rburrus44 Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Have a potential order on the table for Father's day that I have begun to think about. It will be a skydiver in a few positions. The parachute will be easy enough but not sure how I want to do the person yet (~5" overall height). Doesn't have to be super realistic so I wanted to reach out for any suggestion and if anyone has done/ has pictures of a small human figurine. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Look in Children's books, Gumby, etc. two legs, two arms, only one head (called, ahead). The beauty of being an artist is, What can you take away?? No face, no fingers, no expressions, no fear. No Detail, Huge overview (the picture is in each person's mind, when they connect the dots).Enjoy the drop zone!! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 (edited) Simplification without crudeness is how I would approach it.Look at how cartoonists can describe character and attitude with just a few lines. Relative proportion (is that tautological?) of the elements is key to this I think. Look up "mannerist" paintings with their elongated elegance...Do lots of 3 second pencil sketches and try to capture the subject's stance with as few lines as possible in order to identify the vital ones.There are many interpretations of forged figures. I have seen many in exhibitions on mainland Europe especially the old Eastern block countries. Maybe look on the web site picture galleries/archives of the Helfstyn event in the Czech republic and the Stia event in Italy.This little figure I forged on the end of a Ø16mm (5/8") bar, the arms were added. It was for use as a processional cross. I was trying to make it uplifting rather than slumped…though in this thread context I could see it as a diver or base jumper about to take the plunge! The second image I have rotated the figure forward by just 5˚ and the effect is closer to the actual stance of the finished piece, but you can see how a little thing like that makes a difference to the apparent stance/balance of the figure…shifting the weight away from the arms and onto the feet.Alan Edited April 2, 2015 by Alan Evans added the adjusted image for comparison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 I have just noticed that in the to-ings and fro-ings that the complimentary advice to balance looking up mannerism was lost...the second part should have read to look at how they animate and get recognisable human gestures from a rectangle like Sponge-Bob!Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Saw this on a Facebook group I follow, thought about your request, it looks like skydiving to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rburrus44 Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 skydiving for sure... or getting sucked into a black hole maybe? I've had two ideas so far as how to approach. 1. fuller in the neck from sq stk, round above the fullering into head and treat the torso and limbs as a "split cross" below the fullering. 2. use a wire twist method like in your photo SS but probably not as complex. thanks for the ideas so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 How about this. 3 pieces of sq. stock, 2 equal length and one about half. Weld them together with the shorter one in the center even with the others at one end. The two ends extending from one end are the legs, bend the other ends away for the arms. Okay, the weld needs to only be in the body section but I'm thinking this will work.I really like the wire sculpture you posted Spanky, who made it? Do you know the size?Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 (edited) snip... 1. fuller in the neck from sq stk, round above the fullering into head and treat the torso and limbs as a "split cross" below the fullering. snipI think you will find that if you start by fullering in to create a neck you will end up with a head-on-a-stick, think giraffe. Fine if that is the sort of look you want, I am not being prescriptive!Look at the necks on other forged figures and you will find those which are most representational have little or no neck…just like most human beings!I have just taken a couple of photos for you of two of the figure pieces which were given to my partner Lesley by Heiner Zimmermann (standing figure) and Martin Breidenbach (dancer). She had fed and housed them while they were working with me when both were journeymen in the '90s. They were two of the smiths who designed panels and lead masterclasses for the BABA Pillar of Friendship in 2007. These figures were the example pieces for their masterclasses. If you do a google image search you will find a lot of images of the pillar. There are four panels on it which have figures in varying styles / stages of abstraction which may be useful for your deliberations…Have you considered the approach of chasing the figures into a plate rather than making them in 3D?Alan Edited April 3, 2015 by Alan Evans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I really like the wire sculpture you posted Spanky, who made it? Do you know the size?Frosty The Lucky.It was posted by architecture and design magazine, I didn't see any notation of whose work it was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 It was posted by architecture and design magazine, I didn't see any notation of whose work it wasBummer, I won't be able to credit anyone if (when) I steal the idea. Deb's especially gifted at bent wire art, far better than I.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Google image search Giacometti for possible inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Google image search Giacometti for possible inspiration.Thanks Joel, cool stuff good inspiration for bent wire for sure. Deb loves the bent wire sky diver and she's the one with the knack for bent wire work.Giacometti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 (edited) Or forge something similar to this. These are just artist mannequins. Edited April 5, 2015 by BIGGUNDOCTOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Articulated of course.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 This topic has turned out to be a very helpful one. Thank you, Guys n Gals for the good opening question and the informative and inspirational answers. I've been thinking for a while about going for something in man shaped figurine path but never entered the field being very unsure on the how to-s.I hope you will succeed rburrus, best wishes!Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Articulated of course.Frosty The Lucky.Of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rburrus44 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Yes thank you all for the multitude of suggestions, I really appreciate all of the differing ideas. Its still probably a month away before I start but ill post pic of what I come up with in the end. By all means though keep the discussion going please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rburrus44 Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 Finally got it done and this is what I came up with. Customer was very happy with it.Sorry for the lousy camera photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I REALLY like that one! Well done.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Good work!I just reread this topic yesterday and bam: today you send the pics. Kinda spooky Bests:Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rburrus44 Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 Thanks! Wish I would have done the connection to the parachute different but just being picky with myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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