Day 2: Monday, May 11, 2009
It was a busy day on other projects, but the itch to get my hands back on the clay was unstoppable, and I think it was because I wasn't happy leaving the piece with such a disproportionate skull structure.
Even though I got the expression, I left the guy with a prehistorically low forehead. It goes without saying that we all prefer zombies with generous foreheads -- makes it easier to shoot 'em in the head. So with what little time I had that night, I built up the forehead, put some definition in the ears and laid in the first foundation of hair. I was satisfied with the overall shape of the head after that and closed up shop for the night.
Day 3: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
This sculpting thing is addictive. I spent the day moving faster than normal through regular business just so I could get my hands back on the head. I really wanted to get to the good stuff like wounds and textures, but I knew that I had to complete the structure, so that night I got to building up the neck.
In War of the Dead mythology, a "class 1" zombie is a recent post-mortal, but necrosis and other decay advances quickly, so the neck needed to exhibit pronounced musculature through the skin. The sternocleidomastoid muscles on either side of the neck and the turkey-like tendons hanging from the jaw would be all I needed to make that happen:
While I was at it, I snuck in some detail work by tearing a pronounced cut in the sneering upper lip that pointed to a similar cut in the lower eye lid under the empty eyesocket. Satisfied, I then closed up the rest of the structure around the neck.
And, even though I didn't really need to do it yet, I couldn't help but rip this motherfucker's throat out. Really enjoyed it, too...as I tore back the flesh, shredded the tendons and gutted the windpipe, I pictured the throat of any of several unsavory business associates I've sparred with during the past year...
Um, maybe I should talk to someone about that.
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