Replicating Han Solo's DL-44

... Han shot first!

Like many iconic props, the DL-44 has been studied in mind boggling detail for many years. The original was based on an actual "Broom Handle" Mauser C96, with later iterations being based on a replica of the same gun. Now neither WW2 antiques nor super rare replicas are within my price range but what I can afford is one of these: 

This super cheap toy might not look like much now, but I'm hoping with a little bit of work I can make it look like the real deal. 

Converting a Water Pistol Blade Runner PKD

or "Is it raining on that replicant or did my gun shoot water?"

I recently completed my painting "Memories Lost", a tribute to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and for this painting I recreated a number of props from the movie. Perhaps the most iconic and memorable is of course Deckard's Blaster. There are many excellent replicas of this gun available. All of them out of my price range, with one exception; the Fullcock Takagi water pistol. Read on below to see how I converted a water pistol into a stunning replica.

3D Printing Luke's Macrobinoculars

or "Why's that Tuskan getting bigger?" 

In the past I've chosen which props to build based on what my current obsession is, but for the last couple of years I've been choosing what to make with a view to composing paintings. I've been tiptoeing round the idea for a Star Wars painting for a while now, and with that in mind I decided I really *needed* a pair of macro binoculars...

3D Printing a Fertility Idol

Although I really enjoy making things and the processes involved I’m not much of a collector and there aren’t many props I actually desire to own. One fairly major exception to this is the Golden Idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I’m still kicking myself for not buying the Idol money-box I saw in my local comic shop fifteen odd years ago. 

Given that I had some spare time at work recently I thought I’d model up an idol I could run out on my 3D printer. There are a few models already kicking around on the internet however I felt a better level of accuracy could be achieved. 

Revisiting the Crown of Bethmora

Five years ago I produced a copy of the Crown of Bethmora (from Hellboy 2). In fact, it was the first original project I'd produced using my 3D Printer. In the Autumn of last year I was contacted with a commission to produce another crown. Since my first attempt I've picked up a few tricks, (and also the Art of Hellboy 2 book) so I was pretty sure I could produce something really amazing this time around, but this particular project was not all plain sailing...

The Cross of Coronado

It belongs in a Museum!

Next on my hit list of Indiana Jones props was the Cross of Coronado, the crucifix seen at the beginning of the third Indie movie. I've seen some awesome recreations of this prop that are as wonderful as they are outside my budget so I thought I'd have a go at making one for myself.

Perspective for your art (Part 1)

I'm involved with a few artist communities now and I'm seeing many of the same problems cropping up again and again. Rather than try to reply to everyone's queries individually I thought I would write some blog entries detailing one or two of the common issues artists face and how to overcome them.

To start with I thought we would tackle... PERSPECTIVE!

Creating a pirate treasure map...

In one of my previous blog entries I looked at the many techniques used in ageing paper, in this one I will look at applying them in the production of a realistic looking treasure map. If you want some tips on how to create a convincing pirate treasure map then read on…

Goonies never… write an original newspaper article

So here’s something I didn’t know, since the 50’s the same newspaper has been appearing in various shows and movies. Turns out I’m far from being the first person to notice this, it’s been common knowledge across the internet for some years now but I thought I would draw the so-called “recurring newspaper” to your attention for the reason below… 

What did you break this time Chunk? 

Golden Army Manuscript

Sometimes it feels like barely a day goes by where I haven't recreated something from Hellboy. Recently I stumbled across a photograph from the At Home with Monsters exhibition by Guilermo Del Toro showing one of the books created for Hellboy: The Golden Army, and I thought to myself: I could make one of those...

Copper Bones, Westward foams, triple stones...

Something that I'm sure I have in common with many of you is that Goonies holds a special place in my heart. The kids, the bad guys, pirates, traps, gadgets and eventually the treasure... it's the perfect adventure and certainly a movie that I keep coming back to. As a quick side project to test some techniques I thought I'd sculpt up a version of the Copperbones...

What's on my workbench? July 2017

Things have been a bit hectic lately so some of my more involved projects have been sidelined for a bit. Despite this I have managed to make a little progress on a few small odds and ends...

Linoprinting - Sammael, the Desolate One...

... Hound of the Resurrection

I’m a huge Guillermo Del Toro fan and had been tinkering with a recreation of the Sammael artwork for a while. I’d not really put much thought into what I was going to do with it but when I started looking at woodblock printing for another project it seemed like the stars had aligned. As a gentle introduction to the intimidating and technical art of woodblock carving I thought I would put my Sammael artwork to good use and cut some lino...