Tangled

Wow!  First off- sorry for the delay in posts!  It's holiday time- so of course, life is busy.  My world is pretty preoccupied these days with projects and preparing for Christmas, etc-  but I think it's time for an update.  I am very happy to report that the Sideshow Strongman custom Vinylmation I did awhile back found a home!  Thank you to the lovely people who adopted him! :)

In addition to the Strongman, I also did this one of a kind custom Vinylmation of Disney's Rapunzel. Thanks for the pic, Destination Vinylmation!   Of course, I had to give her a frying pan (in case of ruffians and thugs)!  I'm working on possible ideas for future customs- but am juggling all of that with regular work and personal projects. I have a lot of things in the works right now and I'm excited to see how all of it turns out.  

I was recently approached by a collector about how I create my custom Vinyls. I am by no means an authority of custom toy design- but I can tell you things based on my experience.

 Let me say it's purely a matter of experimentation: trial and error.  The "error" part can be quite frustrating but you just have to stick with it until you find something that works for you.  For me- the materials I use really vary according to the subject matter. What works for one may not work for another.  I use a lot of sculpting on mine when I feel that it's appropriate- and the same goes for fabric elements, accessories, etc.  You have to go with your gut and experiment with various materials/techniques till you feel it looks right.  And it won't always work like you hoped- and that's okay! It's a learning process.  These are my standard go-to materials when working on a custom:
-A good sculpting medium and sandpaper
-Acrylic paint- usually the kind that comes in the little craft paint bottles
-A good set of paint brushes, paint markers, etc.
- A bottle of clear paint varnish to act as a protective topcoat
- Hot glue gun
- If and when appropriate- fabric, ribbon, faux fur, etc.

You should pick the subject matter that speaks to you- and seems like something fun to create.  From there, decide what materials you want to work with.  Do you sculpt on it?  Simply paint on the form?  Mixed media? Do you use beads or any of the other art materials out there?  I really think the possibilities are endless and that's part of the fun!