Ribs And Hands (October 2007)
The creature ribs were created using a variety of techniques. The basic rib shapes were cut from scrap wood, mostly old paneling and thin plywood. Two different shapes were used to create the ribs. The first shape was a stylized neck, shoulders and spinal cord, sort of a large “T” shape.
Note that I never really concern myself with anatomical correctness.
The second shape was that of the ribs, again, anatomical correctness was not an issue. If you look closely at the photographs of the finished display you notice that I used a different rib shape for each creature. The demons contained sharp angles and points where as the witch ribs were curvy and very non-human. The skeletons and zombies each had their own unique rib style/design. The ribs were attached to the spinal cord “T” shape using a 1”x1” strip of wood giving ribs some depth and dimension.
Finally, a curved protrusion created from corrugated cardboard was attached to the front and center of the ribs. Hot glue was used to attach the cardboard protrusion. The reason for the protrusion was to support layers of fabric coated with monster mud, creating more dimension to the ribs. Note that the pink sections in the photographs are the fabric/monster mud. The gray areas are papier mache clay that was used to define and give the individual ribs dimension.
Here are some photos of the ribs prior to painting:
Close up of the ribcage after final painting:
Here are some photos of the hands prior to painting.
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