Where do I begin? This is one serious piece, this Thype. It's designed by a science fiction and fantasy painter who's work I've been tremendously influenced by, Wayne Barlowe, and sculpted by two brothers who've managed to accumulate a rabid following by way of their unique approach to sculpting, as well as their unique personalities, Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett; more commonly known as, " The Shiflett Brothers". Three talented juggernauts collide.
The sculpture is just fucking amazing, there's really not much else I can say. Clean and perfect fitting castings handled by Steve West of Cellar Cast. The sense of movement is wonderful, and Thype is carefully negotiating his way across the uneven rocks. I'm still reeling that there's a resin kit based off a Wayne Barlowe creature design sculpted by these Fellas, who've managed to create a sculpting style that's as individual as the great Frank Frazetta's approach was to painting. The Shiflett's have done work for Glenn Danzig, and to me, that means that their shit don't stink!
This is a stripped down, no frills, bad-assed piece of Art. I've spent many, many evenings studying the alien worlds and hellish landscapes realized by Wayne Barlowe; spent years admiring the unique skills of Jarrod and Brandon Shiflett. This was truly a righteous painting experience.
This lady is finished...
...and it truly feels like an immense weight lifted from me for some odd reason.
I've been drawn to this piece since the first moment Norman Meyers sent me a shadowy, amber tinted image of the Paul Komoda sculpture in progress. Just look at her face; a human being subjected to an abominable condition. I wonder who she was? Her name, where she lived, what she did for a living. And most of all, if she was alive or dead in the infamous image of her that was published in a Penthouse magazine in the 1970's.Google her...
I honestly don't know of any other artist who could study a visage such as this and avoid an all-out cruel, disgusting orgy of a sculpture. There's still a semblance of grace swimming around among her drooping and cratered features; her inky black eyes, completely void of emotion. That wonderfully ornate, ossified, art nouveau base is a treat indeed. Paul Komoda is, without question, " The Man".
My hat goes off to Artist Proof Studio for having the Balls to produce this piece.
I'll just get straight to the beans and suggest that if you are at all fond of Dragons, then do get this bust. From start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed working with this piece. A few details:
The kit comes in two solid, light gray resin pieces. Assembled, it's a height of ten inches, with casting duties handled by Shane McGowin. There are so many tiny spikes and spines on the surface that I feared wouldn't survive the casting process, but to my surprise, most of them did. Don't get me wrong: there were some repairs to be done, but work was minimal and easy.
Now let's discuss the sculptor, Jarett Riva for a moment. This guy comes outta' the gate with a piece of this caliber, and it's just friggin' crazy...
I remember seeing progress photos of it on a modeling forum called the The Clubhouse. Jarett must have been surreptitiously working with the piece for some time, and when he finally announced that it was his intention to produce the bust and make it available to purchase, I'm sure a group of ravenous hobbyists had their fingers hovering over the 'Pay Now' button.
Examining the creature's face, I see a hint of self-satisfaction in that half smirk, but maybe it's just me. The stoic, upright position of the head works the aforementioned aspect even further into being. I think it was an excellent decision for Jarett to imbue a little personality unto the dragon instead of portraying a fire-crazed, apocalyptic wyrm. (And let me tell ya', there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, either...) But the proverbial icing on the cake is without a doubt the wonderful field of reptilian textures the sculpture boasts. I might even take it to the ledge and say that this piece boasts some of the most exquisite textures of this sort that I've had the pleasure of seeing.
The whole piece is just handsome and full of pride; a combination of words which sum the piece up best in my opinion.
Prior to physically painting the piece, my mind's eye painted Surreptitious as dark, and dusty with layers of soot. That was my original destination, but my craft transported me to a different isle. However, I cannot say that I don't enjoy where I landed. There was a point that I had incorporated too many different transparent colors that I thought would add an interesting effect, but all that only succeeded in making the bust appear muddy and without any solid look. So in short, "Less is more"...or in my situation, " Additions through subtractions." In which case, I subtracted every scrap of paint and primer off it back down to the bare resin...
I had to strip the bust and start all over.
Well, I didn't have to, but I certainly wanted to. So I returned to the look that I was happiest with before the piece was 'lost', and slowly proceeded with caution from there. And I do feel content with the look of it all. Contact Jarett at: jriva@evilriva.com to harass him about this piece. ;)
