About me

I have been passionate about Special Effects, Creature Creation and Character Arts for as long as I can remember. From concept to final fabrication, I love each stage of the experience (and it is an experience), no two projects are the same. I started this adventure at the tail end of high school (Twenty years ago..w I feel old), learning the basics from books and experimenting in the kitchen with plaster, latex, silicone and clay (sorry dad!).

Some of my major focuses are creature characters, animatronics and puppetry and I love to design animatronic mechanisms for my creations (and even just as fun experimentations). I have embraced 3D printing with gusto, using it for all my projects as much as possible, especially for animatronic components and hard organic components such as teeth, tusks and horns.

While these aspects may be my major focus I still dabble from time to time in prosthetic make-up, maquette and bust sculpture while studying ZBrush, Unreal Engine and Maya as I try to branch into the realm of digital sculpture and character animation.

While I have been building up my toolkit of skills I have found myself, from time to time, asked how I do things. This started in college, while assisting classmates and friends on other courses with their production issues. From sculpting, mould making to running materials and painting I found myself helping out and passing on some of the things I had learned.

While working at a local school I was asked to teach a group of students about 3D Modeling and sculpting using Sculptris and 123D Design and later, mould making, model making and miniature painting.

It was while studying for my BA in Special Effects that I found that I enjoyed teaching. Requests for help in their practical work from my classmates, which ended up with class organised study sessions teaching some of the basic techniques I had learned and then some of the more advanced. This later led to being asked by certain tutors to contribute to sessions as a lecturer, helping to plan and host classes during the first two years to gain experience.

It was during my third year I would be approached to hold official teaching sessions with final year students wanting to expand their skill sets in the areas of sculpture, mould making and character design, and it was these three years that cemented my desire to get into teaching.

I've had many jobs over the years, customer facing and phone based customer service, technical support and varied school technician roles. I continue to work freelance as a model maker and creature artist.

Skills

mould making, Painting, Sculpture, Silicone Painting

Sector Experience

character design, Creature design, model making, mould making