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Old 11-19-2006, 09:38 AM   #1
CKinSD
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Interview Tim Bruckner

ok this is my latest interview and it is with Tim Bruckner.

Tim and I worked on this one for a bit of time and I think it one of my better interviews to date. I have more on the way for everyone but this one is now completed and ready for your reading and comments.

thanks to everyone that takes time to read this one and comment. It is also my longest interview and has more pictures than any of the others to date.

I must thank my fellow mod Dfury for getting the images to work. It drove me nuts...
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:40 AM   #2
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Ok folks here we go again. Here is our latest interview at StatueForum. Tim Bruckner is our subject this time around.

SF: your name if you would sir lol:

TB: Tim Holter Bruckner

SF: age:

TB: Fifty-six. Yes I’m old. Dirt and I share the same birthday.

SF: location of the secret lair:

TB: Rural Western Wisconsin now known as the Art Farm, Inc

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When my wife and I first moved here, some twenty years ago, we tried twig farming for a couple of seasons but it was too labor intensive. So, I went back to sculpting which is even more labor intensive but not as seasonal.

SF: married/single:

TB: Married. My wife is too.

SF: did you have any formal training?:

TB: No, although I had some excellent teachers. For awhile there I regretted not having any formal training but now I think being self taught has worked to my advantage. Whatever bad habits I've arrived at, I arrived at on my own instead of having to unlearn someone else's. I've been sculpting since I was seven and so I've had a long time to make virtually every mistake one can make both personally and professionally that didn't involve jail time. I've promised myself to continue to be a screw up as long as I have breath to wheeze. So many mistakes, so little time.

SF: first sculpt when and what?:

TB: The first thing I remember sculpting was a small set of heads of Disney's Seven Dwarves. There used to be wax tubes that contained a sugar syrup that could send you into insulin shock if you weren't careful. I sculpted the heads from the wax tubes using various pins, needles and kitchen utensils.

SF: first produced piece when and what?:

TB: My first commercial piece was a set of gold, elephant head cufflinks. My first paying job as a sculptor was working as a wax carver/sculptor/jeweler/goldsmith for a Jewelry Store in Beverly Hills, CA. The owner was a Big Game Hunter and he specialized in big game and lesser game themed jewelry. I worked there for a couple of years and sculpted dozens and dozens of African animals. It was an invaluable education. And I learned a lot about sculpting too.

SF: favorite drink and why?:

TB: Tequila. Good tequila. Sipping tequila. I used to me a single malt Scotch man and took learning about and experiencing the universe of Scotches quite seriously. But I discovered, early in my pursuit, that different scotches provided an intoxication of very different characters. Someone gave me some very fine tequila. I enjoyed the taste (straight up, no lime) and tried a few others and discovered that regardless of the type of tequila, the high was very consistent. And the rest, as they say, is history. A slightly fuzzy, slightly blurry, warm and friendly history.

SF: favorite music to listen to:

TB: Miles Davis once said there are two kinds of music, good music and bad music. I like good music. I'm not a big fan of country music but there is some I like. Not big on rap or hip hop, but there's some of that I enjoy as well. A lot of current music bores the pants of me, but its not made for me, so I'm okay with being pantless. I'm always on the lookout for new music that surprises me. Over the last couple of years I've found about a dozen bands and solo performers that I have added to the old IPod. If its IPod worthy, that says a lot to me. I listen to a lot of classical. Its so much a music of interpretation. so its a very personal form of expression. And I'm all for personal expression. And there's probably not a week that goes by that I don't listen to a song or two by XTC. Music is, I think, the most direct form of artistic expression. It can come right from the heart, Straight out. Everything, else, especially sculpture is compromised by filters so its really difficult to get a sense of immediacy from something that takes weeks or months to create that doesn’t have a sound track

SF: SDCC in 2007 yes/no?

TB: I have no idea. This was the first year in six that I didn't attend a single convention and the only thing I missed was seeing old friends and talking with fans, near fans, and non-fans. The best part for me was getting a chance to talk with real people that actually bought my stuff. Actually spent their hard earned money on something I'd sculpted. You get to hear the truth, whether you want it or not. You don't get to hide behind your reputation, your art director or your sales numbers. There's very little in the business that can keep you as honest and as focused as spending time with real people and hearing what they have to say about what you do. I've said it often enough, but a company may pay me to sculpt something, but my real client is the person who puts their money down, brings my work into their home and lives with it in a way I never will. One thing I did not miss about missing Comic Con was all the posturing and political maneuvering. There are a lot of folks in our line of work that have a fairly warped, self important view of what we do. That **** drives me crazy.

SF: favorite tequila:

TB: Gold. Not Silver. Not a big fan of Sauza. But there are so many great ones out there, I don't want to single any one out in particular. for fear of offending a manufacturer that may want to sponsor me. It could happen...
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:42 AM   #3
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SF: Since you had been with DC for so long and are now on your own again so to speak what do you think about sculpting Marvel pieces? Are there any favorites that you would like to sculpt?


TB: I haven’t any pressing desire to do any Marvel Characters. They’ve been done, and many done really well. I don’t think there’s anything I could bring to them that either Marvel would allow or the public would like. I think both The DC Universe and The Marvel Universe could use a pretty dramatic shake up in terms of 3D representations of their characters. A good start would be to have statues reflect the current visual sense of where comics are today and where contemporary visual sensibilities are. So much of what you see, is so much of what you’ve seen. I think it would be interesting to see just how far you could push it and not push too far. Sure, it would piss a lot of people off. But in order for art to challenge its audience it has to be willing to be confrontational. Art that doesn’t provoke, at some point, is dead.


SF: Now that you are considered one of the leading sculptors in the industry what did your parents think about your chosen profession, then and now?



TB: I don’t suppose my parents were different than most of that generation. It was beyond their experience to think that someone could make a living being a professional artist. At that time, artists were viewed through the stereo-typical lens of free spirit, rebellious, low earning lay-abouts with questionable morals … so - much like today. Becoming an artist is rarely achieved walking a direct path. In fact, its all the detours you take until you get there that make makes you the artist you become. But from a parent’s point of few, the detours seemed meandering, ambitionless exercises in a direction away from gainful employment. It was a number years, working as a free lance artist before my parents understood what it was I did for a job. They worried about me, and, to be honest, they had reason to worry. Now, with some measure of success, they’re very proud and delight in the work I do. They may not understand or like it all, but they’re proud, none the less. As a parent, I think it comes down to not what your kids do for a living (with some exceptions, of course) but the joy they get from doing it. You just want to see your kids happy. For the most part, my patents get to see a happy kid on a fairly regular basis.


SF: what is your opinion of Statueforum and the ability to interact with those that buys your pieces? Also what do you think of unwarranted comments on your pieces that many seem to be willing to toss out without thinking or giving an explanation for their reasoning?


TB: Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Dialogue is a good thing. The exchange of ideas is a good thing. Discussion between creators, purveyors and purchasers is a good thing. And Statue Forum offers an environment where those kinds of interactions can take place. Often, more times than not, views are exchanged with respect and courtesy. As an artist creating commercial art, the only time you really get to interact with your audience is at conventions. In lieu of the face to face, there’s the Forum. But the face to face has the advantage of forcing civility. The Forum does not.

No artist sets out to produce crap. Each effort, regardless of skill, is metered out with the intention to do as good a job as possible. An artist’s development is in constant flux. So, by the nature of being an artist, some stuff works better than others. Put into the mix an art director or product manager who may have a different view than you about how a piece should be produced and the end result can be better or worse. And lets not forget, it’s a business. Its only Art for Art’s sake when there’s no commerce involved. So, when an artist posts pictures of his or her work and there’s a strong negative reaction, it should only be discussed in terms of the work. What about the work didn’t you like? The composition? The way the head was sculpted? Proportion problems? Paint application? The work. If its done with respect and civility, you’re inviting the artist into a dialogue about the work. When its rude, glib and nasty, it becomes personal. Then its an attack on the artist and the work gets lost. It might be a good rule of thumb is limit your criticism to what you’d be willing to say to someone face to face and willing, in that situation for them to respond, face to face. I think people would be interested in what an artist has to say about the choices made and the way a piece was created. But a lot of artists are reluctant to open themselves up for that kind of interaction due to an anxiety of being eviscerated by a few posters.

Lastly, I think there needs to be a distinction made between a particular version of a character and the way that version was done. Just because its not the version of Wolverine you wanted doesn’t give you license to rip the execution of the work apart. The version you didn’t want and don’t like received just as much hard work, care and dedication as the version you do like. The merit of a piece of sculpture has nothing to do with who it’s of but how well its done.

I will now, climb off my soap box and go back to work where I belong.

SF: I have placed images from Tim of the Wendigo for Bowen Designs here because this piece was not well recieved at first but the completed piece was. tim was nice enough to send me images for this one. I only have posted three of them. Randy's concept sketch, Tim's first pass and the final piece so folks can see how it came together from the sketch. This is a sleeper and I feel will be sold out quickly once posted for sale.
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:43 AM   #4
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SF: is there any one character that you want to sculpt that you have not? If so why is this character important to you?


TB: Honestly, no. There are themes I’d like to explore. Certainly, subjects I’d like to try my hand at and styles I’d like to experiment with. These days, my approach to character is what it will let me do to explore areas of interest. I guess an example would be the Green Lantern vs. Sinestro statue. I wasn’t as interested in sculpting either character as I was trying to solve certain sculptural problems. I learned a lot doing that piece and the next time I’m faced with similar compositional issues, I’ll be better prepared.


SF: does sculpting get the ladies???? If it does is that how you met you wife?


TB: I think being as sculptor is about as attractive to the general female population as being a plumber. There are some women who find plumbing very sexy. There are some women that find men who are sculptors sexy. Some. But not many. You’re at a party and an attractive woman asks, “What do you do?” When you tell her you’re a sculptor you get something like, “Really? You know, my dad has a friend who carves bears with a chain saw.” And if you happen to mention that you sculpt action figures and comic book characters, she’s got you pegged for a basement dweller who lives at home with mom.

No, being a sculptor had very little to do with winning my wife’s affections. I’m not at liberty to say what did help.


SF: with all of the new formats in sculpting what do you think of the new mixed “scanned” media type of pieces?


TB: Not much. A scanned likeness looks like a scanned likeness. Good portraiture is not an exercise in accuracy. Its about being able to capture the character of a person. A successful portrait captures the subject’s likeness but also a sense of who they are in the context of who they are to us. It’s the difference between sculpting Clint Eastwood and Dirty Harry. For mechanical things, you can’t beat computer assisted modeling. But for anything that has lived, there’s nothing like another living thing to make that connection for us. In my opinion.

SF: since there are so many companies that are now coming out with licensed product do you think there is an over saturation in the market place?


TB: Absolutely! Too much of the same old, same old. Not only is there too much of the same old, same old, there’s too much of the same old way, done the same old way. Licensors don’t want to let companies push their characters too far. And companies don’t want to push the consumer too far. And so the consumer winds up having to choose between something they can afford, of the character they like, in an interpretation not much different from dozens of others just like it. Its going to take a few small, independent companies who, mercifully, can’t afford the big licenses and will, by necessity strike out in more challenging areas. Before there was licensed sculpture there was a couple of thousand years of kick ass stuff that came from the minds and imaginations or artists who responded to their culture, history, mythology and the religious and political climate of their time. Do we need yet another Spiderman, Superman, Hulk Wolverine? And if we do, as it seems we do, then lets let sculptors design and execute versions of these characters that exploit the full range of sculptural dialogue, as opposed to creating another 3D translation of a 2D image that was never designed to do anything but fit on the page.

SF: now since you are considered one of the old men of sculpting, what is your opinion of the new generation of sculptor????? Yes you are old so admit it.. lol
Also who in this new generation of sculpting do you think are some of the best right now???


TB: One of the old men of sculpting, eh? As soon as I hang up my cardigan, pack my pipe and put on my slippers, you’re in for a whooping, you whipper snapper, you! There are some frighteningly good sculptors out there. Frightening because they’re so young and so damn talented. Without naming names, I think the best of them have a sense of tradition, have looked at a lot of sculpture and bring that to play in their work. The only criticism I have is that some of them are so intent in showing you their mastery of detail that they sometimes miss the underlying structure or don’t investigate the full potential of story telling. But it’s a small gripe. I would like to see more women sculptors. There are only a couple that I know and their work is amazing and their insights enlightening.

SF: with all of the new types of sculpting materials what is your favorite to work in and why?


TB: Wax. Why? Because it does what I want it to do when I want it to do it. I’ve been using a version of the same material for many years and for me, its very flexible. But what a sculptor uses is irrelevant to the completed work. I know artists who use the full range of current sculpting materials, and looking at the finished piece, you’d be hard pressed to tell me what material they used in its execution. Its not how you get there, its what you have when you arrive.



SF: what does a day at the art farm entail? What gets you going everyday to keep sculpting?


TB: My studio is a converted calf barn about a hundred feet from the house. I’ve been in this space for nearly eighteen years. I’m usually in the studio by 7:30 AM. The night before I lay out the next day’s work and what I need to accomplish to stay on schedule. So, I attack the first thing on the list and go straight through, checking things off as I go. I sometimes break from lunch, if I remember, and work until around 7:00. I listen to music or books on CD for most of the day.

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Most of any day, I spend sculpting. Of course, there are days devoted to mold making, casting, resin cleaning and painting. If I can, I like to block out several days of this kind of work as it requires a different head space from sculpting and it’s sometimes difficult to bounce back and forth throughout the day.

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Old 11-19-2006, 09:45 AM   #5
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SF: What gets you going everyday to keep sculpting?

TB: As for what keeps me sculpting? I have that rare job, I love what I do for a living. It supports and maintains my family. Poverty is a great motivator, so that’s partly why I’m in the studio more often than I’m not. But its more than that. I have pages and pages of designs for work I want to do. There are themes I’d like to explore, styles I’d like to experiment with and more than anything, I want to get better at what I do. There isn’t a piece I finish I don’t wish I could have done better. The last few years I’ve really tried to invest my work with a clearer and more accessible emotional content. Its not enough for me to just be able to sculpt something that is visually satisfying, I want the viewer to find something in the work they can relate to, connect with and share in the experience. I look at sculpture as a dialogue between me and the viewer. I try to make it worth it for both of us.

SF: when you are working on a piece and feel you really have done a hell of a job and some art director comes in and asks for changes that are well……. Not well thought out (that is a nice as I can make it.. ) how do you deal with the request.

TB: I’ve been dreading answering this question because my honest, unvarnished answer would more than likely get me in trouble or make me sound like an egocentric asshole.

When you are hands for hire, that’s what you are. Your hands are an extension of your Art Director or Project Manager. You use them in the labor of satisfying his/her vision. If you understand that going in, it helps not letting the work become too personal. But that’s damn near impossible. You spend that much time on anything, it becomes personal. And you’re making a thousand decisions all day long, hoping you’re making the right ones. In thirty-five years, I’ve never known two Art Directors that worked the same way. Each and everyone have come to the job from very different places, and generally, very different from where I’ve come from. I could spend pages and pages discussing the relationship between sculptor and AD or PM. But, I won’t.

How to handle reworks, especially if you disagree with them? You have to be clear about what your AD is asking you to do and why. If its off model, that’s one thing. That’s the easy stuff. In portraiture, it either looks like the person or doesn’t. If it’s an actor approval they either like it or they don’t. That’s the easy stuff. Its when you get into those gray areas where the reference isn’t clear or hasn’t been fully developed and you’re asked, in effect, to collaborate on the solution. So, you collaborate and your AD doesn’t like your contribution and wants changes. You have to listen and look. Listen to what they’re saying and look at what they’re asking you to change and see if what they want you do you will accomplish what they’re looking for. Sometimes ,”Make the nose shorter,” really means the relationship between the mouth and nose is wrong. But maybe the problem isn’t that the nose is too long. Maybe the mouth isn’t big enough or the lips not full enough. Asking for the mouth to be made larger may actually mean the chin is too long. If you can recognize what the AD sees as the problem you can offer an alternate solution and see if that does the fix. But what if, while sculpting away, you come up with this cool thing, something not on the page that you think really works for the sculpt and your AD just plain doesn’t like it. I think most AD’s are willing to listen, to let you explain your choice and why you made it and why you think it works. An AD who’s interesting in getting the best possible product within his/her ability to do so, is usually open to applicable suggestions no matter where they come from, even if they come from a sculptor. But when the answer is no, change it. You change it. You don’t like it, but you change it. But there’s a limit. A good friend of mine and a brilliant sculptor reworked an action figure head twenty times. Half way through the process he started making molds before each change because he knew he’d be back to one of them sooner or later. This AD needed to see it. That’s how he knew what he wanted, when you showed it to him. This is the kind of job that turns a sculptor’s gut because you know what’s coming and there ain’t a whole lot you can do about it. All of a sudden, you’re into another client’s schedule, trying to accommodate your AD’s vision which keeps shifting with each revision.

I urge sculptors to always have a piece of personal work in the works. It’s a sanctuary where no AD can get to you and the only opinion that matters is yours. If you’re looking to satisfy your personal artistic needs on the job, you’re going to drive yourself crazy and your AD as well. This isn’t to say that you don’t invest yourself in your work. You have to. But you need to be able to make the clear distinction of what’s yours and what’s theirs.

If your AD wants you to make a change that will affect the quality of your work and by its publication, hurt your reputation and make it look like you couldn’t sculpt your way out of a paper bag, then, you - walk-away. Respectfully. Not every sculptor is right for every job. Its better for the sculptor to realize it than the client realize it.

SF: what would you think of a collaborative sculpt with one or two other sculptors?

TB: Absolutely Great Idea!! Tony Cipriano and I had the chance to collaborate on the DCD Michael Turner, Flash and Grodd statue. We had the best intentions but between deadline and a design that was initially unworkable, we didn’t actually bet a chance to collaborate as much as sculpt two characters, independently, that somehow were supposed to fit together. But I would truly enjoy the possibility of actually, really collaborating on a statue with several other sculptors, working right from the design stage all the way through to final product. 2D guys do it all the time. With the right combination of artists, I think some serious ass could be soundly kicked. With statues becoming more and more complicated, taking on a large, complex work with a group of like minded artists would be a thrill.


SF: now since you can sculpt and possibly farm, what else can you do other than mix one of the meanest margarita’s in the US?


TB: I’m a dabbler. The only thing I’m really any good at is sculpting. Which is a good thing because I pretty much suck at everything else. But that hasn’t stopped me from dabbling. I’m a musician or sorts. Not the good sort. But I really enjoy playing music. I write short stories and radio plays. I have dozens and dozens. I enjoy painting, drawing, illustrating but I’m awfully rusty and so, consequently, not very good anymore. You know, I don’t know many sculptors that have hobbies. Its an odd profession in that you have a tendency to do it when you don’t have to. Its like a job and a hobby – a jobby. If I have free time, I sculpt. That may explain my appalling social skills and an ever increasing desire to join the Hermits of America Society. But if the band XTC were to regroup and needed an extra member, I’d give up sculpting in a heartbeat.
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:47 AM   #6
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SF: ok what has been your favorite piece you have ever sculpted?
Why is this piece your favorite?

TB: The Auctioneer from the Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my recent favorites.

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It was such a departure from what I’d been doing for the previous four or five years. I really enjoyed trying to find the right style for this character. I looked at a lot of Rockwell and relied a lot on his proportions and character treatment. The idea was to sculpt a figure that recalled the feeling you had while in the ride, to bring back the experience. Physically, the actual animatronic figure is very puppet-like, with a limited range of motion and expression. But in the context of the entire ride environment, it feels like there’s a lot more there. I think you come away from the ride thinking he did more than he actually did, which is the genius of that ride.

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Using the reference they supplied, I roughed a naked guy in clay for them to review for size, pose and proportion.

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When that was approved, I added the costume and some likeness details.


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Old 11-19-2006, 09:48 AM   #7
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Upon approval, I made a waste mold, cast a wax and began working the head and creating the character. When showing the Master Wax, I’ll sometimes go in and add Photoshop details like eyes or coloration so they can get a better idea of how the paint will affect the sculpt. Then it was matter of working toward finish in stages; finishing the torso, attaching the head to the torso.

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Finishing the body, adding the arms, adding the hands and finishing the base. When the completed Master Wax was approved, I made molds (eight molds for the Auctioneer) cast resins (four sets) and began painting. They needed two Paint Masters, an unassembled set Tool Parts and an unpainted, assembled resin blank.


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The Auctioneer and Redhead were done for Enesco. I’ve since completed two more jobs for them and they’ve been a dream client all the way. They are so open to suggestions and actually encourage you to explore ways to make the figure better. And they don’t play coy with their appreciation. Unlike a lot of companies who expect you to do the best you can and so don’t feel it necessary to let you know if you’ve done a good job, Enesco lets you know. It may sound a little disingenuous but, it does make a difference when you know, because they’ve told you so, that a client likes what you’re doing and appreciates the extra effort you put into a piece. It makes putting the extra effort into subsequent jobs all the easier.


SF: what is your favorite sculpture right now that is not done by you and why?


TB. There are many. I recently saw a piece done by Jon Matthews that is probably one of the finest pieces of sculpture I’ve ever seen, anywhere, anytime. I can’t say anything about it except that, when it comes out, it will, as the kids say, blow your mind. Amazing! There’s so much good work out there by so many amazingly talented artists, to pick one would be unfair to the rest of my current faves. The Perseus and Medusa by Cellini will always be one of my all time favorite works. And Mannerism, one of my all time favorite schools, if that’s the right term. That piece taught me a lot. In particular, that sculpture needn’t have, and is probably better served by not having to have a money view. For me, sculpture works best when it compels you to move around it and involved yourself in the space in occupies, in the round. Rape of the Sabine, a work I’m not particularly fond of, does make the point more completely. There’s no one place from which to get the best view. I don’t know why that soap box keep following me around.

SF: Out of all the sculptures you have done which is your personal favorite?


TB: The Dance of O.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/rbaker101/206165126.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

After being a slave to photo reference and being ridiculously anal about being right in my representation of anatomy, I had a design in mind and made the anatomy up, out of my head. I consciously distorted the anatomy, relied on my memory and impressions and freed myself from certain conventions that were, I think, taking me now where quick. I’ve done a few pieces like that since, but that being the first one, holds a special place in my heart.

SF: Tim gave me more images of this cool piece but due to nudity I only have posted the sculpt from the rear... I dig the piece as well. not the norm at all.
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:50 AM   #8
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SF: Beef or chicken for BBQ?

TB: Chicken. I eat very little red meat, so when I got a jones for it, I like a nice big slab of something medium rare and expensive. I’ve tried buying really nice cuts and putting them on the BBQ and wind up with a third of it over done, a third under done and a third done just right. We call it the Goldie Locks School of Grilling.


SF: now as we bring this to a close are there any words of wisdom that you would tell sculptors just starting out?


TB: Here comes that soap box again. (it occurred to me that most of the people reading this are asking themselves, “what’s with the soap box reference?”) I won’t talk about the business aspect of it here. Maybe another time. It’s a whole other area and most sculptors just starting out are not prepared for it. Nobody teaches you how not to get screwed or how not to screw yourself. Dealing with Art Directors, Clients, the Public takes a lot of very talented sculptors right out of the business. But that’s another topic.

So, look at a lot of sculpture. Look at everything. Build your visual library. Observe everything. But look at a lot of sculpture, go back as far as there are examples and work your way up to now. As I’ve said ad nauseum, steal from really good dead guys. Every sculptural problem you’re likely to face has been solved, brilliantly, by someone infinitely better than you or I will ever hope to be. You steal from the best, your work has a deeper resonance and you learn something you otherwise would not have learned.

Early on, you’ll discover what you like to sculpt and what you’re good at sculpting. Usually, what you like to sculpt is stuff that’s easy for you to sculpt. Its partly why you like doing it. You’ll also learn what you don’t like to sculpt and what things are difficult for you to do. And those things are the things you have a tendency to avoid. Those are the things you must sculpt. Those are the things you have to work through. I knew an illustrator that hated drawing feet. Consequently, his people stood in ankle deep water, snow, behind tall grass, rocks, fallen logs. He was very creative in the devices he used to avoid the thing he hated doing. Finally, an Art Director called him on it and made him deal with it. You would have thought the AD was asking him to cut off a nut the way he *****ed and moaned. Eventually, he came through. For no other reason than he knew he had to. His work opened up. His designs opened up. And he became more fearless in the risks he was willing to take. Same for sculptors.

There are some very generous sculptors out there. Smart, insightful, open minded and willing to help. Many are more than willing to answer a couple of questions or offer advice. That is one of the best things about the Forum. There are members at every level of the business engaged in the dialogue of sculpture and statue making. The more interaction, the more communication between us all, is good for us and better for the art we love.


SF: Tim I just want to say thank you for taking time out with me to complete this interview. You have been more than honest and open in your replies. For that man I owe you a large ass margarita.

TB: Honestly, it was my pleasure. What I think would be cool is to get a handful of kick ass sculptors together in a room, with an open bar and a moderator, and let the conversation fly, let it go where it will go, and end with a duel, Wax Pens and fifty paces.

My thanks for letting me sound off. Thanks for your patience and your interest in my work. As my son would say, Peace Out.


SF: I asked Tim for some pictures of some of his work. Here is the Golden Age Catwoman he did for a line that did not make it. Damn shame too. Check out some of these pictures and info.

I've been a fan of Pin-up art for many years, in particular, the work of Gil Elvgren. I pitched DCD an idea for a statue series using classic DCD female characters as Pin-Ups in the style of various Pin-Up artists. Kind of an homage to the golden age of Pin-Up artists. George Brewer (VP of DC Direct) and I designed the first in the series based on the style of Gil Elvgren. It tells a little story, as does most of Elvgren's work. Catwoman has just cut a painting out of its frame and is ready to abscond with it when she's caught in the act by Batman (off camera). Cats, heedless of the predicament Catwoman is in, play around her. The scenario may have been a little heavy handed. After all, Gill Elvrgen was a genius and I am not. But it was a fun project to do and gave me the opportunity to bring classic Pin-Up art to people who might not otherwise have been exposed to it.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/rbaker101/206165127.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Poison Ivy, based on the style of Enoch Bolles, was scheduled to be the next in the series and Supergirl in the style of George Petty was to follow her. But the numbers didn't warrant another statue and the line was killed.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/rbaker101/206165128.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

I still think the concept is strong and will someday find a way to resurrect it using a different group of characters. More than likely, public domain characters.
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Old 11-19-2006, 09:52 AM   #9
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SF: now since this interview was with one of the “old timers” I thought it would be cool to have some quotes from Tim’s peers in the sculpting field, so I asked a few other old men to say something about Tim if they would. I asked two of his peers and both replied so fast it made me realize that Tim really is a well respected individual in this field. Not because they replied but because they replied almost as soon as I asked them for a quote!

Quote from William Paquet: "Bruckner is an oddball in many ways. He's far too generous to be considered truly human by most standards. He's the field's greatest
cheerleader for his peers, and has an uncanny understanding of the
balance between support for his fellow creators and a drive to
maintain his own place within the ranks. His artistic aesthetic is
unique as is evident in his personal projects, while at the same time
his ability to render varied two-dimensional styles of artists as
diverse as Jim Lee or Alex Ross is among the best I have ever seen.

As generous as he is, he is not reticent to give a verbal thrashing
when the need arises. He will challenge you if you make excuses for
poor performance, and that to me is the mark of true friendship. He'll
help you help yourself, but won't accept bullcrap. I have learned more
about being a good artist from Tim's philosophy than his sculpting
techniques, and his techniques have opened a whole new world
artistically since he walked me through working with wax. So I guess
it's sufficient to say that his artistic abilities are only surpassed
by interpersonal abilities, which given his amazing body of work may
be hard for his fans to believe."

Quote from Randy Bowen: I’ve admired the work of William Paquet and Tim Bruckner for a long time. It seems like they’ve had exclusives with DC for forever. I thought it would blow peoples minds if we were all on the same team for a few projects. I admire and respect the works of both.

(little hint folks I am currently working with William or sweet willy…on his interview. Hehe)

SF: well that sums up our interview with the master Tim Bruckner. I will let you know it was extremely difficult to pick only these pictures for the article. Tim gave me such great pictures and so many of them it took me days to settle on the ones I’ve shown here. I would like to thank Tim once more for being such a great guy to work with for the interview and sculpting so many great pieces I have in my collection. THANKS TIM!
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Old 11-21-2006, 02:42 PM   #10
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Great interview Charles

Seems like I need to share a bottle of Cabo with Tim and Share some of the finer points to Grilling a Nice thick Cut of Prime Beef...

this has been fun... Can not wait for the next one.

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