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'The Ood'

1:1 Scale ‘The Ood’ Display Bust
Mixed materials (resin, latex, assorted fabrics, plywood, acrylic sphere, milliput, electronics)

For the final major project of my university degree, I chose to create a 1:1 scale display bust of an 'Ood' from the iconic Britsh TV series 'Doctor Who'. This project was physically created by myself, however the designs of the creature and the original screen used masks are credited to Neil Gorton, Millenium FX and the BBC.

The bust started as an original master sculpt, which I completed from scratch using stoneware buff clay over a hand prepared polyurethane foam form.
This was my first time figurative sculpting at this scale, and I worked closely with a wide range of sources and reference material throughout to inform my sculpt, ensuring I was faithful to the original designs by Millennium FX.
A few considerations were made for this sculpt, such as open space for the Ood’s ‘tentacles’ to be attached, and a small opening for the translation orb’s tube to thread through into the bust. The sculpt was kept fresh with moisture until it was finished, where it was then moulded in a two part silicone mould with fibreglass jacket shells.

I pulled a hollow polyester resin cast from my silicone mould, which was internally strengthened with two layers of fibreglass. The cast was finished and meticulously painted using a combination of airbrushing and hand detailing, to create a multi layered paint finish that suggested pale, rubbery skin.

To create the tentacles, three different masters were sculpted in oil based clay, moulded in two parts with plaster, and then slush cast in latex. These casts were all stuffed with cotton wool to give them a flexible firmness, and they were painted using alcohol based acrylics. Each tentacle was individually attached to the bust using contact adhesive.
The Ood's translation orb is fabricated from an acrylic sphere, and fitted with a simple LED electronics circuit which allows it to illuminate when the side button is pushed in. The wires for the orb's electronics travel through the silicone tube and connect to a detachable battery pack on the interior of the bust. The orb rests in the creature’s right hand, which was cast in EasyFlo 60 fast cast resin, from an alginate mould of my own.

To complete the aesthetic, an authentic grey work tunic was bought, altered and custom fitted to the bust, and the hand was fitted with a costume accurate black glove. Finishing the display, a simple plinth was made from plywood, filled with body filler, sanded smooth and painted matte black. The hand screws into place, whilst the bust simply rests on three small wooden guide blocks.

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