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I have begun on the shoulder scales, so the character of the dragon is becoming apparent. This will be a a brightly scaled figure, mostly because it reads better from a distance. Without color, the detail has to be pretty agressive to make up for it.

A good day’s work!

[Click either image to see a much larger photo.]

Visit Kim Graham Studios to see more of the sculptor’s work.

A good day sculpting. The anatomy is nearly established; I am working on balancing the volumes so the legs don’t look too massive or the head too tiny. I started on the spine scales, but they’re not yet pointing quite the right direction.

It’s good to review the pictures at the end of each day. They give me a fresh perspective on the shapes and lines of flow that are hard to see while I’m on the stage.

[Click any image to see a larger photo.]

Contact Kim Graham at kimsculptor (at) gmail (dot) com

The dragon after day 2. I have gotten the other arm and neck on the other side done and begun on the head. This picture shows the wrist is still a bit small and the biceps are dull. I’ll fix these tomorrow.

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The beginning of the Auckland demonstration. As you can see in the background, the mall management really dressed up the stage very nicely, far moreso than I thought possible.

I’m doing this demonstration by myself. I have two weeks, and that can be done pretty easily alone. It’s a shame — it is so much more fun to have people helping out! But if it’s done too quickly, I’ll run out of work.

[Click any image to see a larger photo.]

Visit Kim Graham Studios to see more work by the sculptor.

Kim prepared the mall dragon sculpture’s armature in advance. She writes, “The first picture is the welded steel armature built over a rough cardboard cutout version. There will be about half a ton of clay on this, so it has to be pretty strong. It took two days to build.” [Click the photo for a larger version.]

“This is the plaster and burlap covering that will support the clay. I made it small enough that I can fill out the musculature without hitting the plaster. One day to build.” [Click the photo for a larger version.]

Stay tuned for Kim’s updates on her latest dragon!

Contact SilkMermaid.com sculptor Kim Graham at kimsculptor (at) gmail (dot) com

Alas, the Silk Mermaid mold is now buttoned up and hoisted into the ceiling for long-term storage. At some point I’ll return to this wonderful project, but it will not be for some time.

The surprising news is, I’m also putting the concrete Troll away for an equally long time. The Digileg extensions have become enormously popular and required all my attention. There are now several hundred people who would like sets, and this requires a large production run. I will not be documenting that process, but will be posting some of the creative costumes fans will be building when the Digilegs go on sale.

Part of the life of an artist/entrepreneur is to be open to the unusual opportunities on your path. First I began on the Silk Mermaid, then the leg extensions, then the concrete Troll. Now the extensions are back on the front burner and heating up. Once the leg extensions are in production, I intend to resume blogging about my personal projects. It will be several months before I can begin anything new, but rest assured, whatever it is, it will challenging and fun!

Surviving as an artist is often the elastic ability to adapt from one project to another and to really enjoy that shifting challenge. I call it “dancing on quicksand.”

The new Tree Troll maquette - now on hold

Kim Graham is on YouTube as inventorgal.

About Kim Graham

At last I have finished designing my digigrade leg extensions and am now selling them to costumers, performers, and actors at Kim Graham Studios. Here is a good shot of the finished satyr version, with split hooves. These leg extensions make the wearer 14 inches taller, which makes me 6′ 7″ — and a real crowdstopper!

This one-minute Digilegs video demo on YouTube shows just how naturally they move. The hooves slide on springs; the movement constantly hides the foot mechanism and gives the wonderful impression of an additional ankle joint.

For Steamcon, a steampunk convention in Seattle (October 23-25, 2009), I’m already planning a “steam-powered” version with gears and moving parts. A Jules Verne mechanical satyr — it will be so cool!

If you have questions, please contact me at kimsculptor (at) gmail (dot) com.

Visit Kim Graham Studios to see more of the artist’s work.

I am determined to make the concrete Tree Troll almost indistinguishable from real wood. To do that, it is important to understand the complex language of surface texture. The whorls, knots, cracks, and crevices that trees gain as they grow are very characteristic.

Each day I mix up a pint batch of mortar and spend about an hour and practicing, using old weathered driftwood as reference. Pictured here are some samples of the real thing, along with some good tests — and some dreadful ones. Another photo after the jump.


It will take about a month to really get a feel for this. At that point I should be able to teach others a simple set of techniques that get good results.

Contact SilkMermaid.com sculptor Kim Graham at kimsculptor (at) gmail (dot) com

After a great deal of thought, I have decided to put the Red Silk Mermaid sculpture on hold for the time being.

The single biggest reason is the economy. If I were to finish her now, it is unlikely she would sell for some time. Instead, for the time being, I am going to make more accessible pieces. Silk Mermaid fans, be assured I am not abandoning the Mermaid, merely delaying her for a better time. My profound thanks to all the volunteers who have helped so far on the great lady. I will contact all of you personally as soon as the work resumes.

This site has become a way to connect with artists around the world and exchange ideas and techniques. This will continue as I document and construct another project very close to my heart, and also much less demanding to build. I have begun work on a new Tree Troll — a 12-foot-tall, two-ton concrete Troll for a children’s playground.

More about the new Troll, with many photos of the foil maquette, after the jump.

Over 15 days in 2005, my team of 25 volunteers built the first version of the Troll sculpture in papier mache. I wanted to discover if you can build very large-scale sculptures with entirely nontoxic materials. We succeeded, but the first Troll suffered in that it could not be put outdoors. Large sculptures are notoriously hard to place indoors; their size really restricts available venues.

This project continues my desire to work with nontoxic materials. Concrete, the only material I am considering, lets me make a sculpture that can be played on by children and adults alike. (Okay, there is bronze, but the cost would be astronomical.)

I began by making a maquette (model) to see the general outline of the piece. A friend took a lot of pictures of me in this pose so I could translate it into a simple wire armature for the maquette.

The fastest sculpting material of the 20th Century: aluminum foil and hot glue. You can do fabulous treelike textures with this, with wonderful freedom to easily create all the necessary shapes and contours.

This foil maquette took about seven hours. From this I can design the larger armature. There are a bunch of considerations:

• Weight of the concrete: two tons.
• Weight of ten adults climbing on it for a photo shot: two more tons.
• The final sculpture must be dissassembled, transported, and reassembled at least twice, and possibly more.
• Each piece must have hidden “pick points” for hooks and cables used during construction.
• All the pieces will fit together with “gravity fit” joints, held in place by their own weight with simple pin and sockets.
• The foundation has to be moved too.

I will post my approaches to each of these considerations here as the Troll project develops.

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I made the original Satyr Legs feet with bicycle tires bolted over the steel feet. The problem with using real tires is they have a lot of grooves and very little gripping surface; this reduces friction on the road. I needed a lot more contact with the ground.

To solve this, I used perforated steel and poured rubber to cast directly onto the steel feet. This is a tough rubber called VytaFlex 60. It is critical you first abrade the steel surface to remove surface oils before casting.

A closeup of the foot after the jump.

After my initial test with the legs, I decided to make quite a few changes. The legs need to be longer. (You can see in the picture where the old foot was cut off and the new, longer version welded in.) The joints are a bit wide and need to be trimmed, and there should be more movement in the foot. The satyr feet are spring-loaded, but not enough to hide the actual foot during movement. I’ll need longer springs and bolts.

Visit Kim Graham Studios to see more of the sculptor’s work.

I created a costume with the new Satyr Leg extensions and then went by the corporate offices of Wizards of the Coast, where I used to work. I still have some great friends there. (The photo shows me with Dawn Murin.) We took it as an opportunity to test the leg extensions for comfort and show them off to a company filled with fantasy lovers. It was a terrific hit.

Two more photos after the jump.

Cynda Calloway (l) and me

As you can see, the full costume allows me to tower over people at nearly 7 feet. The only problem was the ceiling lights!

Cynda Calloway (l)

Contact Kim Graham at kimsculptor (at) gmail (dot) com

I’m building the Red Silk Mermaid as a personal piece, between regular work and paying commissions. I’ve just received a very fun commission from a longtime client, Tyrell Littles. I will document this commission here on this site and return to the Mermaid as soon as we are done.

Photos and more about this new commission, a set of “satyr legs,” after the jump.

Several years ago I made a full set of insect armor for Tyrell in lightweight fiberglass and riveted leather. He has asked if I would modify his costume to accommodate satyr legs, like the ones in Pan’s Labyrinth. Since I had been working on a design of these for some other costuming friends, this is a great opportunity to improve on the idea.

Most werewolf-demon-monster costumes are really limited. Human legs are pretty short; when an actor is bulked out in costume, his legs are way too short by comparison, and they don’t bend the right way. We all imagine the backward leg of a dog or a goat with the elongated foot. This set of leg extensions is designed to look just like that. They hide under a costume and fit very closely to the actor. They also make the wearer 18 inches taller. A 5′ 5″ individual like myself becomes almost seven feet tall. Not only does this look really cool, but doorways become a real concern.

I’m making the leg extensions in steel. Aluminum would be lighter, but steel is easier to weld and modify. The feet are cast rubber. In the picture of me, you can see the sheathing cloven hooves. These hooves are spring-loaded to move and flex like the real thing without interfering with walking. They weigh about six pounds each; it takes about 20 minutes to learn to walk in them. People with snowboarding or skateboarding experience learn in about 60 seconds!

The tendon on the back of the leg is steel cable. When designing this version, we learned a great deal about just how strong human limbs are. The original cable was rated for 1,500-lb snap strength. We broke it.

Now we use a cable rated for twice that strength. Pasha ran stress projections in a CAD program, and we discovered that areas of the steel structure were being bent under 2,000 lbs of force. Though we are constantly trying to make these lighter, we are more determined to make them robust and comfortable. Our whole costuming group is building sets now for this year’s convention season.

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At long last we are removing the rubber molds from the clay. It slips off with astounding ease. This haunting image shows the inside of the face mold. Good, clean, and without flaw.

Two more photos after the jump.

The volunteers did a very good job of making the rubber uniform and very thin. We are only planning to make six castings, so the rubber is a spare 1/8-inch thick! (You may note a lack of tools in these photos. I’m in the process of moving my studio to a new, larger location.)

The necessary job of retrieving the plasticine clay from the sculpture and cleaning it of aluminum foil. This will take an entire day. I will recycle most of the steel armature and scrap the remainder.

Visit Kim Graham Studios to see more work by the sculptor of the Red Silk Mermaid.