Under what?

Finalizing molds was slowed this week by a steady stream of interviews and related projects there in, including a mock magazine feature layout which was actually really fun. That's not a complaint either, freelance is fun and all, but I miss the majors and, more importantly, that regular I can count on it like clockwork pay check.

Robots don't care about the economy kids, remember that!

I have the three problem prototypes rebuilt and all prepped for molding, just have to mix and pour. A system was worked out that simultaneously vents (preventing air bubbles that cause underdeveloped little details and hands) and tells me just where limbs end and where they line up (so that when I cut into the mold, I'm not playing archaeologist, this will be like neurosurgery with a laser).

Last round one bot did come out completely fine (besides RAY's legs, since he's the only two piece model) and that was Underhill. Underhill has a canon as big as he is (but no where near as rotund) and the militaristic blood thirst to use it. He's quite the contrast to his more urban sector oriented comrades, who spent a bit more time on the book learnin' rather than the ordinance range.

Oddly enough, he's also the shortest. Huh.



I'll be testing the other three new molds tonight and tomorrow for consistency and should have some other extreme close up shots by the end of the weekend.

What you see in the photo above is actually a very very small area. Thank you Canon for "digital macro" functionality.

A lot of mold making, if you're self taught that is, becomes trial and error, learning to think upside down and a lot of remembering to consider air pockets/pressure/flow. The previous rounds yielded quite the education. This round has seen much better prep and planning, hopefully caused by a sudden leap in skills.

I just want to knock this out so I can start painting the buggers.

For anyone who wants to see my magazine feature mock up here 'tis:

Page 1 and 2:


Page 3 and 4:

Rogue Robots

When you mold any piece, you end up with a solid block at first. Then you must slowly make cut after cut to remove your prototype piece. You end up with two halves and a hollow space that, when the two halves are put together a portal opens and... well no, but you do get the 3D shape you intended to mold.

Round 1 of molding these robots (way back last fall) taught me quite a bit about molding complex bots with lots of small parts. Of the four designs, I had made molds for two of them. I quickly learned to be sure to have enough of an opening so that pouring resin into the mold was not a nightmare. The most important thing I learned was the need to add extensions to any small protrusions (through the use of diced up tooth picks) to give some extra space for air to be pushed. There is obviously air in the mold when you start pouring and, inevitably, that air needs somewhere to go. Adding small extensions to parts where this is probable (limbs, fingers claws, etc) gives that air a place of its own. Sure when you pour in the resin, some of it will fill those extensions and need to be cut away later. But better to have an extra bit of flak to cut off of a robot's claw then ending up with a short claw due to an air pocket.

Round 2 of molding this week yielded a couple of perfect pieces and a couple that, due to their complexity, weren't delivering consistent results. Rather than spend tons of time (and resin) modifying and modifying the mold after the fact, I'm simply going to re pour the molds on two of them. I've sketched out the optimal venting that needs to be in place. I'm confident the next molds for them will be easier to cut in half in addition to yielding perfect pieces every time.

Its a slight set back, but a necessary step in the learning process regardless. I'll be sure to factor in the molding process ahead of time when I start designs for Wave 2 of 9th circle Robotics after Wave 1's launch.

And despite what you might read in the press about our molding process, 9th Circle Robotics prototypes Gibson and Aldiss-327 DID NOT go rogue during an attempted molding and they most certainly did not kill 36 of the 42 members of the production floor staff. Further claims that they were only subdued after sustaining heavy damage when a functioning Underhill unit fired upon them with his cannon, resulting in the need to undergo a slight redesign before round 3 of molding, are ALSO ridiculous and unfounded. 9th Circle Robotics planned for a bit of redesigning between molding sessions. The shared legal team of 9th Circle Robotics and its parent company Mephisto Designs is quite confident they will be able to get the courts to see things their way and all charges will be dropped. The public has nothing to worry about, these robots will arrive at every doorstep in the country on schedule.

9th Circle Robotics, ROLL OUT!

Resin bearing freighter has just docked... clearing shipment now.

Scanning crew clearing the shipment of foreign contaminants. Minions have begun loading shipment into the 9th Circle Factory.

It has begun!

(see previous 2 posts for details)

9th Circle Robotics Last All April Long

This friday, the supply carrier lands at the 9th Circle Robotics "Division" of Mephisto Designs. The factory is all prepped for heavy production.

Probably as good a time as any to throw some specs out...
The roster for this first set will consist of these units:

9CR_WAVE~1>
01\> Gibson: 2.50" tall
>>[burly worker model with quite the arm span]
02\> Aldiss-327_: 4.25" tall
>>[tall & thin, incredible learning algorithm]
03\> Underhill_: 2.75" tall
>>[scrapper model, canon length equal to unit height]
04\> RAY_: 2.75" tall
>>[probable height increase pending final approval, quadruped]


I'm considering dabbling with some automotive paint for a few color ways since I'm still deciding between ALL used looking or some used/some clean. As usual, I'll probably just decide as I go. I wouldn't mind doing some high gloss enamel schemes and then roughing them up for a little C-3P0 circa '77 action.

Soon...

HERE, WHERE ITS AT

With black & white prints & originals up in the shop, I'm onto digital coloring/painting. Why "coloring/painting"? Why not just 'painting'? When I'm filling in inked work, its a totally different thought process. As similar as it is to painting, it has far more in common with coloring.

Here's a recent result, a color version of my piece "OFF":



I'm building up technique by "coloring" a few before I move into full on digital painting.

I'm a person that thrives on variety. I've spent my life reading, listening to & watching everything I can; all the while, figuring out why & how all of it came to be. I've also been drawing since I was a wee thing & moved from the typical 'wtf is that' stuff of small children to comic art to graphic design to blah blah blah... now I'm "HERE".

HERE may only be one point on a long road, but its a HERE I'm glad to have finally stumbled on. All those influences I've absorbed can take a hell of a time to process, filter & distill. Until HERE, my work lacked focus. I could tell I hadn't really found MY voice. Obviously one's voice is the answer to a never ending story (I'm still waiting for my own Falkor), but I'm no longer looking at it with a furrowed brow muttering, 'what the hell IS this even?' I may never look upon my work with total satisfaction, nor do I think I should. However, I'm at a point where I'm starting to find the work interesting, both in process & outcome.

Years ago, I'd decided that I wouldn't show my work until I'd reached HERE. Since everything I'd created leading up to HERE wasn't terribly inspiring to me in any way (other than the hopes that it was another step forward, even if I couldn't tell), it certainly wouldn't be to anyone else. So... here's to HERE. Now I'm off to THERE.

I'm not one to stay in one place for long.

A lot of the digital painting I'll be doing will be conceptual work primarily focused on pre-visualizing two novels I've been toiling with for a minute now. They're both set in very complex worlds that I'd like to spend some time designing, engineering & exploring. It can only help, surely. I've already started a few rough sketches & I'm excited to bring them to a more actualized state.

Of course, I'll throw them up here as soon as they're worth looking at...

FIRST BATCH OF PRINTS

Today I added a few prints and original pieces to the SHOP. Yes, only black and white for now, color takes time dammit! BUT I am working on some color pieces right now. This is very much just the start of what's to come. I have a lot of pieces in progress at the moment, some are straight forward "character" type work, though I'm working on some conceptual stuff as well. Hopefully I'll have a batch of those up by the end of next week.

Feel free to show your friends... you know... or whatever... just sayin...

The 9th Circle Robotics first wave is ready for molding and I'll be securing needed materials by the end of the month for a late April debut. I can't wait to show em around, I really love them so hopefully others will too. I have some interesting promotional ideas for them as well assuming a few of my more out there ideas come to fruition.