You talkin' to me?

[Danno]

DOH!!!!!!!!!! That is incredible....what an amazing likeness study/sculpt. WOW!

[boondocksaint]

incredible

[Veritas]

Originally Posted by Andy Bergholtz

There are a lot more answers to this question than you might think. The final resulting likeness on a production statue is affected by many variables... The concept, the quality of the sculptor assigned to the project, the art direction, licensor revisions, factory reproduction, paint design, a rushed deadline, etc. It's never as easy as simply 'sculpting a good likeness', that's just one step in a very intricate process.

Most people would not believe how often the licensor is to blame for a sub-par final product. You would think the individuals put in charge of licensed product by some of these BIG companies would be required to have a good eye for quality, but that is often so very far from the case. It is a common occurance for a licensor to request a revision that results in a poorer likeness for a character. Not intentionally, just out of sheer ignorance (or incompetance) on the part of the licensor.

The beauty of private commissions like Bobby D. here is that there are no licensors or actors to deal with, the quality of the final sculpt is often determined solely by my own perfectionism. Sometimes that is a positive thing, and sometimes not (usually the former for any artist)... But it's an indulgence that every commercial artist should take once in a while just to stay sane. In the end it's not entirely fair to compare personal work like this to the work done for commercial companies as I didn't have to jump through the same conventional hoops.


p.s. Glad you like the portrait!

This is all great information. I"m really happy that they now have a section like this! This is all simply amazing stuff- really!