Clayton Jones Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) So I've wanted to own my own museum since I was a little kid. I can collect all the invertebrate fossils and shark teeth I want, but the big and interesting stuff that most people are interested in is Really hard to come by, and it usually comes in pieces. If I'm going to own a museum, I'm going to have to spend thousands of dollars on replicas and fossils right? Did i mention I'm pretty good at making stuff? combine the desire for bigger interesting fossils with my creative abilities, and you get this: I've spent 3 weeks researching the skull of Anhanguera Blittersdorfi, 1 week modeling it out in Blender and then soon I'm going to model this out in some kind of medium (wood, wire, clay, I haven't decided yet) at it's actual size. I want to make sure that it is as accurate as possible. I'd like to be able to have a pterosaur expert look at it and know exactly what it is, and be able to point to and label any part of it as though it were the real thing. I'm not trying to make fake fossils, I'm against that. What I'm trying to make is what amounts to a 3D version of those little black and white profile drawings of the bones you always see in the books. Something you can actually hold in your hand without having to spend $1000+. If this project goes well, I'd like to make more skulls, maybe even entire skeletons, life-sized and scientifically accurate! I welcome all critique about this skull, if you are a relevant expert, know a relevant expert, or just know something is wrong with it, let me know! Edited June 9, 2011 by Clayton Jones My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I know not a thing about the subject of your efforts, but I applaud your ambition, and am in awe of your skills! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Very cool! I'd love to have one of those.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diplotomodon Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Are you up for hire? I can pay you in fossils Spectacular job! What a wonderful menagerie! Who would believe that such as register lay buried in the strata? To open the leaves, to unroll the papyrus, has been an intensely interesting though difficult work, having all the excitement and marvelous development of a romance. And yet the volume is only partly read. Many a new page I fancy will yet be opened. -- Edward Hitchcock, 1858 Formerly known on the forum as Crimsonraptor @Diplotomodon on Twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Thanks guys! When I get this skull finalized and approved by an expert, I'm hoping to sell them. I want to make the bigger, rarer things more accessible to people who are interested in them. When I get this skull done, I'll probably do another one... my local museum has some pretty good reference material... being paid in fossils sound pretty interesting too My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Nice model. Getting it to a real pterosaur expert could be tough. There just aren't that many of those folks. I can think of four, and three of them are not on the same continent as us. On the other hand, I am on pretty good terms with at least one of those three and I could show him your work for some feedback. I will be seeing all these guys at the SVP meeting in November if you want to send me something. But do it later, I am about to spend a month in the field... which means away from computers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 That would be awesome jpc! I can send anything for them to look at, maybe the skull itself if I can figure out how to model it exactly out from my computer... I have a few ideas of how to do that. If the final skull is given the greenlight, I would like to give a replica to anyone that helped with the final critique... If they'd want one that is. So I guess I have until slightly before November to get something ready then, I can do that My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 After the dig I will get in touch with the guy I know and see if he would be willing to give it a look, and if he'll even be in Vegas. The catch is, you'll have to remind me in August, cuz my memory is like a sieve for projects that are not my own. Yeah, my memory suffers from absolute selfishness, when it does work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 Sounds good, I'll remind you in August then. Hopefully they'll want to take a look. I have my "absent minded professor" times, like most of the time i spent modeling the skull. Funny how time flies when working on something interesting. My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Amazing and ambitious project. How about adding Tiktaalik to the list? Good Luck and wishing you great success Clayton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Well, I've been trying out different ways of modeling the skull, and I've come to a few conclusions that may be of use to others that want to make their own skulls: Carving the skull out of foam is possible, but the foam can be messed up too easily, even with a hot-wire cutter. I think this skull represents the lower limit of size for a skull that I could carve from foam. The technique would be more fitting for larger skulls. Carving foam is the cheapest method I have yet tried, the sheet of blue insulation foam cost about $9.80 at Lowe's and it was enough to make 4 blanks for the skull which is about 20" long and about 5" inches wide and tall. I did have to make my own hot-wire cutter completely from scratch (which was really fun), I might put a How-to for building one in my blog later. Sculpting the skull out of clay may also be possible, but the hard part (for me) is setting up an armature for the clay to go on that doesn't get in the way. I'm going to try a different kind of armature this weekend, maybe it will work. Overall, I think clay is better for small skulls. Slicing up the skull, printing the outline of the slices out, cutting the slices out of wood or cardboard, and gluing them together; AKA manual 3D printing. I never actually tried this, but from what I could figure, it would take way too long to do all of that for the whole skull if I wanted a lot of detail; I'd have to process 150-1000 slices by hand. This would work, but I don't think it would make the best looking skull. If I had an actual 3D printer, this would be no problem and would probably be my first choice. It'd be really expensive though. My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost1066 Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Well, I've been trying out different ways of modeling the skull, and I've come to a few conclusions that may be of use to others that want to make their own skulls: Carving the skull out of foam is possible, but the foam can be messed up too easily, even with a hot-wire cutter. I think this skull represents the lower limit of size for a skull that I could carve from foam. The technique would be more fitting for larger skulls. Carving foam is the cheapest method I have yet tried, the sheet of blue insulation foam cost about $9.80 at Lowe's and it was enough to make 4 blanks for the skull which is about 20" long and about 5" inches wide and tall. I did have to make my own hot-wire cutter completely from scratch (which was really fun), I might put a How-to for building one in my blog later. Sculpting the skull out of clay may also be possible, but the hard part (for me) is setting up an armature for the clay to go on that doesn't get in the way. I'm going to try a different kind of armature this weekend, maybe it will work. Overall, I think clay is better for small skulls. Slicing up the skull, printing the outline of the slices out, cutting the slices out of wood or cardboard, and gluing them together; AKA manual 3D printing. I never actually tried this, but from what I could figure, it would take way too long to do all of that for the whole skull if I wanted a lot of detail; I'd have to process 150-1000 slices by hand. This would work, but I don't think it would make the best looking skull. If I had an actual 3D printer, this would be no problem and would probably be my first choice. It'd be really expensive though. If you would like some information/tips/techniques it just happens I have a bit of knowledge about everything you want to do. I worked as a professional model builder, mold maker, painter, set builder and have done original pieces of my own. All of the big projects I did were paleo related with one of the best studios around. I would be happy to talk to you and help you with any questions you have. Got about 20 years in the field so far. If you want to talk PM me and I will give you my # and we can get you going. Tommy Here is a life size placerius I did a little sculpting on then made the mold cast it in fiberglass, built, seamed and painted. Behind it you can see a piece of a Utah Raptor I worked on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 Well, it's been a while since I posted about the skull, thanks to advice from ghost1066, I have almost finished the first version of the Anhanguera blittersdorffi skull! Here is the whole thing, the other pictures were a little too bright, this one shows more detail The skull is just over 18" in length, including the teeth. I modeled the skull and mandible separate. So what do you think? @piranha, I think Tiktaalik might be my next project after I manage to make some casts of this skull. My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 That is excellent! What material did you wind up using? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 I made it with Original Sculpey, over an aluminum mesh armature. I only used original sculpey because I had a big box of it. Future projects will probably be a mix of clays as regular sculpey doesn't blend as well as I would like. My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost1066 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Clayton you did a great job on that. Absolutely beautiful in the pics. Would love to see it in person one day. Congrats on seeing it through that is a lot of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Great Googly Moogly! I am dumbstruck by your skill. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I am continually amazed at the talent of the TFF membership! That is amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 stunning work Clayton :fainting-smiley: "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 Thanks everyone! Now that I actually finished it, I have this sudden urge to go and sculpt every fossil I've ever seen. that might taker me a while lol But seriously, this sculpting thing is addictive My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Well, it seems that I've let my projects get a little dusty. While not having all the time I would like to work on things, I've managed to finish another skull-and-a-half! The first skull is that of Sarcosuchus imperator, one of the largest crocodyliforms to ever live! I've modeled pretty much the entire skull and mandible; only the brain case, internal sinuses and some interior parts of the jaw are 'blank', as I could not find any reference material for those areas. The skull: The jaw: I should be done with the next skull sometime this week, I won't say what it is yet... except that it is the first dinosaur skull in the series, and it's a carnivore! Also, if you'd like to see more skulls modeled or you have a specific skull or even skeleton you'd like to see, any reference images or papers you can find involving them would be of great help, especially photos of the back end of the skull and interior areas. The more reference material I have to go on, the easier it is for me to get into modeling a skull. Hopefully I will be doing this more often with more reference material and support! Thank you and enjoy! My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vordigern Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 great job, Im surprised the sculpey worked that well on such a long thin piece. how thick would you estimate the sculpy layer is. I would love to get some more detail about how you made the skulls, I have been asked to talk to a class of 2nd graders ,in the Spring, about a Drexel University dig Ive been volunteering at since June and while I have some cool fossils (teeth and bone fragments) from the site that I was allowed to keep, I was trying to figure out how to make a replica of something found at the site that would really impress the kids. Maybe a Thoracosaurus skull or something comparable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton Jones Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 So far the only skull I've actually sculpted in clay is the Anhanguera blittersdorffi, the Sarcosuchus imperator and the mystery dinosaur are modeled in the computer. I am hoping to sculpt them all, but in the case of Sarcosuchus, i don't know where I would put a 6' crocodile skull. I could make miniatures, but I like the life-size ones better. The thinnest part of the Anhanguera is the nasal crest, and it's around the same thickness as the lead in a #2 pencil. The crest, and most of the rest of the skull, are built up on an armature of expanded aluminum: It's easy to cut, easy to shape, it is surprisingly strong, and all the little holes leave the perfect surface for the clay to stick to. for really thin surfaces, like the Anhanguera's crest, the clay can be pressed into the expanded aluminum armature almost as thin as the aluminum itself. I have noticed a little purple staining around the areas of the armature that develop over time; the cut edges of the aluminum are reacting to the clay or air and changing color. Nothing to worry about of the sculpt is going to be used to make molds or if it's painted. I also used some heavy-gauge aluminum wire to stiffen up other areas The sculpey I used was the original kind, and it has a feel similar to hard vinyl and has a little bit of flex. As far as planning the skull, I'd work a little with the clay and aluminum to get a feel for the materials first. I planned the Anhanguera armature out on the sheet of expanded aluminum with a large sharpie marker (the roughness of the metal will tear up the end of the marker after a while), planning it out kinda like one of those cereal box cutout toys; the shape would be cut out of the aluminum with scissors or even a single edge razor blade (be very careful with those!), while the aluminum was on a flat surface, and the design had the necessary folding lines and tabs necessary to make a rough, 3D shape for the clay to sit on. I used plumber's epoxy putty to cement different pieces of armature together, I recommend rubber gloves when working with the stuff because it smells horrible until it hardens and sticks to everything, including you. Then I just apply the clay and smooth everything out until I am satisfied with the skull. I should note that original sculpey does not blend with itself as well as super sculpey (the pink stuff) and I had to use sandpaper on some areas after the model was baked. I think i'll have to write a more in-depth tutorial for this soon. A skull will definitely get kids excited, especially the big toothy ones. Those are, coincidentally, the hard ones to sculpt.Good luck, just ask if you need help. My attempt at creating a museum and community center to help people find an interest in the world around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Great Googly Moogly! I am in awe of folks with the ability to craft such beauty. I read your explanation of technique, understood every word, and must still relegate your results to magic. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vordigern Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 thanks Clayton, I appreciate the detailed description. the only sculpy Ive worked with is Super Sculpey and it doesnt see to be very forgiving to any kind of flex, I think I'll pick up some original Sculpy and play around with it a little to see its limitations. I have done some work with plumbers epoxy and as luck would have it a friend was cleaning out their garage this summer and gave me quite a bit of it. I dont know what he was planning to do with that much plumbers epoxy but I was happy to take it off his hands. Expanded aluminum is a great idea for the armature and actually opens up the possibilities for some other ideas Ive been kicking around for awhile. This suddenly seems much more possible, I better get to work ps thanks for the offer for help, Im sure I'll be contacting you several times during the process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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