From study to resin
The process
Every piece passes through the same six stages. None of them is mechanised, and the last one is the reason no two copies are ever strictly identical.
01 · Morphological study
Skeletal proportions, musculature and posture are studied first, from photographs, video and field observation. For extinct animals the source is the fossil record itself — skull morphology, tooth wear, and where they exist, frozen carcasses and cave art.
02 · Scale drawing
A measured drawing, usually at 1:20, fixes the proportions before modelling begins. It is the reference that stops the shape drifting as the clay is worked.
03 · Modelling
The original is built in heat-hardened clay over a wire armature, which carries the weight and holds the pose while the surface is worked.
04 · Silicone mould
Once the original is finished it is moulded in silicone. The mould is what makes a limited number of copies possible without carving each one from scratch.
05 · Resin casting
Copies are cast in polyurethane resin. Larger pieces are cast hollow to keep the weight manageable and the wall thickness even.
06 · Hand finishing and painting
Each casting is cleaned, seam lines are removed, and the piece is painted by hand in acrylics. This is the stage that takes longest, and the reason every copy differs slightly from the next.
Made to order
Nothing is held in stock. Each piece is cast, finished and painted after the order is placed, which normally takes around fifteen days before shipping.
