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Iris

Íris was the final project for the Advanced Special Effects Program. Myself, along with my teammates: Kim

Armstrong, Micaela Burke and Charlotte Frost-Wicks, were challenged to create a 360 degree bust that would

showcase all of the skills we had learned during our program. Our concept for this project was to create a wise and

magical flower lady that was inspired by and iris.

We started the entire process with a concept for Íris. We

were inspired by different artists, fearies and sprites and a

variety of different flowers to create her overall design.After

we had our ideas down and a colour scheme picked, we did a

lifecast of Charlotte. We had to cast her from shoulders up and

then create a stone positive that we could begin sculpting on.

Concept Art by me

Micaela with Charlotte during lifecasting

Kim, Micaela and Charlotte casting the stone positive

The next step was to start the sculpture. Kim took the stone

positive of Charlotte and began to create Íris.

After the sculpture was finished, it was time to mould it and

then cast it in silicone. We did approximately six layers of

silicone and each layer had a different mixture of colouring to

create depth in her skin. We finished the process off with a foam

core.

Kim's sculpt of Íris

Next came painting! Micaela and I took the lead on painting Íris. We began the process with spattering different

colours witch helped create the depth and translucency. After, we went in with some light washes that helped

block out where we wanted colours as well as pumping up the highlights and shadows.

Front and side view of spattering texture

Front and side view of defined highlights and shadows

Front view of the pumped up colours

We then added one last pump up of colour that boosted the purple in her skin as well as make the yellow more

golden. These colours helped match her to the petals that we created.

After she was mostly assembled, I went in with some gold alcohol paint to add some more detail to Íris. I added it

to her eyes, mouth and the high places on her face as well as her clavicle to almost imitate makeup that she would had

added herself.

Gold details on Íris

We also had to mould and cast all the petals and leaves that we wanted to add to our bust. Each individual petal

had to be moulded and then cast in resin. All of them we brushed with gold and then intrinsically coloured to create

the translucently we desired.

During this process we encountered a problem. As we went to

place the petals around her head, they were too stiff and difficult to

move so they did not get the desired outcome we wanted. We made

multiple attempts to use the existing petals we had made but with no

luck attaching them, we decided to remake them. We had the idea

that before the petals were 100% cured, we would attach them to the

head in order to get the desired look we wanted. This solution saved

our project!

While we were using the resin, Charlotte also created beautiful

golden eyes for Íris.

Micaela and I struggling with petals

Micaela and Kim adding some petals

Back and side view of the application process of the petals

The final step we had was to add some hair punching with handmade stamens, which was sculpey on wire that

was painted and then flocked, and feathers. Adding both of these give her some more dimension, height and really

emphasizes that she is a flower.

Then she finally came together...

And we couldn't have been happier!

P h o t o g r a p h e r : S a c b e a g u i l a r

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