Only 22 days till Designer Con 2015.
I will be there for my fifth time vending all sorts of lovely retrobotic stuff for your delight and amusement.
This year I am super easy to find. Booth number 114, right inside the main door in the ballroom.
So come on and say hello. I am happy to sign and sketch for you and just natter.
Exclusives news coming very very soon.
Clanking Classic Creature Collectibles.
Introducing the first pair in a new line of figures from Doktor A.
From the shadowy corners of crumbling castles, abandoned laboratories and forbidden islands crawl a new range of classic monster collectibles with a unique robotic twist.
Copper Creeps are a series of resin figures inspired by famous movie monsters of the past.
Each of these iconic horrors have been re-imagined with a vintage mechanical style.
Standing apart from Doktor A’s ongoing Mechtorian world, the new range will be familiar in tone to his existing fans whilst being easily accessible to new collectors.
The first two characters to be released are The Monster and The Bride.
The Monster stands a chunky 3″ tall, with The Bride a slim 4.5″ tall.
Each figure is available at launch in a choice of four different finishes.
Open editions of Brass, Pewter and Verdigris “Cold Cast” polished metal will cost £45 ( $65 ) each.
There will also be the very limited Mono hand painted edition for £90 ( $135 ) each. This is a signed and numbered run of only 20 of each character, individually hand painted by Doktor A.
The figures were all designed and sculpted by Doktor A and hand cast and finished in England by Baroque Designs.
They each come separately boxed in a simple package with a striking metal foil label.
Copper Creeps will be available to purchase from my online store from Saturday the 10th October at 6pm UK time. Early customers should have them in hand for Halloween.
We ship worldwide!
I have a new range of figures in the works and I thought I would post a peek at how they were made.
I work out the overall look on paper with a pencil first, figuring out the look of the figure. As I am making the prototype I dont need to do detailed turnaround views for another sculptor to work from. So I dive right into the build..
This is what I am using for my prototype master sculpt. More of a construct than a sculpt.
Acrylic geometric forms. Styrene sheet. Acrylic and styrene rod and tube. Lead tape. Some plastic hemispheres. And some epoxy putty to fill the gaps.
My tools for this job. All hand tools apart from a mini power Proxxon drill (not shown) for bulky cutting and sanding, of which there is not much. As I am mostly using acrylic and styrene I am chemically welding more than gluing. Using dichloromethane.
Basic form built, with most gaps plugged with filler. Some rub down and finishing required before molding but he came together nicely. Three days work so far.
The switch on the back of the figure. I turned the handle grip from acrylic tube held in my mini drill chuck like a tiny lathe.
Some more views of the figure.
A couple of coats of primer and some rubbing down to get the best surface finish possible.
I use automotive acrylic paint mostly. A couple of coats of “Filler Primer” first. This is a high build primer that is great for filling any tiny indents or scratches in the surface. You can get a nice even surface with this, then move onto the regular primer.
Rubbing down is about 50% of modelmaking.
This will need another pass before it’s ready.
All finished and ready to send off to the casters. I wont be hand casting these myself. I know people who are set up specifically for that job and they are faster and better at it than I am..
And here is a small army of resin castings. I have filled any tiny air holes and primed these ready for painting…
More info on this new series coming very soon.
Watch my social media pages or this blog for info..
S. Hain Co. Spirit Devination & Communication Engine
Do you need to contact those who have passed into the aether?
Pressing questions need answering?
Legal documents need clarifying?
Words of comfort or reconciliation longed for?
Then purchase the latest in Talking Board Spirit Communicators from the S. Hain Company.
Easily talk with those who have moved into the great steam cloud via this modern mechanical miracle.
Easy to use.
Easy to clean.
And polite around the house.
(Tidily doubles as an occasional table when not in use.)
Customised “Tofu” Dunny vinyl toy from Kidrobot.
Etched Acrylic, Lead, Polyurethane Resin, Rubber,
3″ tall.
With removable key and Planchette.
Edition of four hand customised Dunny toys.
Each is signed, numbered and dated under the feet.
****** FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE ******
On sale from my online store on Saturday the 26th September at 8pm UK time.
Fantastic “Cold Cast Metal” sculpted pin badges are now available from my online store.
Each about 1″ across, these little resin Phizogs are great for your clothes,bags or collection cabinet.
Tiny Mechtorian faces, sculpted by Doktor A and hand cast in England. Each has inset mirrored metal eyes and individually antiqued and polished surfaces.
Three different “Metal” finishes are available.
They come carded and bagged with a metal “butterfly” fastening and are only £10 each..
Welcome to Retropolis, home of the Mechtorians, a society of retrobotic characters from all walks of life. Welcome to the all new Mechtorians.com the online hub for all things Mechtorian.
The new website collects together for the first time a decade’s worth of the Doktor’s Neo-Victorian robots. With over 200 characters listed it functions as a check-list and deep resource for collectors, an in depth introduction to the new-comer, and a splendid bit of eye candy for the casual visitor. Sculptural pieces, drawings, paintings, small run toys and other items are all represented. With all new images, remastered from the original photographs, and a sleek new style, Mechtorians are presented in more detail than ever before.
The first Mechtorian character appeared in 2006. Since then over 300 different sculptural pieces have been created along with 20 different production toys (with a total of 88 variations), countless drawings and numerous pieces of related merchandise.
Brass moustachioed scientists rub copper-plated elbows with polished metal bank managers, fairground hawkers and socialites in a fantastical realm where humans play no part. A world whose inhabitants go robotically about their daily routine, playing out their part in a society modeled on a flimsy memory of an ideal world.
Every tone and level of life is here. From the extraordinary to the mundane. The mythos of the Mechtorians grows and deepens with the introduction of each new character. Their own story illuminating a small part in the ever widening, ever growing tale of the Mechtorians.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Bruce Whistlecraft ( A.K.A Doktor A.) has exhibited for the last ten years in gallery shows set as far a field as Europe, America and Japan. The Doktor’s works have found homes in high profile private art collections around the world and new pieces are keenly anticipated. His characters have also reached a wider audience through the medium of toys. Short run collectible figures take on the role of three dimensional art prints, with more rare editions being highly sought after.
Trained as an Industrial Modelmaker, Bruce has worked in many fields of the advertising and entertainment industry. A period of time working as a “blue-sky” concept designer with a leading UK toy development company, linked with his eight years as a gallery owner have combined to make him the unique artist he is today. Unlike many other artists in the “art-toy” world the Doktor is a toy maker turned artist. Rather than the more usual artist turned toy maker.
He works from his studio on the Yorkshire moors in the UK.
Instagram : instagram.com/doktor_a/
Ello: ello.co/doktor_a
Facebook : www.facebook.com/DoktorA.art
Twitter : twitter.com/mechtorians
Online Store: http://mechtorians.bigcartel.com/
Redbubble store:http://www.redbubble.com/people/doktor-a/shop
I have a piece in a custom show in New York this Saturday.
myplasticheart and Peter Kato are proud to present Bedtime Stories, the first custom exhibition of Bedtime Bunnies, an original character created and designed by Peter Kato. This exhibition will debut a 4.5 inch version of the character made specifically for the exhibition. Showcasing the work of over 30 artists exploring the theme of bedtime stories, we invite them to revisit some of their favorite classic fairytales.
Bedtime stories come in many varieties, whether it’s a fairytale or fable or nursery rhyme, they bring us back to our childhood and our memories of stories and storytelling. Each custom Bedtime Bunny will tell it’s own story and give us a glimpse into each artist’s childhood inspiration.
Whilst most of the planet it seems is off enjoying the craziness of San Diego Comic Con I have decided to give the rest of us here online a treat.
25% off EVERYTHING on my online store for the duration of the convention.
That’s right.. from right now, until midnight on Sunday you can get a whole quarter off anything in the store.
Just use the code SDCC at checkout for the discount…
You NEED a Mechtorian blueprint cushion in your life right?
sure you do..
Then go to my online print to order site here :
http://nuvango.com/brucewhistlecraft
Other colours, styles and sizes available..
Rockabella Delarole
Metal head! And metal body for that matter.. Built to Rock.. But you wouldn’t want her to stage-dive…
Another Bella Delamere custom piece..
With a microphone behind her back. Steel spikes, Stage, amps and booze bottle.
