I can just concur, very interesting of your experience in the toy industry!
Great designs aswell, can’t see your latest work though, only a small thumbnail 
Definently keep up the nice work!
All the best,
- Kenny:)
agreed, man slick work and thanks a ton for the awesome Q&A
it’s always been a distant dream to be able to get involved in any sort of toy production so all this info is super inspiring and informative
I was wondering if you could point sorta in the direction of how to find good companies who will do the non-digital stuff for you (3dprinting and master, but also molding, casting, painting, packaging, etc). I’m always at a loss for where to even look
and maybe if you have any general tips on how you go about successfully marketing and selling your pieces?
i would like to know about 3dprinting companies on Europe/Spain, or any forum which i can find this info. thanks!
I’m going to jump right in on this one, because it’s something that has been difficult to communicate…
If you have a design, whether it’s a sketch or a 3d model, and you’d like to get a run of toys made - you don’t need to track down and contract a whole train of seperate companies, then attempted to manage and oversee each of them.
This is specifically what my company, Shinbone, does. We produce and manufacture toys. All you need to supply is the concept or the 3d model, if you have it, and we’ll give you back painted, packaged toys, ready to sell. We manage the prep and printing, the cleanup, recasting and molding, the paint masters and the reproduction, the painting and decorating and the printing and the packaging. We try to make it as easy for you as possible…
Tips for marketing and selling?
Priority numero uno - understand and have an honest assessment of your fan-base. By “fan-base” I’m referring to your personal fans. You may have followers on Facebook, or DeviantArt, or Live Journal, for example. Your fans are people who are attracted to your work, whether it’s your character designs, your sculptures, your paintings or whatever. Knowing who they are, what they like, and how big that collection of fans is, will help you make the smart choices about how to break into the market. If you’ve produced a collectible before, and you know what your sell-through was, developing a solid plan for this release will be more straight-forward. We can review your metrics with you and help you come up with a strategy.
It’s best to start our small and safe and promote the ever-living crap out of not only your product, but also yourself. Collector’s don’t just buy art, they buy the artist. Also, support the artists that you like, make friends, and participate in the scene. Submit customs to shows, attend conventions, and give things away.
Hey thanks a lot for answering my questions so far Wetterschneider, it’s been really helpful!
Creepy… If you don’t mind my saying, he has sort of a… malign /Mr. Bean/ feel to him. I love the powerbox on the wall behind him. I don’t know why little things like that make me smile so much. Really amazing series of images all in all, through and through. I’ve always been /horrid/ at making solid, stylized caricatures. I deeply respect the ease with which you seem to make them.
Bean was the first thing I was thinking about too
I did this demo, in real time, for my class. I’m an instructor for TAD. I’m teaching IP development and toy design.
Hey Scott,
Just found this official thread and giving you the proper shout-out here. We have lots to talk about at SDCC this year!
Keep posting. I love seeing your renders and gorgeous sculpts.
-Steve
There’s been progress on the development of the Instagram Mascot. Here’s a parts breakdown for rapid-prototyping. When making a toy like this, I divide the model up not just to make it come out to the mold easily, but also to be able to cast the different parts in different colored resins. This is why the lens is a separate piece. The main body can be cast in dark brown and the limbs and lens can be cast in black.
Also worth mentioning… Indenting the base or the bottom of the feet gives the sculpt more stability and gives us a nice spot for putting logos, designer signatures and copyright information.
Scott, i LOVE the Instagram character! Can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Great sculpt!
Man, this thread is so awesome!
Makes me want to model a toy right now!
We’ve taken the next step at Shinbone, and produced the physical prototype of JC Rivera’s Instagram mascot figure. We’ve been calling him “Iggy”.
Here’s a teensy sneak peak…
Another look at the raw naked rapid-prototype output.
Something about an unpainted model that always looks cool. Nice job, it’s looking great so far!
drool
Which printer, size output, and resolution Scott?
Did the piece require any sanding/refining, or, is this straight out of the printer?
-Steve
Your work is really impressive, and I have quite a lot of interest in this thread, having been sculpting (by hand) for some miniature figure companies for a few years and only recently going digital with the aim of doing toys and statues as well. I wasn’t aware ZBrush was able to work on joints and articulation (I’m quite new). Is it possible? Where could I learn how to do it?
Deeli all render up pretty-like!
Skullborg is a cute little chappie that’s been hanging around the studio.
