Conan the Conqueror and is known by either name. You can see from the painting that this is clearly an outstanding example of the skill and vision of a master of the medium and the Grand Master of the genre. This would be a 3-dimensional challenge more difficult than any I had undertaken before, and I would have a legion of collectors and fans of Frank's work to answer to if I failed.

There would be many important decisions to make in choosing exactly what to sculpt and why. This piece would be produced in cold cast porcelain, a resin mixed with porcelain powder. Decisions would have to be reached concerning the size of the piece, how many figures to include, how to attach the horse to the base, mold making considerations, factory production, etc. All of these decisions would determine the success of the project and had to be carefully considered.

First of all, we (Frank, the folks at Conan Properties and I) had to decide how big to make this piece. What would the scale be? I felt that it was an opportunity to sculpt something that would be a centerpiece for, and the pride of, any collection. That's the aim of any piece, really, and it brings out one's best efforts, in my opinion.

Consequently, I felt it was necessary to have Conan the same scale as he is in the Conan the Barbarian I had sculpted some years before. One, as explained above, I wanted the piece to have impact and two, Frank and I agreed with Conan Properties (CP) that this piece begins and ends with Conan on that amazing horse. Everything else is secondary. That's obvious, but it's important in determining that for a sculpture of this painting, Conan on the horse is all you need to make this piece as effective as it can be. And as the first decision made about this piece, I felt that it must be in a scale that is visually impressive to do the painting any justice at all.

All other decisions flow from that one. Thus, if Conan is about 12 inches tall, then the horse is very large; about 18 inches from nose to tail. A larger scale means a higher cost to produce, thus a higher retail price and a larger collectors box, higher shipping charges, etc. Adding the demon warriors would add hundreds of dollars to the retail price (literally) and would add to the fragility of the piece. The size, already huge, would require a reduction in scale that we were not willing to make because a three foot (or larger!) collectors box was simply not practical. Or, I would have to sculpt Conan the size of an eight inch action figure on a toy horse. Not bloody likely!

We all agreed that the surrounding figures are important to the painting, but not so important to the sculpture. We wanted this piece to be as accessible to as many collectors as possible at a price that would be as affordable as we could reasonably make it, and in a scale that would give the most "bang for the buck."

THE ARMATURE

So we'll begin with the armature photos. There are only two shown here, but it's the first big step and is crucial to the process, just as our skeletons are so important in our own structure.

I built the armature from metal pipe as the main support and used aluminum foil as a filler wrapped with aluminum armature wire. The piece will be sculpted in Super Sculpey, a synthetic clay. The figures will be roughed in, both man and horse, then Conan will be sculpted first, followed by the sculpting of the horse.

As you see in the photos, the armature of Conan is not part of the horse armature. Conan will have a simple armature which will be supported by the horse. This allows Conan to be completed and removed, and then a casting of the figure can be fitted to and removed from the horse as the horse is sculpted. The horse armature shows all four legs attached to the wood platform below.

We'll update you on the statue's sculpting process every two weeks. We're a bit late starting the blog and we'll try to debut new installments every other Sunday. I hope you'll stay with us as we develop this complicated sculpture, and I promise next time we'll actually show some sculpting material on the armature!

Until next time-
CSM

Kull Part 9: The Base

2007-02-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

You've seen the thumbnail base I contrived in the original design for this sculpture. The base is a close approximation of that idea with an adjustment or two.

Before we begin, I’ve been asked to add a bit about what material this is sculpted in and what kinds of tools I use. Those who aren’t interested in a more technical discussion might want to skip down. I use Super Sculpey, a synthetic clay that can be found at most craft stores such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and some local hobby shops. It comes in one pound boxes and I mix it with one small brick of a material called Sculpey III, which is colored in different hues. Super Sculpey is a flesh toned material and I feel mixing it with the colored material gives me the ability to see the surface I’m working on and the detail better. I have used wax, but wax or synthetic wax-like materials require heat and flame to work in. Super Sculpey can be baked and hardened and then added to and is quite strong and permanent when baked properly. Some artists feel that they cannot get the detail they want out of Super Sculpey, but I haven’t noticed that it limits my work in that way. I use wire loop tools, wood shaped tools and modified dental tools in my work. I’ve also made some of my loop tools from piano wire inserted into brass rod.

And now back to Kull:

As we’ve discussed, this base is symbolic of the future life of Kull as he begins his life as a soldier, general, then finally king of Valusia.

The title of this piece is “Kull of Atlantis” and the title plate was originally going to be a scroll. I’ve altered it to be a carved stone nameplate and I’ll add some cracks incised into the plate.

The battle shield represents his participating in and winning numerous battles in the coming years. Kull leads a violent life and the base would reflect that. The shield design would be a heavy wood covered with leather and strengthened with bands of brass and brass studs. At this time, the full paint scheme has not been worked out. Depending on the look of the figure, we may choose to make the fittings in iron or a combination of both.

I chose a sun device for the shield as the sun was often a symbol of kings and represented eternal power and life, among other things.

The axe is intended to represent the double bladed war axe Kull uses to defend himself in the story “By This Axe I Rule” in which he successfully defeats a roomful of assassins who attempt to catch him unaware and unarmed. It is also important as the moment at which Kull consolidates his power and finally establishes his position as king once and for all of Valusia.

The helmet on the base is also representative of his future as a war leader, but it also specifically represents him as King. The crown is described in the story as being a thin circlet of red gold adorned with great opals, which seems a simple design and so I sculpted it as it was described. However, this is a section of crown attached to his helmet permanently and is not the crown he wears at court.

I hope you find the design of the helmet interesting, regal and appropriate to the character.

The base has been approved by the good people at Paradox, so next we’ll move on to the paint stage. The figure has been molded, but not the base. It will take two to three weeks to get the base molded, and get resin castings made. The paint scheme will take roughly the same amount of time. I hope you’ll check back to see the final look. We’ll make sure it’s worth the wait!

Thanks for reading-
Clay

Kull Blog Update

2007-02-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to update you on the Kull blog, since I was planning to post photos of the base this week. I just wrapped up the sculpting of the base, and will post photos as soon as it's approved. Thanks for your patience!

Clay

Kull Blog Returns Next Week

2007-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Due to a serious case of SuperBowl fever, the Kull blog will return next week. Thank you for your understanding, and we hope you'll check back next week to read about Kull's base design.

Kull Part 8: Kull's Weapons

2007-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

In this episode of the Kull Blog we’ll talk about the development of the weapons Kull carries and we’ll take a look at the completed figure.

I very much enjoyed designing and sculpting these elements. It was important that each was well detailed, but not over the top in the fantasy aspect. I used historical reference to design the weapons and specifically avoided looking at other artists’ takes on the barbarian theme once I had started the sculpture. I knew those influences would come out, anyway, as they’re so ingrained from years of seeing and enjoying the incredible art that has been done over the years in the comics and fantasy genres. The most recent work that I think is indicative of the best on the subject are the terrific paintings and illustrations done by Mark Schultz and Gary Gianni published in recent years by Wandering Star. However, the work of masters like Frank Frazetta, John Buscema and Roy G. Krenkel are and always will be huge influences in my work.

The first weapon I sculpted was the axe. As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, it was decided that Kull would carry an axe, but not THE axe he used in the famous story “By This Axe I Rule” because this sculpture represents Kull before that story happens. I gave him a two handed axe that wasn’t so large as to look like it was too large for him to carry it in his travels. I gave it some leather strapping and a nicked head, as if it may have recently seen some use. I wanted it to have an interesting head, but not looking like something out of a video game or cartoon that would be too huge and massive for anyone to carry around with them, much less use on the battlefield.

The sword is carried in a wood scabbard with brass stud work and brass support bands. These are common elements found historically and made sense to me so I put them in the design. The hilt and cross guard are influenced by Viking and Medieval designs, but with a more individual look to them that would also appear functional. Kull attaches the sword to a shoulder belt or baldric with a ring and a bit of chain, although this belt is not attached to either of his waist belts.

For the dagger, I had always intended a bit of a tribute to Frank Frazetta. A few years ago I had sculpted a statue of Conan from his superb Conan the Adventurer painting and I had always liked the falcon head on the curved dagger he had painted. I sculpted a falcon head for this dagger, but then decided it might be interesting to make the handle of the dagger a stylized falcon body, so I did that. The scabbard for the dagger has a more decorative motif I made up as I went and just added to it until I decided it looked about right. I wanted it to appear to be an expensive dagger he had won in battle, while the axe was intended to look simple and businesslike. It seemed their close placement on the figure would make an interesting contrast.

As a final detail, I sculpted a small pouch at his belt. I had considered a larger pouch or two, but when they were roughed in they appeared overly obtrusive for the look and flow of the piece. We’ll use our artistic license a bit here and assume he has left some of his gear back in camp, but has kept his coin pouch near at hand.

So here you see the fully realized, fully armed figure of Kull of Atlantis. The final element is the base, which will follow fairly closely the original thumbnail design shown at the beginning of this blog, so there will be some interesting sculpted details there. I hope you’ll find them interesting, at least, and that you’ll check back in a week or two for the last chapter in this sculpting story.

Clay

Kull blog returns next week

2007-01-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Making of Kull blog will resume on January 28 with a look at Kull's weapons.

Kull Part 7: Kull’s Features and Hair

2007-01-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

As the title suggests, we’ve now reached a very important stage in the sculpting of any piece. Some sculptors will create the face and head first and I have done that myself at times. Usually, though, I sculpt the face late in the process and sometimes at the very end. When the features are added, it can sometimes lead to seeing the sculpture differently and I may make some changes. I like that in that it is a step that makes me see the piece with “new” eyes and that can be beneficial to the overall look of the sculpture.

With Kull, the beginning of how I wanted to sculpt the face was in the source material. He is described several times as having narrow, gray eyes and is also described as having “hawk-like” features. In my conversations with Paradox, it was agreed that this meant a fairly strong nose and a prominent bridge, but we agreed that he should not look too sharp-featured as the face would not be congruent with the body. His eyes are fairly narrow, but not too narrow. He is intended to have a look that is particular to him and that conveys an air of nobility and strength.

In the stories, it was noted that Kull had had a “lion-like mane of hair” and that as king he currently wears it straight-cut and shoulder length. Since this sculpture shows Kull before he accedes to the throne, I gave him long hair.

So here is the complete Kull figure with complete costume. All that remains are the weapons and the base.

If you’d like to let us know how we’re doing or if you just have any questions, please write me at service@csmoorestudio.com.

Thanks very much for reading and we’ll see you next week.

Clay

Kull Part 6: Final Costuming Details

2007-01-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 6^th installment of the Sculpting of Kull blog. Today we’re going to look at the final costuming details and the reasoning behind the look. We’ve discussed that Kull isn’t an ostentatious sort of warrior in either his demeanor or in his approach to his gear. However, he is from Atlantis and I felt he might want to reflect that is some of his gear. It would also make sense as this is a symbolic sculpture of this warrior who eventually becomes King of Valusia.

I haven’t often shown my work publicly while it is in progress and there are a lot of reasons for that regarding license approval and too much input, etc. But I do sometimes discuss a piece with fellow artists that know my work well and whose opinions I greatly respect. Mark Schultz is one of the best in the field and has solved many of the same questions in his superb Conan illustration work that I have come across in my sculptural work on this piece. Manuel Carrasco is a terrifically talented character designer and illustrator in the gaming and animation business and both of these gentlemen attended the Robert E. Howard (REH) celebration and so were part of many of the discussions about REH, including this sculpture and the “big belt.”

In a subsequent conversation, Manny (Manuel) made the observation that the belt looked good as a large, blank area and suggested it be sculpted as sharkskin. That made good sense to me since I wanted elements that were reminiscent of the maritime island from which Kull first came. The look worked for me and I hope you agree that it does, but at the same time I thought something was lacking. I felt that an element that was powerful and evocative of his roots, but was not overly decorative was in order.

At this point I drew up the octopus or “Kraken” brass attachment for his belt in a dull gold color which would contrast with the dark gray of the belt. I felt that the design worked well and was properly reminiscent of an island people.

I had also felt that Kull might have come across an alligator or two in his travels along the coast of his land or those he reached when he left his unenviable position as a galley slave. I thought that a section of alligator skin would make a good addition to the more common sections of armor and furs most barbarians tend to sport. It seemed that a large section of reptile skin would make serviceable armor and would also be fairly flexible. I sometimes over think these things, but there you have it.

As a final touch, I decided to change my approach to his “greaves” or shin guards. I had always planned to sculpt greaves as a functional bit of armor Kull had taken off a vanquished foe. I had sculpted knee guards, which show in earlier photos. I had made them simple and practical, but the fact is that they were an unnecessary and pointless element. At any rate, I just didn’t like them. I decided that armor that only covered the shins made more sense and since he had taken them off someone who didn’t need them anymore, they may have been fairly decorative (suiting the taste of the previous owner) so I gave them some flourishes.

At all times, Paradox was very agreeable and supportive of the design decisions made throughout the course of the costume sculpting.

I think that covers the main figure and these photos show the Kull figure lacking only hair/face, weapons and base except for some minor detailing not shown on his more narrow belt. Next week we’ll look at the approach to the hair and face portrait.

Thanks for reading,
Clay

Kull Part 5: The Middle Phases II

2006-12-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the fifth installment of the “Sculpting of Kull” blog. We’re now in the second part of what I call the Mid Phases wherein there is quite a bit of finishing and smoothing along with minor and sometimes major adjustments to the sculpture.

In my work, a sculpture can change quite a bit especially if some time is spent away from the piece. When I return to it, I can look at it with a fresh eye and come to the decision that some changes need to be made. This is usually in the anatomy of the sculpture since the costume is established already by the look found in the source material (such as a comic book). In this case, though, I was originating the costume for Kull and wasn’t just copying a costume already in existence. I found that I wasn’t satisfied with the look of his right forearm armor. I had sculpted in the veins, and the arm was finished, but the armor just didn’t look as it should. I still felt that he would have some sort of armor since that was his fighting arm, but the armor was just a bit “off.” I reworked it and came up with the look you see here.

I then decided that I wasn’t happy with a simple strapping on his left arm. I thought that he might have something to anchor and support his wrist and he might have some metal armor attachments for a measure of protection.

One thing I noticed in reading the short stories of Kull was that he was often described as not ostentatious or showy in his clothing or gear. It seemed to me that it would then follow that Kull would generally kept his gear fairly simple and functional. This didn’t mean that Kull wouldn’t have some detailed gear, though, and he also might pick up something functional that could also be decorated as well, from a fallen foe. That might especially be true at this point in his life, when he didn’t necessarily have much in the way of disposable income and might have picked up what he could off the field of battle or in a scrape with some other unfortunate thief or warrior who chose to take him on.

The above must also be tempered with the fact that this is an art piece and there must be a certain amount of artistic license. The piece should be interesting, after all, and my focus was to make the sculpture interesting to me, to Paradox, to Robert E. Howard fans and to sculpture collectors.

With these factors in mind, I came up with the look you see for his left arm. I also finished out the anatomy including the veins, as you can see.

Next time, we’ll discuss more ideas for the costume such as greaves and just what it might mean to be from “Atlantis.”

Thanks for reading.

Clay

Happy Holidays

2006-12-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Kull blog will resume on Sunday, December 31. Happy holidays!

Kull Part 4: The Middle Phases

2006-12-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

And now we arrive at the next level of the sculpture-the middle phases, which take the most time. The figure has been roughed in and the licensor (Paradox) has approved the general look and body masses.

Before we go into that, something interesting came up in my talks with the folks at Paradox. They mentioned that they’d like me to sculpt Kull carrying an axe, rather than a sword as he’s shown in the finished rough you saw in the Week Two installment. This was a decision that made good sense although it required some further discussion. This sculpture shows Kull before he is king and so it takes place before he takes the ancient battleaxe off the wall in “By This Axe I Rule.” I had designed that axe in the base because the base is intended to reflect Kull’s future and that axe plays a major role in his future when he defends himself with the axe from the group of assassins. However, Kull is still closely associated with an axe and this is, after all, a more symbolic representation of Kull. It is that axe that helps in separating Kull from other characters and is an important icon in the Kull legend.

I agreed with the rationale, but have made him carrying AN axe, not THE axe. The axe of the story “By This Axe I Rule” would be sculpted on the base of the statue. I suggested that Kull carry a sword over his shoulder as an interesting look that would add to the particular look of the piece and Paradox liked the approach. We all agreed that a sword was essential as he carries a sword specifically in several of the short stories.

We had that exchange at this point as Paradox could see the piece coming together visually although neither axe would be sculpted until later.

What you will now see are two phases in the long “middle times” of sculpting when the piece requires a lot of time to finish out the musculature and establish a costume look.

These middle phases take the most time because hours are spent properly “honing in” the piece and bringing the figure to the proper level of completion. If a piece is going to be fully painted, as this one is, then the figure must have a fairly smooth, finished out look or the paint may look incongruous with the texture of the figure. If this sculpture were solely intended to be cast as an edition in bronze, I would probably sculpt it with more texture, somewhat as you see the skin in the early stages.

This is also the time when costume detail work begins in earnest and that can take quite a while.

In this next set you will see some important elements have been added to Kull’s garment. I thought that Kull might have a section of armor for the front of his abdomen area and I wanted a layered look to his clothing that would have a striking effect in the sculpture. I also then decided to add some chain mail and to finish out the leather strip sections with the brass fittings. For this section of chain mail, I did a simple 4-1 ring pattern, meaning each single ring has four other rings attached to that ring. I found this type of metal ring armor pattern is typically attributed to Japanese chain mail. I was thinking of sculpting the chain mail, but then decided to test a look using small rings I furnished out of lengths of wire. It had a look that I felt worked well for the piece and Paradox was happy with the result.

I also wanted Kull to have sections of fur that would be indicative of his barbarian roots and that would add more to the layered effect of his gear/ clothing. I gave him an armored forearm piece for his right, weapon holding, hand and a light leather wrapping for his left forearm. I hope you like the result so far. Next week we’ll look at some changes and talk more about chain mail.

Thanks for reading-

Clay

Kull Part 3: The Big Belt Controversy

2006-12-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks for taking a look at the Kull Blog and welcome to installment III.

I had worked out the basic look of the Kull sculpture and Paradox, the owners of the Robert E. Howard character rights, had approved the concept. We were good to go.

Next it was time to decide on the size of the sculpture. This is a critical question in licensing and various factors come into play on the decision. For example, sometimes we take on a project of a character that has a comic, but it is a specific independent book with a loyal, but limited core of readers. So for that reason, we may produce a piece that is smaller so that it will have a lower retail price so that we can market specifically to that readership. Often, comic readers do not necessarily translate into statue buyers and if a piece has a very specific appeal, the price point becomes a major factor and that affects the size the piece can be and still be within a certain price range. There may also be a projected series of sculptures from that comic title and we may want all of the characters to be in an affordable price range so people can more comfortably collect them all.

Still, my preferred sculpting scale is one-sixth scale, which means a 6-foot tall man would be 12 inches tall in this scale. I have sculpted most of my recent sculptures in that size range. The women are roughly eleven inches tall, which corresponds to a one-sixth scale size.

My intent from the beginning was to sculpt Kull in that scale and Paradox agreed. This is a terrific barbarian character by Robert E. Howard himself and I was going to design the look. Just me and Paradox in the trenches hashin’ it out. The stuff of legends....I wanted the piece in a scale that would showcase the look and design so it made sense to keep it in that one-sixth scale. Kull is, in my estimation, well over six feet tall, so the sculpture is a good thirteen and a half inches tall, not including the base, which will add another two to three inches, at least. That is a good size that keeps it in the scale of my main line of figures, will make a good impression in both fully painted cold-cast porcelain and bronze and that will keep the retail price in a manageable range.

Now to begin the full sculpture: I began with the armature in aluminum wire. This wire frame fulfills the same function as a skeleton does—it supports the soft outer material. I keep the armature as simple as possible. I then applied the sculpting material—in this case Super Sculpey, which can be found at most hobby stores. It comes boxed in a fleshy pink color so I mix it with a material called Sculpey III, which comes in various colors. I can see the play of light on the form more easily this way and so can the licensor, for approval purposes.

As I applied the basic rough form, I came to a decision about the Big Belt. I had gone to Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas, which was the tiny Texas town where REH lived during most of his writing career. It’s a classic Texas small town: beautiful and charming and well worth the trip in June. One can visit the home where REH wrote many of his most famous stories. I even got my hair cut at the local barber, who also turned out to be the mayor of Cross Plains. Robert E. Howard Days is a celebration of the works of REH, where scholars, artists and fans meet to talk, debate, and generally enjoy the works of this remarkable author. There was even an excellent 20’s/30’s style radio program acted out on stage about Sailor Steve Costigan, one of REH’s other wonderful characters. 2006 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Robert E. Howard so it was a bit of a milestone.

By the way, there’s an excellent film about Robert E. Howard called The Whole Wide World with Vincent D’Onofrio and Renee Zellweger that anyone would enjoy, whether you’re familiar with REH’s writing or not.

While in Cross Plains I got into some interesting discussions about the characters of Conan and Kull and the “Big Belt” debate as an issue with which every artist must come to grips. Why, what do you mean, you ask? Whether painted, drawn or even acted out-do you, as an artist, give the barbarian the Big Belt? I was asked “Are you going to give him the Big Belt?” usually with a cocked eyebrow and got into more than one lively discussion on the subject. By the end, I was ready to give more than one attendee “The Big Belt”.

The most famous artist to illustrate the Big Belt was without doubt Frank Frazetta and he did it in unparalleled style. Interestingly, he gave Conan two normal belts in the Conan the Adventurer painting Coincidence? Anyway, he did generally give Conan a large, broad belt of some kind. Many, many artists have used that specific bit of vesture and have given it their own special look. Schultz, Buscema, Gianni and Bisley have done it well and so have many others, but all artists at some point have to make the choice. Roy Krenkel usually did not draw in large belts but he did on the King Kull painting. Seems like a menial conversation, but some people frown on it and consider the Big Belt something of a cop out, as if the artist couldn’t figure out anything else to solve the costume look. Well, I’m not one of them says I. Most artists come to the same conclusion I did. Warriors of many ancient peoples, “barbarian” and “civilized” wore a large belt to hold all the weapons, pouches, and such that they needed as they navigated their lives. Soldiers today have large belts and so do police officers. In researching Kull, there is some good description, but it is not all that specific. I found that Kull is right handed and that he has gray eyes and black hair. There are other, less specific references to his physical appearance, but at one point, in one story, he is described as wearing a “girdle.” Now to a warrior a girdle isn’t the same as our grandmothers might have worn, although J. Edgar Hoover might be described as a warrior and he wore a girdle, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. It’s a broad belt of some kind used to hold gear and weapons and to protect the mid section. Controversy ended. My Kull would have a Big Belt. Here are photos of the initial stages showing the armature with part of the sculpting and then the photos after I blocked in the basic muscle mass.

Next week we’ll answer the question on all of our minds in these trying times: Axe or sword?

Kull Part 2: Narrowing the Look Down

2006-12-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the second installment of the Kull of Atlantis sculpture blog. Last time we discussed how the sculpture came about and ended with the very basic thumbnail sculpture ideas I submitted to Paradox.

We discussed the various looks with Paradox and eliminated one of the pose ideas. We narrowed it down to 2 looks: the more regal and relaxed pose and one of the more active, arm raised “victorious” poses. I’ll say at this point that while I liked them both and felt that either would work, I did feel that the pose of Kull simply standing worked for me the best. While Kull has been known to yell out “I am Kull!” at times, he is generally described as stoic of mien and even introspective at times. I felt that a more relaxed pose that reflected this and the innate confidence and character of the man beneath the barbaric veneer was the approach I wanted for the piece.

The next step was to sculpt another set of thumbnails, but this round would be more detailed in costume and anatomy to give the good folks at Paradox more information to make their decision. The two thumbnails are only 7 inches tall or so, which is a size that allows me to reflect the effectiveness of the pose without it taking too long to execute.

As I re-examined the written material, I realized that Kull had been an outlaw adventurer and gladiator after arriving in Valusia and had been a galley slave before that. I felt that just sculpting him in a galley slave loincloth wouldn’t be interesting to me and would be even less so to Paradox and Kull fans. So this was going to be a Kull before he is king during his days before becoming a general in the Valusian army.

Kull is described by Robert E. Howard (REH) as having more of a “pantherish” physique. He is described as tall and lean with broad shoulders and a tigerish look. He’s described in feline terms several times throughout the stories. I see him narrower of torso than Conan and possibly taller, though both are huge, powerful men.

Kull has been done in artwork very well by a number of artists, but I always felt that Roy Krenkel captured Kull the best on the cover of King Kull by Lancer Publications. It always seemed to me that Roy Krenkel, who is one of my favorite artists, must have read the stories carefully because he gave Kull that tall, but lean, look with broad shoulders and a narrow face. Roy Krenkel’s work is wonderful and there are at least a couple of excellent books on his work that are worth finding for any fan of fantasy, illustration or art in general.

Well, I wanted to reflect that panther-like build in the Kull sculpture, so I needed to convey that in the next set of roughs for Paradox to approve.

I saw the costume as not strictly barbarian, but showing some armor elements, also. I removed the shield from his arm and put it on the base. For these poses, it seemed a bit distracting on his arm. He is described as wearing a girdle or a broad belt and this is a common clothing element found in our true history, as well. I wanted the piece to represent Kull in garb that reflected his adventures up to that point and a base that reflected his future as King of Valusia.

In the simpler, standing pose, he has just topped a mountain and Valusia and his future are spread before him. The base is symbolic of his future: kingly helmet with crown element attached, war shield, demonic skull, etc. A magical/mystic element or two is essential to the effect; possibly a serpent head of some kind would be appropriate. I also added an axe because of the importance of the story “By This Axe I Rule”, which is generally accepted as the most famous of the Kull stories.

The title plaque will be a scroll that will read: “Kull of Atlantis.” I have only occasionally titled pieces, but in this case it seemed appropriate.

I sculpted the one symbolic base thumbnail, but only the rocks for the second, although the plan was to have the symbolic base for whichever look was decided on.

I approached the costumes in both poses similarly. He is in the gear of a warrior: broad belt, some armor elements, layered leather armor strips, dagger and sword. My take on his costume was to sculpt an outfit that is reflective of the REH material using historical reference for the construction details such as clasps, buckles, hooks, etc. I also would have to be influenced by years of study of all the great fantasy artists whose work has thrilled and amazed me since I was a small boy, but we’ll talk more about that when we get into the costume detail on the full sized piece.

REH describes an epoch before ours, but clearly developed in places to a medieval level. It is also true that fighting men have always had customized gear in their outfits that were personal to them unless they were required to wear a particular uniform. Celtic warriors and Vikings wore highly personalized costumes, for example. Kull might have some armor as part of his gear, but also continued (in his adventurous days) to wear some fur pieces and some decoration as part of his kit that would remind him of his roots. I felt that some fur elements would add a layered look that would add to the effectiveness of the piece visually and would have been practical for his garment.

In the thumbnails, I gave him long hair because in the stories it is mentioned that as a king he wears his hair shorter, and no longer with the lion-like mane he used to wear. It works better for the look and flow of the piece, as well, so from a sculpture standpoint I was glad to have the rationale to give him longer hair.

The second pose is a more obvious look representing strength, victory, unassailable spirit and indomitable will. It is a more symbolic piece than pose one and after discussing the matter, Paradox decided that the first pose was more appropriate to the character and stories of Kull. I was pleased with the decision because, as I mentioned above, that was the pose I preferred for this piece.

I had described my reasoning in the costume decisions and Paradox agreed with some input that was helpful and insightful.

Next week I’ll show the beginnings of the full size sculpture and we’ll discuss the “Big Belt” controversy.

Until then-
Clay

Kull Part 1: The Sculpting of Kull

2006-11-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the “Sculpting of Kull” blog. I’m not sure it’s a true blog as I’m not sure what a blog truly is, but the idea here is to give some insight into the sculpting process of a statue including the licensing aspect, design problems, creative decisions and basically all the details that I hope readers will find interesting about the making of a resin statue.

By the way, resin and cold cast porcelain are the same thing in that a cold cast porcelain is polyester resin mixed liberally with porcelain in powder form. It gives the resin piece the feel of porcelain, but generally allows more detail. Also, for coloration, true porcelains are usually glazed and fired and cold cast porcelain is painted with standard paints.

The Kull piece is fairly far along, but we’ll start with the process from the beginning:

How did this Kull piece come about? Kull is the creation of Robert E. Howard, who also wrote the Conan the Barbarian stories, most of which were completed in the 1920’s. He wrote the Kull stories first, then took what he liked about Kull and incorporated those elements into a new character he created named Conan.

I had been in discussions with Paradox Entertainment, the license holders of the properties of Robert E. Howard (REH). We had been discussing a continuation of the series of sculptures of Conan as painted by the great Frank Frazetta. It would be a three-way license, which would take some time. We began discussing other REH characters and decided that a sculpture of the second most popular REH character might be a good project to do together. We determined that this was either Solomon Kane or Kull the Conqueror, aka Kull the King, aka Kull of Atlantis.

We decided on Kull for a number of reasons. I think that Solomon Kane is a terrific character with a great look, but I liked the idea of sculpting a barbarian. The deciding factor, though, was that Fred Malmberg at Paradox was very gracious in agreeing that the statue would be of my design in costume, physical appearance and facial features, pending their approval and input. This was a rare opportunity in this business to design a sculpture based solely on the written information and descriptions in the literature. There’s actually not that much information/description, which meant that there would be a lot of freedom of interpretation. This was a very exciting prospect for a sculptor like myself.

The first step was pose design. I did several quick (and very rough) thumbnails just to show the poses I had in mind. I had my favorite one or two, but all would work well. I generally approached the pose symbolically, meaning I felt the pose should represent Kull as a heroic character more than an illustration in 3D of a particular scene of Kull doing something specific. I knew one thing: I did not want to present Kull as a king as I felt that had been done enough and it had been done as a sculpture. Kull is described as a wanderer, an adventurer and a gladiator before he became a soldier, then general in the Valusian army. I wanted to sculpt him BEFORE he wandered into Valusia as Kull of Atlantis rather than Kull the King. Here are those pose ideas.

Thanks for reading. I hope you’ve found it interesting. Next time we’ll talk about narrowing the look down in an installment we’ve titled:

“Narrowing the Look Down!”

‘Til then-

Clay