Clearly, behind a piece, there is some more pre-study along with that random explosion of creativity: references, consistency with the series, productibility, etc.
The Mech is designed to be the handygirl of the team. But rather than making a usual mechanic fixer with a greasy onesie and some ugly muzzle - we already have The Chef and we love him, right? - we tried to think more about a different kind of handiness. This is why she looks more like a DIY enthusiast and her home hobbyist style fits perfectly in the series.
We actually have a Captain with a bowling pin as a companion parrot, so… Decided her look and style, it’s time to move on to the sculpting part! And here things start getting exciting:
I mean, things have to go bad before going good, right? But don't worry, it's part of the game...
The very first sketch is always pretty far from the complete visual appeal of the final piece!
Here our talented sculptor Lucas Pinheiro started to tackle the Mech, blocking out the major volumes and approaching the pose.
It’s very important to get reviews frequently and with always the final goal in mind: the Art Direction department studies the actual work in progress and gives tips, corrections, and useful insights to help the artist carve the best out of the piece!
A typical review looks like this:
Messy, full of lines and strange words. And random arrows pointing at something not even drawn.
Going through an intense exchange of proposals, reviews, and corrections, the model starts getting always more form and identity!
In the end, Lucas pulled out a fantastic work, this was the result before going further on with the creation of the Mech!
Isn't she lovely? It’s all fun and games until a dreadful wind blows through the hippy halls of the art department.
We call this wind: PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Intimidating people enter the studio and pointing at screens (actually firmly touching the screens physically, very physically) with their strong fingers, they start commenting with strange words like “impossible to cast”, “structural errors detected”, “what do you mean with let's make the mini float”, and our personal favourite: "If I had a cent for every messed up mini..."
Eventually, they find some kind of agreement and the piece finally starts its first step into the real resin production!
The bridge between digital sculpts and physical models is 3D Printing: but before going through it, the piece needs a little re-definition of spaces…
The division into pieces is essential for both 3D printing and resin casting: since it’s a long and complex story, we leave the explanations to another article! Here are some pics to display how production tackles the hard job and some messy tables (if you followed our social campaign, you know how proud we are about them):
Can you hear the clear sound of chaos?
Finally, almost like magic (and many experts' hands knowledge), she is alive! Ready to mess your tables with her strange inventions!
