Miss Pearl Grey

Meet Miss Pearl Grey, an artist in the UK working in 3D! 

"Hello! My name is Kellie, but you can call me Miss Pearl Grey, if you like."

How or why did you start working dimensionally?
I was always drawing and became very interested in making minatures as a child. My Grandfather built me a beautiful Doll's House that I was able to furnish with little objects I had made myself and people I crafted from pipe cleaners, cotton wool, tights and material. I eventually ran out of rooms for them all to live in, so it became more like a Hostel for tiny people!
I have a rather short attention span sometimes, so consequently I tend to ricochet back and forth between 2 and 3 dimensional illustrating when I temporarily tire of one or the other (it is usually on the break between each that my interest is reignited!).

What or who has influenced the way you work? 
I am constantly in awe of the sheer talent out there! I have a wide range of inspirations which include (but are not limited to) Aardman, FaultyOptic, Red Nose Studio and Liz Lomax. I also consider myself very lucky to have a supportive cast of family and friends, who are invariably willing to endure my antisocial tendencies when working on new pieces.

Please describe your working process.
I always start with sketches. Each character is visualised on paper from a variety of angles in order to provide accurate viewpoints later on. Once I have started sculpting I find it very helpful to have my own drawings on the desk so that I can see exactly how much curve the chin needs, or where a particular wart should be. This said, however, my models are rarely the same as the initial sketch by the end! 
I usually start with a wire or tin foil armature and build onto this with Super Sculpey. I fire the initial sculpt in the oven and then each subsequent layer is fixed with a very hot hairdryer (my models are usually small enough that this is sufficient). Occasionally I pad out some of the bulkier characters with upholstery wadding to save using so much Sculpey, these are just fixed with the hairdryer. I use children's plasticine modelling tools, scalpels and cocktail sticks to sculpt faces and details. Some of the features are just about being resourceful with materials. I am a bit of a hoarder so I tend to hang onto scraps of old material and things most people would throw away- I know they will come in handy sooner or later. I usually paint with acrylics but learned the hard way that you should always seal the paint with varnish (I use the Matte variety). Once the characters are ready I arrange the props and backgrounds accordingly and photograph, editing afterwards in Photoshop where necessary.

What do you the enjoy most / least about working dimensionally?
I would have to say that the most frustrating thing for me is overheating my models, burning them to a crisp when I wander off to make a cup of tea. When I overheat them they shatter a lot more easily and this can be very time consuming to fix! Materials can be very costly, too. But the overall satisfaction I get from seeing the final images and from other people's reactions makes it very rewarding. I am also a tremendous perfectionist, but I don't think that ever really leaves you.

Kellie Black
Pearl Grey Illustration
www.misspearlgrey.com
www.misspearlgrey.blogspot.com
All images and content © Miss Pearl Grey

Brixpix

Meet Brixpix, an artist in Florida who works in 3D!
"I started as one of 4 siblings, all dabbling in one type of art or another. Being the youngest it seemed like I was always competing in a land of superior artists. My father, too was a great painter and mentor. After graduating college in 1978 with a degree in Graphic Design, I moved to Los Angeles to seek my future in the arts. Somehow, I took a wrong turn and wound up in the customer service machine for a good 24 years. All major players: Xerox, Capital One, Time Warner. In 2004 I was rescued by Bic Graphic USA where I continue to work in the art department to this day. I have been a freelance illustrator, painter and toy designer. I have successfully shown at the Art Center of St Petersburg, Florida and currently show at both the Hard Rock Store in Tampa, Florida as well as the Creative Native Gallery in Tampa, Florida."

How or why did you start working dimensionally?
Back in 2006 a coworker of mine introduced me to munnys as a viable "canvas" and I quickly found the perfect meld of illustration and paint. I didn't have much experience with the new medium, but soon entered my 1st munny contest (Munnyshow2 at Uberbot Winter Park, Fl on 7/8/06). I came in second place out of 140 contestants. The experience reminded me of my artistic roots. I have to say there and then art was no longer a hobby. It became an obsession. In working hard and raising a family, you forget your roots. I rediscovered mine.

What or who has influenced the way you work?
I'd have to say that from an early age, I have been influenced by Robert Crumb, grand daddy of underground comics. Being born in the 50's I have a unique perspective of the art on and before that time. It was realistic, detailed, linear. I love the details in art. I don't care how long a piece takes to make. It's finished when it's finished. Crumb draws the way he sees. Carrying a sketch pad helps me stay tuned in to what I see, like a camera, but with a creative slant. Currently, I am influenced by modern heroes of the art world. Mark Ryden, Todd Schorr, Gary Baseman and Joe Ledbetter, to name a few.

Please describe your working process.
I like to grow as an artist. So the tools I use today may not necessarily be used on my art tomorrow. I am a big proponent of using 3D art objects that are cast aside at garage sales, giving them a second life. I love vinyl and resin and sculpey. I use prismacolor pencils and a set of Kohinoor rapidographs for inking. Using am angle grinder making wood sculptures lately. I also started painting Coke Cans in the hopes of creating a trend, making them collectable as opposed to recyclable. Portable art, art that can be carried with you, is another niche I am trying to create. No longer imprisoning art to the confines of 4 walls. Toys are the perfect vehicle to get art out. The designer toy market is over 10 years old. Still feels like it's in it's infancy as it has hardly hit the mainstream yet. It's an exciting time to work with other young designers and see their creativity shine.

What do you enjoy most / least about working dimensionally?
As a cartoonist/illustrator, I could only dream of my characters moving in a 3D world. Working dimensionally makes one think differently when approaching the medium. The personality of the character leaps off the toy. Vinyl can be expensive though. I megamunny can run you back $200.00. If designed properly, a good designer can sell the piece for over $1000.00. Urban toy designers started out getting little recognition. This is changing as some established artists are designing toys as a way for most people to afford their work.

Brixpix
brixpix@tampabay.rr.com
brixpix.wordpress.com
All images and content © Brixpix

Sean Bixby

Sean Bixby holds a BA in illustration from the Hartford Art School. He has enjoyed success with both his painting and sculpting. His painting landed him his first children’s book The Uncrossable Canyon with author James Dongweck of Golden Monkey Publishing. While his sculptures have been shown in multiple shows at the Society of Illustrators in NYC. He lives and works out of Merrimac, Massachusetts.

How or why did you start working dimensionally?
In college I did a lot of work from photo reference. I knew that my style ultimately came from inside my head and I wanted to start creating work in that style. My professor knew the benefits of drawing from reference and suggested that I sculpt the characters from my head and photograph them. When I showed him the sculptures he was impressed and introduced me to the world of 3D illustration and I have been sculpting since.

What or who has influenced the way you work? 

I believe my style is the product of my fascination with Saturday morning cartoons and comic books as a child. I would spend hours in my room at night filling notebooks with my own cartoons and comics. These days I am influenced by other artist in all different genres of art. I am a history buff and enjoy visiting galleries and museums. I collect children’s books and recently been looking at a lot of work by Bill Peet.

Please describe your working process.

I usually start with the body of a figure. I create a wire armature and use super sculpey for the head and hands. I paint the head and hands with acrylic inks. The clothes are hand sewn. My most recent sculpture “Shiver me timber (the pirate)”, I stitched a wig and beard out of embroidery thread. My backgrounds are created from various items I find around the house and in craft stores. Finally, I photograph the illustrations digitally.

What do you enjoy the most / least about working dimensionally.

The thing I enjoy the most is the process which is always a learning experience and also the satisfaction that comes with the completion of a successful illustration. The thing I hate most is the hazards; burning myself on my toaster oven or stabbing myself with a sewing needle or x-acto knife (Ouch!).

Sean Bixby

www.seanbixby.com
www.uncrossablecanyon.com

sean@seanbixby.com

images and content © Sean Bixby

Sophy Tuttle

Sophy Tuttle has been sculpting since her mum bought her some Sculpey to keep her busy at 6. Since then, her style has become a little bit more sophisticated, but she's still using the same materials. Currently, Sophy is living and working out of Baltimore, interning at Puppet Heap in Hoboken, NJ and dreaming of moving to Tuscany. She was most recently selected for the Society of Illustrators show in Los Angeles.

How did you start working dimensionally?
I took a class my freshman year at RISD called 3D Illustration. It opened my eyes to the fact that illustration didn't have to be just drawing or painting, and it was a big reason why I chose illustration as my major. I still work in 2D a lot, but more often than not a project just calls for a 3D solution, and it's fantastic to be able to do that.

What or who has influenced the way you work?
When I first started out, Red Nose Studios was a huge influence, as well as Dave McKean, the Brothers Quay, and Henry Moore. I also had a few very influential and helpful teachers... Melissa Ferreira, Jeff Hesser, Jon Foster, and Nick Jainschigg, to name a few. One other major influence is Julie Taymor, although it may not be very obvious in my work. When I need inspiration I go back and watch Titus or leaf through a book on her Lion King characters designs. Her creativity is incredible! The list goes on and I discover new artists that inspire me everyday.

What do you enjoy the most / least about working dimensionally?

I love the freedom to be able to play with layout, color, and focus in a way you really can't do with 2d illustration. Being able to move around my characters and view point is extremely helpful in deciding the look of the final illustration. I also love being able to build things with my hands, rather than on the computer, and have a final physical product. The downside, of course, is the time each piece takes to complete. The work usually takes much longer than a drawing, but you get the same deadline.

Please describe your working process.

I start out with many sketches and ideas, and then narrow them down to a solid concept. I do a very loose sketch of what I think the final will look like and then build from there. I like things to be lose and develop organically, rather than having everything totally planned out before completion. I generally work in either Super Sculpey or Paperclay.

Sophy Tuttle

www.sophytuttle.com

http://sophytuttle.blogspot.com

sophy.tuttle@yahoo.com

images and content © Sophy Tuttle

Laura Meredith (aka Toasty Illustration)

Meet Laura Meredith of Toasty Illustration. She's a 3D illustrator based in the UK and she told me... 

"school and college art courses left me quite disillusioned with the concept of an art career so i had a break from doing any artwork for 4 years before enrolling on an art foundation diploma course on impulse when accompanying my friend to an open day in 2003. I intended to train as a tattooist and only applied to university as a back up idea. I accepted a place on the Illustration BA course at the university of Portsmouth where we were encouraged to find a way of working away from the traditional mediums of drawing and painting. I didn't branch out to 3d illustration until the middle of my second year and from then on i didn't look back. I graduated in 2008 and since then i have been published in several books and magazines and have participated in several group exhibitions in london, cardiff, winchester and portsmouth."

How did you start working dimensionally?

I think that i had always subconsciously yearned to create something sculptural and tactile, however i thought my career would be in drawing or painting until i discovered the potential of 3d illustration. 

What or who has influenced the way you work?

when i first started Chris Sickles was definately a huge influence. since i started to research the medium my tastes have branched out to include sculptors and animators such as Ron Mueck, Suzie Templeton, Paul Berry, The Brothers Quay and Tim Burton. Individual pieces are mainly influenced by found materials or objects which can kickstart the direction of an illustration.

Please describe your working process.

I use super sculpey, wire, fabric, acrylic paints, glue and acrylic doll hair. I have recently experimented with enclosing my work in resin or jars and i love the idea of my models becoming jarred specimens.

What do you enjoy the most about working dimensionally?

I'm very impatient clumsy, and i have been known to ruin a piece in my eagerness to make the finishing touches! I also find that i have to use so many different tools and materials that anywhere i'm working immediately turns into a building site so i'm contantly having to tidy up after myself to avoid stepping in/on paint, needles or wire. What i enjoy most is the sense of accomplishment in creating miniature sets and characters, and the satisfaction when you can finally sit back and see that its coming together and that its the best thing you've made so far- Its great to know that there is always room to improve.

Laura Meredith (aka Toasty Illustration)

www.toastyillustration.com

lmeredith83@hotmail.co.uk

images and content © Laura Meredith (aka Toasty Illustration)

David O'Keefe

Raised on Hollywood, sports and rock and roll music, David O’Keefe has an acute awareness for the images and personalities that have colored the lives of his generation.  He just sees things differently – more intensely, edgier, somewhat more perspicuous than the average spectator. The pop culture icons that we idolize, glamorize and glorify, O’Keefe visualizes for us in all their humanness as well as their stardom. An editorial illustrator for over 25 years, O’Keefe began his art career at The Tampa Tribune as a promotion artist, dabbled in editorial cartooning under mentor, Wayne Stayskal, and spent several years as the Special Projects Illustrator for the newsroom.

His sardonic caricatures and humorous illustrations also appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Mad Magazine, The Village Voice and within the pages of TIME.  His advertising clients include Coca-Cola, WaffleHouse, Fuji and SunCom Communications. In 2007, David left his day job to pursue his passion of painting and sculpting pop culture icons. O’Keefe’s work is transformative, capturing not just the likeness of his subjects, but their personalities as well. He has recently released an epic depiction of the characters from The Godfather and of the entire I Love Lucy cast. His company, David O’Keefe Studios distributes his work through galleries across the country and in Europe.  David O’Keefe Studios also operates a solo gallery on St. Armand’s Circle in Sarasota, Florida. O’Keefe’s work has won numerous awards from such organizations as The Society of Illustrators (NY and LA), American Illustration, Communication Arts, National Headliner Awards, Dimensional Illustrators, and the Society of News Design. He considers himself blessed to pursue his dream and finds great joy in his work and in his family. O’Keefe currently resides in the Tampa Bay Area with his wife, Janice and their four children.

How did you start working dimensionally?
I started working dimensionally back in the mid-1980s, creating larger than life paper mache sculptures of the likes of President Ronald Reagan and the then undefeated boxer, Mike Tyson.  I've always had a passion for caricature and working dimensionally seemed like a natural progression. I experimented with other sculpting mediums, including plaster of Paris for a Billy Joel bust (Mozart style). This is my first sculpted illustration to win an award and bring me national recognition as an illustrator.
In order to create dimensional illustrations for editorial deadlines, I had to work faster and smarter. About this time, a friend introduced me to super sculpey polymer clay.  My first big break came from TIME Magazine and art director Ken Smith. Their first commission of me was an illustration about AT&T layoffs. Unfortunately, the art was killed after completion ("too harsh") and I was crushed, but Smith soon gave me another chance to humorize "Mad Cow" disease and British Prime Minister John Major.
In the early 1990s, there was no affordable digital camera, photo imaging software, or the internet.  I would get an assignment from TIME on Monday, fax sketches to the art director the same day and usually get a final sketch approval by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.  Then I would sculpt like mad to the camera's eye only (leaving back sides unfinished,) paint a background or build a set, have my photographer come to my studio Thursday night and shoot a large film slide for the highest resolution.  A courier would pick up the finished slide early Friday morning at my home outside Tampa to take back to NYC to meet TIME's Friday 8 pm deadline.  What a rush! Literally.
 

What or who has influenced the way you work?
Aside from the old master painter Peter Paul Rubens, people who have inspired me over the years include the incredibly talented illustrators Ronald Searle, Carl Giles, Carter Goodrich, Edward Sorel, Sempe, Peter de Seve and sculptors Damon Bard and Michael Defeo. I have had the pleasure to work with outstanding art directors like Ken Smith (TIME), Minh Uong (The Village Voice) and my Tampa Tribune AD, Pat Mitchell.  All have had a huge impact on my career.
 

What do you enjoy the most / least about working dimensionally?
As editorial budgets got slashed, it just didn't pay to continue doing editorial assignments.  A perfectionist, I became increasingly more dissatisfied with the quality of my work on such short deadlines. I really wanted to sculpt for more than just a photograph - to finish all sides and truly capture the essence of my subject's personality.  Today I do a lot of oil painting and work on smaller, finished sculptures.  I like to incorporate realistic details such as human hair wigs, doll eyes, moles, wrinkles, and clothing.
 

Please describe your working process.
Before I start any sculpture, I first come up with the concept and initial sketch of the person(s) I am going to sculpt.  Then I study videos and photos of the subject from all sides.  Video is especially important in capturing a person’s mannerisms and nuances.   I then study the source images side by side, and then amalgamate the person’s likeness into my own style.  I won’t start sculpting until I have sketches from all sides. Today, I photograph my own work with a digital SLR camera.
 

David O'Keefe Studios
2310 W. State St.
Tampa FL 33609
(813)254-5056
www.davidokeefe.com
images and content © David O'Keefe

Jon Knox

Hello, Brute is the creative work of Jon Knox, a designer/illustrator/artist based in Portland. He was born and raised in North Carolina, and lived in Perth (Australia) for the better part of 2006. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the College of Design at NC State, but spent his free time screenprinting, drawing, and painting. He lived and developed his work in San Francisco in 2008, then moved to Portland where his studio is currently located. His current work focuses on an all-boy crew who are often stuck somewhere between the best and worst moments of their lives. Jon's work has been exhibited around the globe, including solo exhibitions in Chicago and Seattle. One of his latest projects is a series of hand cast resin toys produced in limited editions.

How did you start working dimensionally?
I was in college in 2005 when a professor of mine introduced me to artist toys. I had played around with the idea of branding my portfolio and trying to find an artistic direction, much to the chagrin of most of my teachers. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I felt a huge sense of freedom working without someone breathing down my neck for process sketches and type studies. I really hated staring at a computer screen all day while my brain and butt went numb.
Aside from screen printing and illustration, I spent a lot of time painting on factory-made vinyl toys, but in the end wanted to work on a more detailed surface. A friend of mine coaxed me into learning how to make molds from my own sculptures, so I spent about a year learning and experimenting with sculpting and casting. Once I finished my first toy, I sold the first edition online. The toys have been pretty popular, so due to the amount of interest in them, I began working on them more and more. Now I find myself working on toy projects a majority of the time.

What or who has influenced the way you work?
It changes all the time. I'm sort of a fashion junkie and find inspiration in the clothes people wear, whether they're in vogue or not. I find beauty in people's quirks and insecurities. So when I'm designing the characters, their clothes, color schemes, and imperfections are the quintessence of who they are. As far as the way I work, I went to school for graphic design and it would be tough to say I didn't pick up a lot of habits from working in shared workspaces for 4 years. I am really messy and my studio is a wreck 99% of the time. I am one of those crazy people that feels comforted by clutter and I think my work is a reflection of my mess of ideas.

Please describe your working process.
I try and keep my process loose. Particularly when working in 3D, I don't like sketching and measuring. I like when the proportions are a little off and the sculpture is smattered with fingerprints. I hand make all of my toys and I think leaving the mistakes in them leaves more of my personality in there. I think people relate to it. I start with a wire armature and sculpt onto it with polymer clay. Once my clay figure is sculpted and cured, I make a silicone mold from it. From that mold I cast multiples using polyurethane resin. Those duplicates are then sanded, primed, painted, and varnished – all by hand in my studio.

What do you enjoy the most / least about working dimensionally?

Most: I have complete control from start to finish and there's a lot more room for experimentation.

Least: It's really messy and I think the chemicals are corroding my lungs.

Jon Knox
jonknox@hellobrute.com
www.hellobrute.com
http://hellobrute.com/blog/
images and content © Jon Knox / Hello, Brute™

Red Nose Studio

Chris Sickels welcomes us into the amazing world of Red Nose Studio. His illustrations appear in advertising, magazines, books, newspapers, packaging, character development and animation. His work has been honored by virtually every award institution or annual.

How did you start working dimensionally?
While finishing college, I saw some puppet performances by Mark Fox that were full of movement, lighting, sounds, smells, textures, and when i would go back to the studio to paint, myself and fellow painters would talk about how after seeing one of those performances, working on a painting seemed so still and dead. Eventually I started trying to create puppets of my characters. This is how I got hooked on building things, it all tied back to the toys I tried to make as a kid. So over time while I was illustrating as a painter I continuously worked on building puppets and trying to find a way to use them in my illustrations and after about 3-4 years of trial and mostly error, I was able to have an art director that had enough confidence in my work that she was willing to give the 3D work a shot.

What or who has influenced the way you work?

While working as an art handler at the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati in the late nineties, I helped install an exhibit of Tim Hawkinson's work, meeting somebody like him and seeing how he manipulates materials and constructs his sculptures, really opened my eyes to how someone can create things beyond just oil and canvas. The list of influences runs on and on from Dave McKean and his 'Mr. Punch' graphic novel, the stop-motion work of the Quay Brothers, Nick Park, the puppet performances of Mark Fox, Eric Sanko, and seeing the footage of Alexander Calder performing his Circus. The most important influence on the way I work is my growing up and working on a small family farm, I was taught how to use what you have on hand to fix/solve the situation that arises. Watching my Grandfather, who able to fix just about anything with a pair of pliers and some wire. To this day, wire is is the core of all my figures.

Please describe your working process.

Sketching , Sketching and more drawing, this is where it all starts. Once a drawing can successfully convey the concept, everything gets built from there. Often I do some very rough watercolor studies and dig thru drawers of fabric to establish a palette. The camera angle/ viewpoint is kept in the forefront of the building process, so things can be created efficiently, much like a stage or movie set. The facial expressions of the characters play a large role in my images, so considerable attention is put on the sculpting of the figures and the rest of the environment is built as it needs to be to help direct the viewer through the composition. Lighting the set and adjustments to the camera angle and figure position are made up until the final shot. It usually takes at least 100 test shots throughout the process until everything seems to fall into place.

What do you enjoy the most / least about working dimensionally?

MOST: Visual problem solving, coming up with concepts, the ideas. Being able to work in all facets of art- drawing, sculpting, painting, building sets, making props, costumes, photography, and lighting to create my own little worlds. LEAST: Not sure, probably space constraints, and the fact that I think I am on am mission to find the most difficult way to create illustrations.

Red Nose Studio has been featured in Communication Arts, HOW, Print, Creativity and 3x3 Magazine, as well as in a number of art and design books including Taschen’s Illustration Now!. He has twice been honored with the Carol Anthony Grand Prize award from the Society of Illustrators 3-D Salon. Two of his short films, The Red Thread Project and Innards, were selected to screen at the 2005 and 2006 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. He authored and illustrated The Look Book, and has illustrated the children's book Here Comes The Garbage Barge that will released in February 2010.

Red Nose Studio aka Chris Sickels
chris@rednosestudio.com
www.rednosestudio.com
images and content © Red Nose Studio
for commissions, please contact:

Magnet Reps || Artist Representatives
1-866-390-5656, art@magnetreps.com
www.magnetreps.com