SQUIDBEAR
urban toy
Urban Toys
I was always fond of the whimsical contours and forms of the urban toys. They were a cross between art and design. Ever since I visited the "THIS IS NOT A TOY" exhibition at the DX in Toronto, I dreamed of designing and sculpting my very own toy. I stopped dilly-dallying and got on the task shortly after that. The result? Squidbear.
The Research
I did a little research before beginning the design process. First of all, I looked at existing indie designs to see how others have manufactured them. I looked at the actual toys as well as artist blog tutorials.
Now with a clear idea on the process, I looked at the trends of cute characters. These days, squids and bears are pretty popular. So it's decided. Squidbear it is.
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The Process
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I began by sketching out a few designs, and narrowed it down to which I wanted to see made. I made countless iterations to get the proportions to my liking.
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After getting the sketches done, I went ahead and traced it on Illustrator and adjusted the character to make a turn-around sheet for sculpting reference.
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Now with a reference in hand, I pondered on what 3D software I should use. Since this project will probably require quite a bit of finishing, I decided to stick with Blender, for a quick and dirty model for printing.
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After uploading the file to a 3D Printer, all I can do is wait and watch...
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After printing, I finished the sculpt with Apoxie putty and sealed it with a layer of Clear Coat. Now it's ready for moulding. I made a 2-part silicone mould and used Clear Coat as a de-moulding spray alternative.
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For casting, I used a simple 1:1 ratio opaque resin. I poured the two halves of the mould separately -- slush casting -- and poured more resin and closed the mould. This ensures that the mould thickness is relatively constant.
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Now with an army of Squidbears, next comes painting. If I had an air compressor handy, I would've spray painted it. The next best thing is hand painting it using gesso and acrylic. Finally, my resin toy is complete!
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The Final Result
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