RESEARCH--the means by which an invaluable intimacy with the subject of the work is cultivated, nurtured, and finally established--is the linchpin of virtually any artistic endeavor. This sweeping statement is hardly news to those who know me, since it has been my credo since I took my first tentative steps in historical modelling/art.
But what of non-historical modelling? [NB: by way of contrast, ahistorical modelling is that to which we have been unmercifully subjected for nearly the last decade!] Does research play a rôle in these supposedly free-flights of fancy? The answer is a resounding, "YES!" In fact, I would assuredly posit that our non-historical colleagues execute their investigative due-diligence much more assiduously--and consistently!--than we have in the last 20 years!
And why might that be? Why is it that painters and modellers--to say nothing of patrons!--of the fantastic naturally, rigorously, and seemingly effortlessly clave to the "rules" of their worlds and their inhabitants; and are incisively and vociferously critical of perceived shortcomings? I could ramble on until the vast majority of you would be bored to tears; but in a word I would say: PASSION.
But whether or not the historical figure industry's passion is at low ebb, or why, is not the purpose of this posting. Rather it is to provide the core cinematographic references being consulted in the two featured works to-date:
Curtis, James. James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters. Minneapolis: U. of Minn. Press, 2003.
Lanchester, Elsa. Elsa Lanchester, Herself. NY: St. Martin's Press, 1983.
Milano, Roy. Monsters: A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios. NY: Del Rey, 2006.
And of course, the movies themselves. As a final note, an extensive list of references, printed and on-line, have been and will continue to be consulted for the setting and groundwork of "The Mummy" pieces.
Showing posts with label Bride of Frankenstein (Bust). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bride of Frankenstein (Bust). Show all posts
14 March 2009
11 March 2009
GEOmetric's 1/4 "The Bride of Frankenstein" bust--INTRO
This project is more in line with what most of my readers are used to seeing me tackle; hence, I am taking it slow and easy, picking it up every third day or so. . .
The piece is GEOmetric Designs' 1/4 scale bust of Elsa Lanchester as "The Bride of Frankenstein", sculpted by Jeff Yagher. Mr. Yagher is one of the best known GK sculptors in the biz, and not without good reason. Unfortunately, I do not feel that this is one of his better works, though the casting was certainly nowhere near the quality of that of "The Mummy".
My sample of this kit is also one of the original castings; however, whereas "The Mummy" was an AAA+++ casting, I would be hard pressed to give "The Bride" a C+. It reminded me of the casting quality of the bust of "Nosferatu" I did over a decade ago; on the plus side, this was a "clean" casting.
Work began on this piece the day after the Atlanta Show. Clean-up will be extensive, but the major shortcomings have already been addressed: a severe step on the back of the neck; and restoring the texture on the bottom edge of the gown. The masterfully sculpted hair (including the accurately offset temporal "blazes") will have to be examined carefully (air holes and voids) prior to priming.
Now for the fun part. . . The face will require considerable restorative efforts to get it "right".
[You may click on each thumbnail individually]
The images are fairly self-explanatory to this point. The restorative work, still very much in its early stages, can be readily seen as the grey-green MS. The "scenic base" has been extensively modified (read: reduced; see below): additional work will be forthcoming.
As I knew this piece would hit my bench this year, the weeks leading up to Atlanta were spent compiling an extensive "folder" of shots of Ms. Lanchester in--and out(!)--of make-up. This makes the work so much easier--and hopefully the end-product that much better.
As with "The Mummy", I took a chance on the aftermarket scenic base. In keeping with the underlying theme of this posting, this one doesn't work quite as well. This is really nobody's fault: a bust with a 180° orientation is very difficult to pose without creating a LOT of dead space! As you can see in the above image, most of the "reducing" has been already done (the base was "trimmed" at both ends). Those of you familiar with the base will immediately notice the elimi- nation of the molded nameplate. . . is ANYBODY not familiar with The Bride? And if they aren't, will the nameplate serve any purpose?? Now I have an approximately circular pedestal that will provided ample support and center the subject on its presentation base.
More to follow. . .
The piece is GEOmetric Designs' 1/4 scale bust of Elsa Lanchester as "The Bride of Frankenstein", sculpted by Jeff Yagher. Mr. Yagher is one of the best known GK sculptors in the biz, and not without good reason. Unfortunately, I do not feel that this is one of his better works, though the casting was certainly nowhere near the quality of that of "The Mummy".
My sample of this kit is also one of the original castings; however, whereas "The Mummy" was an AAA+++ casting, I would be hard pressed to give "The Bride" a C+. It reminded me of the casting quality of the bust of "Nosferatu" I did over a decade ago; on the plus side, this was a "clean" casting.
Work began on this piece the day after the Atlanta Show. Clean-up will be extensive, but the major shortcomings have already been addressed: a severe step on the back of the neck; and restoring the texture on the bottom edge of the gown. The masterfully sculpted hair (including the accurately offset temporal "blazes") will have to be examined carefully (air holes and voids) prior to priming.
Now for the fun part. . . The face will require considerable restorative efforts to get it "right".
[You may click on each thumbnail individually]
The images are fairly self-explanatory to this point. The restorative work, still very much in its early stages, can be readily seen as the grey-green MS. The "scenic base" has been extensively modified (read: reduced; see below): additional work will be forthcoming.
As I knew this piece would hit my bench this year, the weeks leading up to Atlanta were spent compiling an extensive "folder" of shots of Ms. Lanchester in--and out(!)--of make-up. This makes the work so much easier--and hopefully the end-product that much better.
As with "The Mummy", I took a chance on the aftermarket scenic base. In keeping with the underlying theme of this posting, this one doesn't work quite as well. This is really nobody's fault: a bust with a 180° orientation is very difficult to pose without creating a LOT of dead space! As you can see in the above image, most of the "reducing" has been already done (the base was "trimmed" at both ends). Those of you familiar with the base will immediately notice the elimi- nation of the molded nameplate. . . is ANYBODY not familiar with The Bride? And if they aren't, will the nameplate serve any purpose?? Now I have an approximately circular pedestal that will provided ample support and center the subject on its presentation base.
More to follow. . .
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