Batman sculpt in progress

Batman sculpt cast in resin and coated lightly with a grey spray primer.

Batman sculpt in progress

Batman's cape from a front overhead view. You can see more of the folds and tight wrinkles I'm sculpting from this angle. This cape is fun and challenging to sculpt. O.K. mostly challenging. It will look awesome when I'm done though!

Batman sculpt in progress

Another angle of the cape for the Batman statue in progress. Here you can see some of the folds and angles developing. You can also see some massive undercuts I've created that may pose some problems in the molding process but I'll cross that bridge when I get there...;)

Batman sculpt in progress

Front angle of Batman's cape. I'm trying to achieve realistic folds and draping of the cape but retain a fantasy element to it. Using wax and green Castilene I continue to refine and detail the forms of the cape. 

Batman sculpt in progress

The back of Batman's cape structure. sculpted in sheet wax and hard Castilene. It's shaping up little by little. I'm trying to get a lot of folds and complexity in this cape.

Batman sculpt in progress

Here I am getting pretty far into the sculpt of Batman's cape. I created the base shape with a sheet wax and then built up material with a layer of green Castilene. I used a waxer and heated metal tools to shape and refine the folds and wrinkles in the material. This cape is proving to be the most elaborate and difficult piece I've ever tackled. I hope it comes out the way I'm imagining it. whew, I'm tired.

Batman sculpt in progress

A detail of all the pieces to the Batman body for the statue I am sculpting. This stage was completed in green Castilene. I detailed and textured the material with heated wax working tools. These pieces are now ready to be molded and cast in a resin for the final stage of the statue. The cape is not included here of course, but it will be completed soon.

Batman sculpt in progress

Front view of the Batman head I am sculpting. I'm using Green Castilene for this stage of the sculpt. I'm trying to get that cross between Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and Michael Keaton from Tim Burton film "Batman". I'm also trying to achieve a realistic take on the cowl overall, giving it a leather texture, seams and proportional eye slots that seem functional to me.

Batman sculpt in progress

Side view of the batman head I sculpted in hard green Castilene.

Batman sculpt in progress

Detail of the torso of the Dark Knight statue.  Sculpted in hard green Castilene. I used hot wax tools such as an electric waxer and metal sculpting tools heated by an alcohol torch for all the details. Heated sanding pads were also used to create some of the texture in the costume fabric. I decided to go with a traditional type of utility belt and the large bat chest emblem without the circle behind it. I always loved the plain large bat on his chest since I saw it depicted that way in Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns."

Batman sculpt in progress

The underside of the boot design I created for The Dark Knight statue. I took this design from the boot sole pattern Jim Lee used on a cover of Frank Miller's All Star Batman comic.

Batman sculpt in progress

A detail of the boot design and texture I created for the Batman Statue I am working on.

Batman sculpt in progress

Another detail of the Batman head in hard green Castilene.

Batman sculpt in progress

Here is a detail of the Batman Head after it had been cast in hard green Castilene and refined with wax tools and textures.

Batman sculpt in progress

I create silicone rubber molds of the soft castilene pieces of the Batman figure. I will pour a harder castilene into these molds. Once I extract the harder castilene I can then refine the sculpt to the finish.

Batman sculpt in progress

Now that I have blocked out the pose I wanted and the placement of muscle groups and costume elements I cut the figure up for molding

Batman sculpt in progress

 

This is the first stage of sculpture for my Batman figure. In this stage I work out the pose and proportions I want, I also block in some points for later detail. This stage is done in a semi soft pink Castilene. This type of castilene is excellent for this stage because it is soft when warmed up and acts like a clay, so I can push it around and get the desired gesture. When the castilene cools down it becomes harder and will maintain its shape and bare most of the sculptures weight without need for an armature. Working this way allows me freedom to change poses and move things around without being confined to an armature.

Batman Statue in progress

This is the first stage of sculpture for my Batman figure. In this stage I work out the pose and proportions I want, I also block in some points for later detail. This stage is done in a semi soft pink Castilene. This type of castilene is excellent for this stage because it is soft when warmed up and acts like a clay, so I can push it around and get the desired gesture. When the castilene cools down it becomes harder and will maintain its shape and bare most of the sculptures weight without need for an armature. Working this way allows me freedom to change poses and move things around without being confined to an armature.