Slim Pickens WIP

[maxinkuk]

I wanted to do a realistic character and one that would also eventually allow me to practice with facial expressions so today I started to work on a sculpt of my favourite cowboy.

[RubberMonster]

Great choice! Will he be riding a missile?

[maxinkuk]

Hi Rubber Monster, glad to register your approval of the choice. Major Kong is most definitely an option, I worry that the bomb may be a bit too big for a sculpt, great aviator gear though.
But I do like him pure cowboy, I watched Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid last night, I love him there, small part but it always makes me cry.
What I'm looking at sculpting is his part in 1941 as Hollis Wood abducted by the Japanese submariners. He may end up in vest and underpants.

[TimeBandit]

I think you got a pretty good likeness so far. It would be cool to see him riding a missile....

[maxinkuk]

Ok, I'm seriously considering the missile option now, I can surely apply some artistic licence and make it a bit smaller than in the movie to have a more balanced sculpt.
And I should make him a bit younger also as he was only 44 when he played Major Kong.
I get down to it right now.

[maxinkuk]

Here's the fruit of today's work. I made him a bit younger, today I first looked at Dr Strangelove as reference, that was made in '63 so he was 44 yo, still quite fresh faced, later instead I looked at him in Blazing Saddles (1974), probably my favourite, he sports a serious belly there and the face had sagged a bit, he's moustached there, which is ok, but his face is so expressive that he doesn't really need a moustache and it could become an extra trouble when practicing with expressions actually. Lots to decide.
I also worked on the body, made that younger too, but I'll post that another day after I've refined it a bit more, I concentrate on the face now, so, here's where I am now.

[rodion vlasov]

hey man, good work on the face.keep up

[TimeBandit]

I can hear the country drawl of his voice when I look at your sculpt. Keep it up!

[maxinkuk]

Rodion Vlasov thanks, I looked at him so much now that I don't know anymore if he's ok or not, I should do something else for a day I suppose.
Hi Timebandit, that voice, I have it in my head all the time now.

A bit more work, I'm starting to polish him, quite an enjoyable process, I'm using just a small clay brush with very low z intensity and as some roughness disappears one understands better where it needs some extra volume and where the problem areas are.
I'm still unsure what age he should have. He's older than in Dr Strangelove and younger than in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. I should try to get hold of some film he's done in between those two, around 1968.

Tonight there's a very interesting showing of Dr Strangelove, it's in walking distance from my home, and it's a solar powered mobile cinema. Just the thing you'd use after nuclear doom. Despite having watched Dr Strangelove all day yesterday I really think I should go.

[EricArtman]

Hey maxinkuk, I'm diggin your Slim Pickens. It's a wonderfully expressive sculpt .

It helps that Blazing Saddles is one of my all time favorite movies . I recognized him immediately.

[lm]

Nice SP, I saw a younger SP in 'Stagecoach' which I watched for the first time recently.

[RubberMonster]

The mustache works, I'd keep it (but blazing saddles is definitely, hands down my fav). It's coming along beautifully
P.S. ridding a missiles would be pretty cool.

[Datto]

I commend you on your lack of symmetry! Nice likeness, and a lively loose treatment. A nice change for these parts.

[Captain Sensible]

Hehe... Nice choice of character! Very well done on the sculpt. Saw your works in the turntable gallery too. Very rightly so. Maybe I'll get there someday

[Moni-Poroni]

Hey Max, oh wow new thread.
To be honest, I don`t know this actor. Anyways -- great work!
Love your sculpting style.