Tron-Sector: Forums (I/O Tower)

I do have two test paper figures I at least have sketched down onto some poster-board. One is of Tron standing, one hand raised in a 'fist-bump' gesture - the holding tab is there. My other idea was for a 'high-five' gesture... I have plenty of other ideas. I'll likely end up sketching them down on a page, and submitting it in the Fan Art section for opinions.

I want to color them both with differing techniques (one in ink and colored pencil, and another in acrylic and ink), and then coat them in a few layers of Mod Podge sealant, mostly to test their durability. I'll also subject the poor things to some abuse, to test their fastness against stains, tea, charcoal, crumpling, being dropped,stepped on, and tugged/ripped.

After all, I don't take any scruples past Murphy's Law. Better to subject the figures to as many stresses as I can, to see how survivable they will be. However, my intent is still to actually have them in duplicates in the book's integrated pockets. I'll also laminate and send a note along with it, containing basic instructions for sending from fan to fan, 'end' instructions for the book to be returned to me once full, or once the list of participants is exhausted, and a set of contact information in case of damages or complete loss of certain figures.

I'd been working on some sculpting of Tron, in bust-style. I've essentially had to rework this entire sculpture, as it was in need of a thicker armature. The sculpture itself has rapidly gotten rather bulky, and the volume alone is a challenge. Not that it was my intent, but Tron's face is near to what I'd imagine life-sized to be... Working at that scale is rather difficult, as I am used to more manageable scales of detail. But, I've been pushing myself to work large and challenge those limits.

The only downside is that plasticine does not exactly smooth nicely, and overall Tron's magnitude of detail is not exactly great; he is mostly smooth surfaces, with any real texture just being his face, and partially his hair.

Otherwise, one would think his overall facial structure easy to model - but seeing a figure (still or animated), and sculpting a figure are two separate things; I also don't have spectacular sculpting skills. Much as with any artwork, one becomes so accustomed to staring at it while working that one essentially becomes blind to any areas of error. So, gauging exact details is a taxing, tedious process.

I can only hope it all turns out in the end. After all, I consider the end arbiter to be the fandom itself. The last challenge would be his chest, and including that 'T' emblem, and the disc on his back - hopefully. I also wish to have three versions of his facial expression, 'Mentor,' 'Hero,' and 'Scars.' But, given that I've had to add more mass to the armature, adding a tilt to his facial angle may no longer be possible - it takes quite some wrestling just to get the inner base to move! (It's so awkward to handle, I have to grip the base with both hands, and use my *shoulder* to move it! And I'd have to remove and replace the entire actual sculptural mass-layer just to do it...)

Speaking of which, I've had to cut into and work with Tron's eye-socket(s) so much, I feel worse than Dyson. =p Not to mention cutting into the back of Tron's head to add more volume-inserts to preserve plasticine supply... Sculpting is an art with brutal, primal nuance. Or so I joke.