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The Fabrication of Claymation - Fabrication Class 2024

elliescottdesigns

For my grad school Fabrication class, my fellow students and I were tasked with designing and fabricating an object meant to be part of an animal enclosure. My professor also gave the alternate assignment of designing a new creature and fabricating a moving model of the critter. I was working at a fabrication company at the time, but I had yet to foray into creature design... so I took that route.


I ended up creating a creature that was intended to be a buddy to the opossum. After all, it must be lonely being North America's only marsupial, so why not create North America's only monotreme? Monotremes include platypuses and echidnas, and they are a unique and ancient form of mammal almost similar to a reptile. My critter essentially used a raccoon as a base, but altered its phisiology to fit monotreme's characteristics. Additionally, in order to avoid comparison to a Niffler from the Potterverse, I used an echidna for inspiration instead a platypus.






Then, I made a series of clay maquettes, to varying degrees of success. I had never sculpted before, so I made myself sculpt every day. First, I just used my hands. Then, I allowed myself to use tools. (Thank you to Jimmy Brennick and Bryn Court for your guidance!)



The first clay sculpt, done without tools
The first clay sculpt, done without tools

Sculpts 2 and 3, done using tools. Sculpt 2 ended up becoming my final version, while Sculpt 3 became a nightmare-fuel lesson to remember to use a reference when you sculpt.
Sculpts 2 and 3, done using tools. Sculpt 2 ended up becoming my final version, while Sculpt 3 became a nightmare-fuel lesson to remember to use a reference when you sculpt.


After I designed my little guy, it was time to make him move. Because I fell in love with the sculpting process when making maquettes of my design, and due to my lifelong obsession with Wallace and Gromit, my friend and reviewer suggested claymation (thanks Mary!). It just made sense. I started by storyboarding my animation, and then I created a 2D-drawn animatic with Procreate. After that, I made what was intended to be my test stop motion video. It ended up being the final product due to me being hospitalized (oops), but I am still pretty proud of the result!



Storyboard for the animatic
Storyboard for the animatic



See the attached files for more info on my process!




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