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RandyHand — How I sculpted the Big Tree
Published: 2009-07-26 16:53:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 13001; Favourites: 181; Downloads: 242
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I'll be posting the moulding process next.I wanted to show how I came up with the Big Tree sculpt from the very start...
I started with a preliminary sketch here: [link]
And then came up with a maquette concept here:
[link]
The finished bronze can be found here: [link]
I wanted to post it so that if you are thinking of sculpting something large, maybe this will take away some of the intimidation factor.
The wire feed welder I used to put the armature together was really easy to learn how to use.
They can be purchased at any Home Depot or Lowes and usually cost from $400 - $600 depending on how good of one you want. Mine plugs right in to a regular wall socket.
The styrafoam can be purchased from the same place as well as the spray insulation foam.
Hope it makes sense and I hope you enjoy...
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Comments: 126
Wow that's crazy! You are awesome for taking the time to write all that out. I started doing a "how to blog" for my sculptures and I know how time consuming it is to lay down all that info. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!
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Thanks so much for your kind words and support!
It definitely took a bit to put everything in some kind of coherent order, but it was kind of fun at the same time...
It helped me to appreciate the madness of the bronze process a little bit more...Lol...
So glad you could appreciate this!
Thanks again,
Take care
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Really fascinating! I always wondered how those big pieces were done! I'd have a hard time making the big version look like the small version though. I've always said I could never work in comics because I can never draw something the same way twice!
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Thanks man!
Yeah, there are times when I gotta bite my lip and push through doing a different size of the same piece I've seen for a few years...
Someone requested 3 foot long versions of the snail, frog, and tortoise and that about killed me.
I get antsy when I don't have variety...hah haha...
Thanks Ben!
Take care
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Such an awesome job - hats off for your patience and willingness to share!
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Thanks so much Dave!
Your kind words and support are much appreciated my friend!
Take care
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Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to post all of this!
Is the "Great Stuff" spray foam carvable like the sheets are?
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You bet!
It does indeed carve but it's a tiny bit stiffer.
Sometimes I'll shrink back areas with a heat gun, and the insulation will melt down, but the Great Stuff resists...
Then you gotta go in and carve it...
Really not too difficult though...
Thanks again,
Take care
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Thats fantastic! Love the character of the tree. Have you seen Furngully? Well, if you have that tree reminds me of the one Hexxus was originally sealed in lol love it!
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Thanks so much!
I'll have to check that movie out now...
Thanks for the support and kind words...
Take care
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Aww youre welcome 
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That's very cool...I just realized my buddies brother did the storyboarding for that movie...The late Joe Ranft...
Now I HAVE to go see it...Lol...
Thanks again,
Take care
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Ooh wow thats a strange link! well have fun
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Yeah, you're right...don't know why I had to mention that...There's just a few movies he story boarded for that I haven't seen yet...The Brave Little Toaster is another...
Anyways...
Thanks again!
Take care
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Oh my gosh you have to see the brave little toaster while youre at it! lol Thats another good one
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Thanks so much!
I'll let you know when I've watched them...
Take care
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Eh, if they sold hydraulic steel pipe joints of 15 degree increments, welding wouldn't be necessary...
Awesome tutorial, can't wait to see the moulding!
I don't think I've asked that yet, but... the wax model... all the pieces of the mould will be cast separately, then soldered together and the seams removed?
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haha ha...Actually you could buy those at the "All Night 15 Degree Inrement Steel Pipe Joint Store" which is just downt the street from me...Lol...
Thanks for the kind words on the tutorial...
Funny you should mention that cuz a friend of mine uses all steel plumbing pipe, and joints for his armatures and it works really well for him...
I'm too impatient though...
I'll be touching on the wax model in the moulding tutorial that I'm posting in the next 24 hours...
Then I'll post a link to the lost wax process too...
Talk to you soon,
Take care
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Eh, wouldn't it be nice if accessibility did not limit the amount of choices we can make...
Snap-on armatures. Yes. With ball joints. Let me have them.
I don't trust welds, somehow... and the x-rays from high voltage don't help either 
From what I've understood, the tree is going to be cast in parts that will be joined together once cast in bronze?
How will it be joined, and how will the seams be finished, if I may ask?
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ha haha...yes, accessibility is definitely a key factor in a lot of sculpting decisions, I agree...
Yep, the tree will have approx 27 parts with 20 leaf clumps so 47 parts all together.
All of it goes together like a jigsaw puzzle by welding it.
The lines left from welding are chased by air powered tools to blend the seams...
Check out the video at [link]
This will make it all nice and clear.
That's the foundry I used to work at here in Colorado.
Take care
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Oh I failed the gridline thing in art class lol I just don't comprehend it, I just roll with and hope nothing falls apart.
Anyway very cool tree building/sculpting guide.
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Ha haha...yeah, it took a bit to get the hang of it but once I wrapped my tiny brain around it, things went pretty smooth...
Thanks again!
Take care
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You is too kind to me my friend!
Thanks so much...thanks for the faves as well!
Hope all is great!
Take care
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Superb!
That plexiglass box method of taking measurments is genius! Never heard of that before.
It's really cool to see how you constructed the armature and what you used to bulk it out with. Did wonder if it would be something like styrofoam.
Good stuff...
Thanks for sharing Randy!
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Thanks so much Jamie!
Yeah, the plexiglass idea I got from seeing this snow carving contest on TV that's held every year up in the mountains.
They have a 1 ton block of snow and the maquettes they bring are encased in clear plexiglass with the grids on them....cool huh?
So glad you enjoyed the construction of the tree....
It really is a blast to sculpt on a larger scale, and to me it shouldn't be intimidating for anyone...
Man, I'd love to see your work on a large scale...
Thanks again!
Take care my friend!
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Ah, cool! So that's how they do it! That's pretty darn clever...
Always wondered how they went about carving those giant pieces. Amazes me how they can get them so proportionate. Wonder if sand sculpture is done the same way. I saw one recently that was mind blowing! It was of angels and demons or something battling it out. This thing was immense though... will see if I can find a picture of it.
Yeah, I would love to be able to do some large scale stuff some day... haven't got much space to do that sort of thing right now... struggling to find the room to do small scale sculpts, lol.
Does look rather intimidating but I bet once get get in to it it's tremendous fun, and very rewarding...
The biggest sculpt I've ever done, I think, was a 22 inch bust of an alien wearing a hard hat ... don't ask
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Sand sculpting is such an amazing art...
Yeah, you're right, I wonder if they take that approach.
I'd love to see that image if you ever find it...
I'll be glad to get my studio back once this whole mess is cleaned up...
This tree has really taken up my studio, and my life since January...
You would definitely kick ass with big sculpting...You're right, it's just getting the whole thing started that's the tough part.
The rest goes fast once you get in a rythem with it.
Take care my friend!
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thanks for putting this up this is really helpful, and great work!
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You bet!
So glad you were able to find it helpful...
Take care
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I'm truly impressed--you have definitely made sculpting large pieces seem a lot less intimidating! I really like how this piece turned out, and am looking forward to seeing how you molded it.
What a cool project, and certainly an inspiration for the rest of us!
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Thank you so much Rachel!
I would love to see what you would come up with for a large scale sculpt...
I know you would have a blast too...
Thanks again for the support!
Take care
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It would definitely be an experience, that's for sure! You and Mark Newman just might inspire me to pick up some jmac clay one of these days and at least try a 1/4 or 1/2 scale sculpt. I don't know if my apartment could handle much bigger than that, but then again, the living room is pretty big... A 1:1 black rabbit would be pretty terrifying.
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hoooooeeee....A large black rabbit would RULE Rachel...
It's so funny cuz the first time my wife and I hung out with Mark and his wife at their house, we walked through his studio and were just blown away.
He had this sculpture of a muscular dude on this big rock that I guessed would have taken a couple weeks to get to that point and he says..."Oh this...I just started this yesterday"...(me cleaning out my diapers)
He has been a big inspiration for me that's for sure.
I hope to see your sculpts super sized some day...
Ooooo, the dragon...hmmmmmmm
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This is so awesome! That plexiglass tip rules (why didn't I think of that?), it'll definitely save me some time in the sculpture lab.
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Thank you so much!
I know, isn't that plexiglass idea fun?
I saw a thing on TV where they had a contest of carving one ton blocks of snow...
One of the contestants had their maquette encased in plexiglass with the grid on it...GENIUS I thought....
Good luck with your project in the sculpture lab!
Thanks again!
Take care
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No problem, and thank you! Your work is very inspiring to myself (and I'm sure countless other students) interested sculpture, and especially large-scale sculpture techniques. Nothing beats tips from the masters when trying to carve out your own artistic identity. Any time you feel like making another tutorial we'll be ready to take notes- thanks again!
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Thanks so much for your kind words and support!
I'll definitely post any tutorials that I can come up with...They are a lot of fun..
These last ones made me appreciate this crazy business of bronze casting...Lol...
Thanks again!
Take care
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So what is the big tree going to be used for? Has it been commissioned by someone? I see little versions of the tree in the background. Are you going to have it bronzed?? Have the little ones done too??
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It is actually for ornamental purposes and it is indeed a commission for a client in Kauai...
It will be bronze as well as the small versions too.
It's going to a sculpture/botanical garden and here's a link to the gardens...It's an AMAZING place and we are fortunate enough to fly out there from 9/8-23 of this year...
[link]
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So Neat! Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your progress on the project with everybody.
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Thanks so much for your kind words and support.
Really am happy that people can appreciate what goes in to a sculpture...
Take care
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Fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing
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