Cad Bane

After around a year's worth of hogged kitchen table space, awkward twisting for sculpting angles, bits of monster clay ground into the surrounding floor, and possible digit damage, I have what I can confidently say is a dude. 

They say make what you're passionate about so I did the very simple, very normal thing and got hooked on having a go at one of the most complicated designs in animated Star Wars. 

Every inch was drawn up with the intention of becoming not just a performance, but one that reads as a living, breathing creature that follows real physics. Truly a labor of love, of the rotten blue raisin that's pilfered my heart. 

And although I'm realist-ifying a cartoon, I didn't want to fall into the all too common trap of washing out strong, well defined shapes and colors when bringing a character into live action. 

I wanted him to have a bold silhouette that while my own, was unmistakably Cad Bane. 

His anatomy here is a bizarre, colorful concoction of big cats, birds, and non human primates. Notably baboons, drills, and especially geladas with their signature, delightfully ghoulish lip-rolling grin. A mechanical feature I can only hope turns out as smooth and striking in the final silicone mask as it does in my mind. 

And of course, legendary spaghetti western star, Lee Van Cleef. 

My odd take on his design has cropped up in many forms, long before and during the creation of the actual sculpture. Including drawings, a static mask taking after the Noh theater character of Hannya, and even a goofy little plushy. Seen below

The static head is made from a copy of the molded plastic skull I made for use as a rigid sculpting base for this post's main attraction. Showcasing the contorted, angular features, startling display markings, and impressive set of grisly yellow teeth that've become a staple of how I portray the character. 

In my scramble to get him submitted on time, I seem to've forgotten his toothpick. Drat.