Gene Roddenberry!

2. Featuring the making of… Gene Roddenberry!

3. Preparation • Research the Subject 1. Review original media (TV, film, comic books, etc.) 2. Gather reference images (internet, magazines, etc. Find various angles to help give you the “full picture”.) 3. Draw sketches (This is helpful, but not necessary. Caricatures can help you to recognize prominent features.)

4. Preparation B. Materials 1. Clay of your choice (Sculpey, Fimo, Premo, etc.) 2. Sculpting & finishing tools (Toothpicks, Pin/Needle, fine grit sandpaper [100-220 grit], hobby knife) 3. Original Mego body & head (Useful as a reference for scale) 4. Cotton swab & Turpenoid(optional) (Used to remove fingerprints & smooth the surface of your sculpt.)

5. Preparation C. Work Area 1. Identify appropriate lighting (Use a unidirectional, “hard” light source to help cast shadows and bring out facial features as you sculpt.) 2. Get comfortable (Sculpting is a painstaking process… avoid any pain-causing postures.) 3. Ensure the area is sculpture-safe (The most painful situation is one where hours of work are lost due to carelessness. Make sure your work area is pet, child, and spouse-safe!)

6. Preparation Armed with your research knowledge, materials and a proper work area, you are now fully prepared to begin: Sculpting…

7. Sculpting • Warming Up The sculpting process is divided into the following sections: B. Forming Facial Shapes (eyes, nose & mouth) C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug

8. Sculpting The following examples are shown using a bake-to-harden polymer clay (Sculpey). Whether you prefer an air-dry clay, oil-based clay or wax/clay hybrid, all the following sculpting tips apply – except baking!

9. Sculpting A. Warming Up A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features Begin by kneading an amount of clay with your hands. As heat from your hands transfers, the clay will become more pliable. Soon you can begin to form a simple oval head shape with neck. D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug As you form this basic shape, compare it to an original Mego head for scale.

10. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair Before we begin forming features, let’s review the basics of facial feature placement. You may recall these guidelines from an introductory art class... E. Adding a Neck Plug

11. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair The most common mistake made when sculpting a face, is placing the eyes too close to the top of the head. E. Adding a Neck Plug

12. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair For proper placement, imagine two lines: one dissecting the face vertically (for symmetry), the other dissecting the head horizontally through the exact center… E. Adding a Neck Plug

13. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair It is on this horizontal halfway line that the eyes should lie – vertically centered on the face, and spaced one eye-width apart. E. Adding a Neck Plug

14. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair Next we’ll draw a second horizontal line, directly halfway between the eyeline and the chin… E. Adding a Neck Plug

15. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair Align the base of the nose here. E. Adding a Neck Plug

16. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair Two vertical lines extending from the inside of both eyes mark the nose width. E. Adding a Neck Plug

17. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair Once again, divide the remaining portion of the face in two – with a horizontal line halfway between the nose line and the chin. E. Adding a Neck Plug

18. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug This is the lip line.

19. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Extend two vertical lines from the center of each eye. These denote the lip width.

20. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Remove the imaginary lines, and voila! But don’t take the math at it’s face value…

21. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug View some examples to test the theory…

22. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Pretty convincing, eh? Right, now on with the sculpting…

23. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features Remembering the basics of positioning, begin forming the eye sockets by pushing in two symmetrical ‘depressions’. Pinch a raised area between them for the nose. You can augment the eye sockets using a toothpick or similar tool. D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Continue emphasizing the nose features using your sculpting tools. Add clay below the eye sockets to enhance cheek bone structure.

24. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features Using a thin tool, place the mouth. Form a bottom lip by depressing the clay between the mouth opening and the chin. D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug If you’re doing things right… your sculpt so far should be looking a lot like this guy!

25. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features C. Refining Facial Features It’s all in the details. Take your time manipulating the clay. Refer frequently to your reference materials and work on all areas multiple times, increasing detail and clarity with each pass. D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug As you refine the facial features, compare your sculpt to an original head to make sure your sculpt remains to scale.

26. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features C. Refining Facial Features Continue enhancing and refining all the detail areas—adding clay where necessary (usually the chin and cheeks) and removing clay from other parts (corners of the mouth, around the nose bridge and nostrils). D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Smooth out all rough areas with your fingers as much as possible while you sculpt.

27. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features C. Refining Facial Features When you’re just about satisfied with the face, check scale one last time compared with an original head. Also, set the sculpt on a body to see that the neck is a good size and that you are happy with the tilt and incline of the head. D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Take a look in the mirror—Seeing your sculpt in reverse can give you the fresh perspective needed to fix a problem spot with symmetry.

28. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes Now your polymer clay sculpt is almost ready for its first round in the oven. OPTIONAL: For an extra smooth finish, moisten a cotton swab with turpenoid* and gently rub the surface of the sculpt. Be cautious—too much pressure can remove desired detail. If you are happy with the finish as-is, skip this step and proceed to the kitchen… *Use turpenoid only with polymer clays. For oil-based clays use isopropyl alcohol. And for wax-based clays use mineral spirits. C. Refining Facial Features C. Refining Facial Features D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug

29. BAKE #1 8-10 minutes at 275°F Place your sculpt in an oven-safe pan or cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 275°F (130°C)and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

30. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features Now that your sculpt has been baked and is no longer pliable, you can add ears without damaging the eyes, nose or mouth. Begin by adding equal amounts of clay to either side of the head—soft clay will stick and blend nicely to its baked counterpart. If ear detail gives you a headache, refer to any original Mego head. Mego ears tend to be simplified versions of the real thing, but look just as good at this scale. D. Adding Ears & Hair D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug

31. BAKE #2 8-10 minutes at 275°F Place your sculpt in an oven-safe pan or cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 275°F (130°C)and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

32. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features After baking, hair can now be added without risk of damaging the ears. Again, soft clay can be added to the baked head and will blend nicely. D. Adding Ears & Hair D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug Use a toothpick or other sharp tool to create thin hair lines. Remember to keep lines light and organic for a realistic hair look.

33. BAKE #3 8-10 minutes at 275°F Place your sculpt in an oven-safe pan or cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 275°F (130°C)and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

34. Sculpting A. Warming Up B. Forming Facial Shapes C. Refining Facial Features Fresh from the oven, your finished masterpiece cannot be undone! You have only to attach a neck plug* and can call it a day. Nothing special here… simply refer to an original neck plug for scale, attach it to the base of the neck, and it’s off to the oven again… *Male sculpts only. Female Mego sculpts require no plug. Instead, the plug is part of the body, and the head can be sculpted without a neck entirely. Once the female sculpt is molded and cast in plastic, a 5/16” hole drilled into the base of the cast will fit onto the existing neck stem. D. Adding Ears & Hair E. Adding a Neck Plug E. Adding a Neck Plug

35. BAKE #4 8-10 minutes at 275°F Place your sculpt in an oven-safe pan or cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 275°F (130°C)and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

36. Finishing A. Sanding/Smoothing A. Sanding/Smoothing B. Sealing/Painting C. Preparing for Molding Even fully baked, your sculpt can still be refined. Fine sanding (100-220 grit sandpaper) and other minor smoothing can be done to improve a hardened sculpt. Similarly, your attached neck plug can be carved or sanded until just the right fit is achieved.

37. Finishing A. Sanding/Smoothing B. Sealing/Painting B. Sealing/Painting C. Preparing for Molding Your sculpt is now finished! If you are using the clay head as your final product, it can now be sealed and painted with any variety of acrylic spray or brush-on applications.

38. Finishing A. Sanding/Smoothing B. Sealing/Painting C. Preparing for Molding C. Preparing for Molding Or, if you are planning to mold and make casts of your sculpt, follow the preparation procedures recommended by the brand name of your mold-making materials.

39. Finished! Thank you for viewing Captain Dunsel’s Custom Sculpting Seminar! If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Captain at james@megomadhouse.com For a continuation into mold-making and plastic casting, see Captain Dunsel’s other tutorials: Mold-Making TutorialPlastic Casting Tutorial Good luck and have fun!