Sculpting
Sculpting is the fine art part of the process where the appearance of an actor or stunt performer change into the look of the character.
It is also a key step in the process of creating bodies or props, if that is what we are building for you.
Creating prosthetics is an additive process. We can create the illusion that we are taking part of the face away, but in order to make dramatic changes to a person’s face, we need to build on what is already there.
Good prosthetic sculptors are rare. It’s a very specific skill that takes many years of practice and a lifelong commitment to the art.
Unlike other types of sculpture where the sculpture itself is the finished art form, our sculptures are a means to an end.
Our artists have a strong vision of how their work integrates into the production as a whole. They consider:
physical elements of the actor
the spirit of the character
how the final makeup will move
The final product is distinct and personal. It will look like the actor would, if the actor were the character.
The Art of Prosthetic Sculpture
Each step in the process is a process in itself.
Sculpting is part of a larger creative process at StevieFX, generally consisting of:
See Tattoos to find out about the Creative Process for Tattoos.
Like most creative processes, this is not always linear. Some productions jump in at different phases of the process and there may be multiple iterations of any steps, if needed.
The Sculpting Process at StevieFX
Sculpting is a very exciting step, where the vision of the character literally takes shape. When sculpting, we:
1) Make a positive
After life casting is complete, the cast is filled with plaster to make a positive copy of the performer. Depending on the time and budget of the production, the cast may be remolded, the positive may move on to sculpting, or both of these things may happen at the same time.
The process can take anywhere from a few hours to hundreds of hours, depending on the difficulty and the level of detail required for the character.
2) Add and shape clay
We build on the positive copy with non-drying clay, using a sulphur-free variety to prevent chemical reactions with mold materials. If we are building a creature or monster head, we have the freedom add as much material as we need to capture the intended design.
When we create more realistic characters, we need to apply the material as sparingly as possible to avoid making the final prosthetic look too bulky.
Sculpting can take anywhere from a few hours to hundreds of hours, depending on the degree of difficulty and the level of detail required for the character.
3) Get Feedback
Once the sculpture has reached a point where it is ready to show, we take photographs and send them to you. You are welcome to give us all of the feedback you like. Clients typically tell us do things like “make the nose bigger” or “widen the forehead”.
4) Make changes
We incorporate the changes that you request and submit new photos for feedback. We go back and forth between steps 3 and 4 as many times as needed until you are completely satisfied with the sculpture.
5) Get Approval
Once you are happy with the sculpture and give your approval to move to the next phase of the process, we are committed. There is no way to make small design modifications. If we need to incorporate any changes after this point, we would need to start over, creating a brand-new sculpture from the life cast.
There is one exception to the rule of not being able to make changes once a sculpture is approved. That is when we are using the revolutionary Out of Kit system, designed by StevieFX founder Stevie Bettles.
Out of Kit uses a unique process for design and creation, which allows for much greater flexibility and speed. Whether your production will use the traditional process or Out of Kit depends on the specific effects that you want to achieve.