November 21 - Hulk

"The smallest details make the biggest difference."

~ Richard Carlson

Today I'm thankful for Patrick Van De Ven.

I've always thought Patrick's designs had an ... elegance to them?  I remember seeing his Gonzo for the first time and how the world just kind of froze for three minutes while I devoured every detail.

His Little Guy technique is one of my favorite for "humanoids" (saying that makes me feel like a Martian), and is probably one of the clearer examples of how a balloon concept can be so universal.

Simple things.  Little things.  Important things - they're what make the design.

(view other Hulk)

---

Other balloons by and inspired by Patrick Van De Ven:

April 29 - Li'l Heroes

“Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me. ”

~ Fred Rogers

Just a quick trip into some superheroes using Jackie Ochitwa's Li'l Guy body form.

Spiderman ended up being more pen work than I imagined at the outset, the plain blue did not work well as the body.

Hulk is the first of these that was built with (a ratty mop of) hair.

Venom showed that the shape of the head is important, which points out something interesting.  Our heads are typically more vertical oval bean shaped, these "kawaii" heads are horizontal beans.  Round shapes don't seem to work well for humanoid heads.

... and yes, Dr. Manhattan was built anatomically correct.   If curiosity is getting the better of you, I've made it clickable.




(view other superheroes)

---

Other Jackie Ochitwa inspired balloons:

November 21 - Chibicoro Superheroes

... But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can’t stop you, then you become something else entirely.

~ Ra's al Ghul Batman Begins (2005)

I was chatting with someone today who expressed a bit of disappointment that I was embracing such a seemingly simple concept as balloon art when I just finished making some amazing Nao balloon art.  Paraphrasing my reply here:

Chibi's are simpler balloons conceptually, but more challenging than building some bigger structures.  Small balloons are unforgivable, like Picos - slight variations in size and pressure are obvious, you have very little room to work with to realize your creation and in order to keep things in scale, and very few balloon options to use.

Here is a perfect example, I had visions of building a bunch of heroes, but tried and tried again playing around trying to get a form I liked.  I started with an idea to add a head on top by pinch twisting a very soft bubble, thinking I had to have feet color underneath the pants.  I was feeling lukewarm on the first attempts so I built the two cleaner versions to the right below which gave me an extra attempt at drawing the faces, but those didn't feel right either - more like a chubby Pico than Chibicoro.  Finally I tried a couple that closely followed the Chibicoro form and they ended up being my favorite.

Excelsior!

---

Other Chibicoro balloon designs:

Show All

July 8 - Hulk Super Dude

Dr. David Banner—physician, scientist...searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry. And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage and pursued by an investigative reporter.  The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit. David Banner is believed to be dead. And he must let the world think that he is dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.

 ~ The Incredible Hulk Intro

The second of Richard "Bauldy" Rivera's Super Dude's (link) is this Hulk.

Hulk was one of the TV shows I love watching as a kid and I still remember the sad closing credits - with poor Dr. Banner never able to stay in an area too long.  We would play Hulk at recess, which was really just 'tag' with a lot of growling. I never really collected the Hulk comic, I suppose I can chalk it up to my limited allowance and a coin op video game obsession.

I ended up building three versions until I was happy.  I tried using the printed heads, but the face always seemed a bit small so I tried to make one myself.  I do like the way it turned out, but it could still use some work.

---

Other Super Dudes:

All Bauldy's

February 21 - Hulk

What makes Hulk afraid? It's himself. It's a version of himself that's weak. It's a version of himself that's vulnerable. It's a child inside of him.

~ Mark Ruffalo

Well I couldn't resist doing at least one traditional superhero, I wanted to play around with making Scott Lanham's Beefcakes a little beefier - and the natural selection for that would be Hulk.

I tried a good number of combinations of balloons sizes for his muscles before settling -- and in the end he still looks a little bit lean for Hulk - and I wish I had done something different with the calves.

This is the first beefcake balloon I thought I might try hair on, and it looks Lou Ferrigno late 70's weird, so s scrapped that and built a new head.

---

Other posts with the Lanham Beefcakes:


Show all