Jump to content

Sculpt: The King Of Sloths


32fordboy

Recommended Posts

Here is the beginning of a new sculpt. This is a 1/15 scale Eremotherium. This particular sculpt is based on skeletal photos and is scaled to the reported size of the Eremotherium found by Frank Garcia and friends at the Leisey Shell pits in January of 1993.

According to the articles I could track down, the shoulder-to-wrist length was approximately nine feet, putting the sloth at approximately 21 feet tall on its hind legs. The largest claw core found was 23" around the curve. Unfortunately, the specimen is still in the plaster jackets, 21 years later, so proportions are generally assumed.

Attached is also a photo of one of the teeth from the beast. I'll post updates to the sculpt here over time. Don't expect it to be quick. I expect the sculpt to take in the area of a year to complete (it's tough to find the time). The sculpt might one day be part of a mini diorama that will be designed specifically to show off the massive nature of the animal.

It looks a bit "cute" at this stage, but will probably be quite grotesque when done.

Nick

post-741-0-69621400-1388951210_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-17684800-1388951471_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looks like it will be very cool! Especially based off your other work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! Here is the reason it will take so long: fur. This example is a sculpt done for a friend. It was completed over the course of 2 years.

That looks incredibly lifelike! I'd probably just end up using some brush bristles and press them against the figure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I look forward to seeing this when it is done. If no one has yet spoken for it, I would like to put my name it the hat for first chance to buy it.

Interestingly, Eremotherium was not known from Leisey until after the two volume report was in 1995.

Rich

The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is an interesting case. I poked around a bit and was basically told that anything I heard was up in the air or couldn't be confirmed. Hours of scouring turned up several articles which supported the original story.

You are first on the list, Rich. I have taken your advice on scale, as well. After drawing and redrawing everything from a lion to Peraceratherium, 1/15 is a good compromise for a family of sculpts.

Making molds is something I'd like to avoid in the future, but may outsource it for all to enjoy. It really all depends on interest. This would probably take around $1500 to have molded, then they'd charge me for every cast. Needless to say, it wouldn't be a money- making venture, but a way to share the fun.

Thanks for the interest, Rich! Huge compliment!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I'm looking for input from those familiar with Eremotherium skeletal anatomy. The hands look huge, but that may be due to the lack of bulk on the arms, and lack of feet. The hands were copied directly from a photo. The claws are full claws on the sculpt, not just cores, so the claws are a bit larger than the fossils would indicate at first glance.

The hand on the ground is on edge to keep the claws from snagging, and the hands overlap a bit, as viewed from above. I'm tempted to curl the fingers in a bit more like an anteater.

Any opinions? What say you, Rich?

Nick

post-741-0-46246500-1392217963_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-16968800-1392217966_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-93572300-1392217968_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-05971700-1392217972_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-30428300-1392217975_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-18728600-1392217978_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-01081400-1392217981_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

You guys are going to think I'm crazy, but this sculpt is going to be sacrificed for version 2.0.

A few reasons:

1. The new version accounts for photographic distortion. That was not taken into account when doing the first version. It resulted in slightly skewed proportions.

2. The new version's armature is far more accurate to skeletal dimensions.

3. The new version is smaller at 1/18 (90mm) scale. This allows less materials cost and less shelf space if the sculpt is ever molded for retail.

The armature for version 2.0 is already done. The positioning and pose will be just about the same. The new drawings were taken from photos of a different specimen, just to cross-check proportions for accuracy.

post-741-0-68615400-1395014260_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-26173300-1395014265_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-30241600-1395014269_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i don't think you're crazy at all Nick. Doing an additive model, my Hesperornis on aluminum mesh grew larger than I anticipated. The one thing I will never do again is work from two very different specimen drawings though, that stopped me cold for even longer. :)

"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

Very cool Nick! It would be nice to see a human next to him for scale.

Are you using Super Sculpy?

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
->Get your Mosasaur print
->How to spot a fake Trilobite
->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xonenine, that's the amazing thing about these sculpts. On paper they look tiny. In 3D form they look so much larger. A 9 inch tall sculpt, for example, sounds small, but it's quite large.

The clay will be stripped off the original version for use in 2.0. The metal rods and base will be saved for later models. The armature will probably be discarded or tossed in the scrap pile. It might one day be of use for another sculpt (with modification, obviously).

The armatures are made of wood and various wire thicknesses. Once the wood form is made, it can be smoothed out with aluminum foil and epoxy putty. The actual surface of the model is entirely Super Sculpy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm trying to find a 90mm human model for scale. If anybody knows of a native american, Cro magnon, paleontologist, or Neanderthal figure in 90mm scale, I'd sure appreciate the help!

It would be nice to stick with some sort of paleo theme for the human figure. Heck, even some sort of adventurer would work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

here is an 105 mm neanderthal, perhaps the company name or seller can help with more scale figures from this Bullyland line :)

BULLYLAND 58383 HOMO NEANDARTHALENSIS

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BULLYLAND-EVOLUTION-OF-MAN-PREHISTORIC-HOMINID-FIGURE-HOMO-NEANDARTHALENSIS-/370950420563?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565e5e3853

"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

Poor Sloth 1.0

The king is dead, all hail the king!

Looking forward to seeing the new version's progress.

Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Here's version 2.0 with what would be a 6'2" human. This new sculpt is far more realistic. Lesson of the day: make your armature as accurate as possible and sculpt time will be far less with far better results. Live and learn.

One thing I am struggling with is the hand shape. They are accurate size-wise, but their odd layout is just difficult to wrap one's head around. They look so wrong, especially with one finger being clawless. It doesn't help that sloths had a weird wrist geometry.

I took a bit of artistic liberty with the hand that is raised. Pretty sure the wrist geometry would dictate the fingers point to the sky a bit on an arm that would have been raised in such a way.

Also attached is the highly-modified (bones repositioned at the joints) skeletal side view I used for this particular version. It meshes up proportionally with skeletal photos from the Black Hills Institute website, which is where the hand photos came from. Numerous other photos were used, particularly from sloths mounted upright, to gauge pelvis and rib cage shape as viewed from the front.

post-741-0-53065000-1396014532_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-65962700-1396014537_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-18981200-1396014545_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-68102500-1396014556_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-02690900-1396014565_thumb.jpg

post-741-0-42939800-1396015229_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The next step will be to get the other hand sculpted, then come back in and bulk up the forearms until both look feasible and symmetrical. Back and forth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lookin' good! I like it. And i like how people can just look at it for even a split second and understand the enormity that was the Giant Ground Sloth! It's still one of my favorite animals......

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
->Get your Mosasaur print
->How to spot a fake Trilobite
->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed. There was an exhibit here in Denver last year with a full size fiberglass Columbian Mammoth of about the same height. The mammoth was overly-built (mammoths were relatively slender and their full-size version was a bit on the hefty side).

Standing near the mammoth replica gave a sense of how large these creatures really were...massive!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...