This sculpt is named Mokarran, the scientific name of this species of hammerhead. The sculpt is in 1:40 scale and is morphologically as close to a real great hammerhead as I could possibly get it to. I am particularly fond of the notches under the cephalofoil (the two extending parts from the head) as those follow the contours of the bone structure under the skin. And I really liked the rough surface of the paint. By spraying further away, the paint can slightly dry before hitting the surface of the keycap. Producing a rough textured surface that resembles the sand paper like skin (that is made up of tiny scales in the real thing) of sharks.
This is a DSA (DOUBLE SA?) height keycap that has a 1u base and 2.25u top.
When the GMK Hammerhead IC came out last year I decided to start on this sculpt as the hammerhead shark is probably one of the most recognizable creatures in the ocean with its distinctive head shape. The great hammerhead’s dorsal fin is by far the largest proportionally among all shark species and its body length could reach lengths of over 6 meters!
It took me a while to finish this project as I have the attention span of a goldfish, but I’m super stoked to present you the prototype of this just in time for the launch of the keycap set that inspired me to do this sculpt. Hopefully this allows people to admire these apex predators from their own desk.
Again, it all started with a few drawings. Getting it to the right scale was very important as the base determines the width of the head.
Sculpting. Taking off materials from the cephalofoil to create the dents under proved to be slightly challenging as the clay moved around while sculpting even when I used a hard clay.
Casting is difficult as the shape of the head meant that I had to use a 3 part mould that could allow demoulding without damaging the mould. Bottom mould is for the wider cephalofoil. Middle mould is for the neck part and also a top mould for the stem.
Bit of sanding to remove imperfections from the resin, and on to priming before painting.
Finished prototype. Still a bit of work to do with my painting, but I have two painted versions planned. A normal no frills version, think like a museum model. And a battle scarred version with scars and slightly more blood in its mouth!
Thanks for reading the whole thing.....Leave a comment and tell me what you think!
Cheers, CognacWine
2 comments
Thanks for your support! There are still some production challenges with Cnidaria due to the unique shape of the tentacles. But once that is solved expect them to hit the market very shortly!!
Very cool, nice to see process pictures. Is the Cnidara Jellyfish artisan still going to run as well? Or are you only planning on moving forward with Hammerhead?