Step by Step- Sculpting Pumpkinhead

When I look back I could kick myself for not following through a year ago, but lesson learned. I started Pumpkinhead in May of 2011, then after I was like two days into it I shelved it and jumped into making  the Wasted Footage puppet show. I had this idea to do mini busts after a fellow artist Scott Campbell gave me a mini bust that he made. Scotts work was very fun and after I held the bust he gave me it clicked that this was a perfect fit for me. Space was always an issue to me cause I have no space to work, also I want to do soooooo many projects that by scaling down I can make more things and shift my focus on detail. So all this said I wanted to start my first bust........then right after I started I got on a huge puppet kick and threw a year at the puppet show, guess that was my last hurrah into being a filmmaker. I do suffer from doing way too many things at once, my brain is always all over the place when I get excited about an idea (I see the finished product in my mind and I know that I have to create every aspect of the idea from the first drawing, to building, to the final edit) so it was tough for me to give up writing, directing, editing, making puppets, shooting, making music, just imagining everything......shifting to just sculpting was scary and I got figgity (always self doubt, putting all my eggs in one basket so to speak) and shelved Pumpkinhead..........stupid, shoulda just did this and saw it through, shoulda gave myself a chance, but like I said, lesson learned. This sculpt turned out good and I am satisfied with it.

 I had to first make a little head cast to work on. (look at the sketch I did from memory of Pumkinhead in the backround)

 Started roughing the shape. ( let me just also say, this was my first time working with this type of clay, so besides making Pumpkinhead from memory, I was also learning to work with a new medium)

 I started seeing him come to life a bit. Added a little rough detail.

 I got into detailing his face a bit.

Right at this point I jumped into the world of Wasted Footage and left Pumpkinhead on my shelf for a year.

 So after coming off Wasted Footage, and being a little disappointed with another group effort in film falling apart, I had to figure out what I was good at and give it a go. Sculpting is always a blast, so before I picked this bust off the shelf I threw in the dvd and watched Pumpkinhead and got excited about it again.

(The back of the head never looked right to me so I knew I had to take a long look and adjust my style to fix what wasn't working to me visually)

 After reading some Alien comics I saw this great painting of a face hugger and the style it was done in clicked. I decided to leave the mindset of a film monster and go into the world of a comic book style with my sculpting. (sometimes I have to change my style to get my idea to come to shape) Also I started reading House of Secrets and House of Mystery, just to stare at Bernie Wrightsons work again (big inspiration to me, right up there with Sam Kieth). Side note, after looking at Wrightsons work I got the idea to make Swamp Thing as a bust.

 I like this back of the head much more.

Around this point I was already sculpting Swamp Thing and Fred Sanford (always multiple things going on)

 I found these nice bases at a craft store and I think added that missing element to my bust. From this pic on is the finished sculpt.

 Pic to give you a scale of the sculpt.

And there he is, I was very satisfied with what I did on this and it was a nice monster to get me started on making mini busts. ( below are pics of the finished bust after being molded and cast in resin )