I’ve been watching a lengthy series of how-to/ demo videos produced by a now defunct Japanese TV station. Generally, I have been watching with rapt attention, impressed and even humbled. Tonight though… well I don’t want to judge because he’s not finished and there are another 6 parts coming but… this guys’ a hack! Wait, wait! This isn’t some kind of more-talented-than-thou trip! He has all the right tools, all the best materials… and he’s butchering it! Instead of watching and thinking “Ooh, I gotta try that next time!” or “Oh, I gotta get one of those!” My thoughts have been more like, ” AUGH! Somebody stop him!”
I am a total tool fiend. I strongly believe in having the right tool for the job if at all possible, and fabricating the right tool if you have too. I am impressed when people achieve peerless results with bodged together tools. My parents have a painting that I love, produced entirely with brushes made by chewing on the end of sticks. There is also something to be said, however, for having the right tool for a specific job. With respect to the episodes tonight, I had almost forgotten that someone could have all the right tools, time, and materials… and still F it up! He had to have been someone’s cousin…
(OK, its two episodes later and I still want someone to burst onscreen and restrain him. I mean my god man, does the word ‘Scale’ mean nothing to you!?)
[sigh]
I unearthed my sketchbooks going back as far as I’ve been keeping them, looking for a character I was developing in High School. I didn’t find him. (By the way if we went to school together and I ever gave you a drawing of “Bunky,” please scan it and send it my way?) I saw a lot of images I liked and concepts that I wanted to revisit so I grabbed a fresh book and copied what I wanted to see again. This tour took the better part of an afternoon and I came away with a few observations.
- I can still draw and, I don’t know how, I’ve improved quite a bit since college. Maybe the caffeine was holding me back?
- I have (almost) never finished a sketchbook. I can’t answer why, but there was sometimes as much as a third of the book left when I moved on.
- I was a little … obsessed with girls. What? It’s not like they were all naked!
(Oh for crying out loud! put the Airbrush down and back away! WTH? That finished product doesn’t look anything like what he was working on!)
The Key to Hamunaptra is closer to completion today that it has been in the two or more years since I’ve been working on it. I am going to attach the last pieces tomorrow and while it remains to be seen if this one actually works…
(HA! See!? He couldn’t even fit the chassis back on!)
While it remains to be seen if this version, 3.. or is it 4 now, works, I am going to finish it up and paint it. Naturally, I am already finding more ways to make my self insane, I think I want to make one out of brass and stainless steel next time, maybe even clockwork driven.
I rarely, and I mean almost never, paint my sculptures. I always have a good reason [read: clever dodge] but sometimes you just have to suck it up. My Mother has been graciously awaiting her birthday present, [*cough* Jan, 12th] and I am in the final stages of paint and seal. Of course, I got it into my head that it should have a high gloss. I’ve never done that before, with anything even approaching success! High gloss has to be on a flawless surface or you’re just wrapping neon lights around a turd. So I’ve been sanding, and painting, and sanding, and painting, and… The end result is actually one of the nicest finished pieces I’ve produced.
I still need to finsh the Moai, but that’s best left for warmer days. I don’t want to be up to my elbows in cold, wet, wallpaper paste in 65 temperatures. There might be a Tiki coming too. I think I might like to build a miniature Tardis. If I can find my notes, I want to make a “Bunky” action figure. At this rate… I will never die!
