Celebrating Special Lives

The Celebration of a Special friend and Companion... the regal and marvelous Zeus.

Beginning the challenge and privilege of capturing the portrait sculpture of Zeus and commemorating his attitude and courage.

Great image of the Noble head and affectionate nature

Intelligent expression and alert ear

Don't you just love him - what a dog.

The Sculpture Portrait Begins

First the study and collation of images. 

Then the measurements and layout of the board and support for the clay.

Treatment of the board for a good key for the clay and the first clay.

Next the general build up to the top line.

This is the base build up and we make rapid progress ...

The back leg is sketched in at the moment to give an indication of its position... looks like a young Zeus is appearing!

More study of all the aspects of his form and of musculature and then the long slow process to bring out his breed conformation.

 Looking for his key points and proportions.

 Study of breed and musculature all helps.

The armature is all covered and some of the future lines and folds sketched in for reference. 

We shall be working towards the key points and developing the breadth of this powerful dog. (He is still looking rather a puppy! And do not worry about his front legs we have only covered the armature not set his proportions)

Starting the development of his width - extraordinary the reach and stretch of him as he lays down. 

This gives us shape to be achieving. 

I am going to position his collar for reference and develop his neck and head.

So now we can see the mature Mastiff coming through

Just a quick sketch of the head - no eyes yet!

Quick look at the development of his width

The muscles, back and paws have all received work

Really starting to achieve that sense of power and yet lithe energy

Definitely the look of the adult dog now

 Power and strength of the loins

Eyes are temporarily sketched in

Head shape and  characteristics starting to come on

More work on the final layers and getting to the final details 

Eyes in and  ready to work on the paws and on the details of the face. 

 View from above

Back views seeing the strength of the back and loins... the strong root of the tail... all those lovely waves of skin folds.

'I am going to work on the paws next' - sounds easy and quick! And I was looking forward to it - but should have done the maths and the study first . What an adventure sculpting is. I have sculpted many paws over the years, life sized to tiny... setting out again to look at these distinctive paws sent me back to studying - bones, joints, x rays and diagrams. 

Discovering details about:-

digital pads

metacarpal pad

dew claw pad

carpal pad

The Maths... that gives us

7 pads on front foot and 5 claws

14 pads 10 claws > for the front feet

4 claws and 5 pads

8 claws 10 pads> for the back feet

24 pads and 18 claws total

The study helping me know what to look for in the shape of these marvelous paws

 Really  with this pose I need not have put any detail into the paws that are flat to the ground - but I am sure that it helps the knowledge and out-working of the shape of the paw and also helps with the character and the look and of course the details of the front and back paws that are turned to show those lovely pads.

There is much more refining to do - but much closer now - and the paws have the strong look of those of a Mastiff.

More work refining the face, especially the left side.

The creases on the top of the head are only marked on at the moment - and will need to be worked in. An intense session  is (sessions are!) needed for the right side of the face and the muzzle... and those ears !!

The Clay is taken to the specialist mould-maker 

and all the next careful process follows.

The flexible rubber mould is carefully built up.

Then the flexible mould need to have a supporting case built up.

 Once all is finished the mould is cleaned and made ready for the foundry wax to be poured.

Good wax with all the less accessible areas worked on. Several claws needed remodeling.  Also special work carried on underneath for the client.

Next through the casting process.

And we have the beautiful bronze of this much -loved dog friend

Gorgeous boy 

The character of breed and individual has cast well and the colour of the bronze is just right for Zeus.
Here are those paws!

 Bronze sculpture is so hard to photograph - but here are a few more of the early images

I shall have to take this angle again - the focus is wrong - 

but the expression lovely

Great project and a bronze for the client to keep and enjoy all it sums up.