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 LMC:
Will you aim for wearable masks or display pieces that give you more
freedom for design?
DB:
My
display pieces will probably always be cast in resin so they won’t
rot. I want to do some wearable masks though as well.
LMC:
What clay do you prefer to work in?
DB:
It
depends on the piece I am making but for the most part I stick with
good old Roma Plastalina. That is what I have always worked with
when making masks so I got a ton of the stuff. I have worked in
WED clay and it is great for quick sculpts but I often have 3 or 4
projects going on at once and I hate trying to keep it covered and
moist. For smaller pieces, I also work in Castaline, Magic Sculpt,
and Super Sculpey.
 LMC:
Any
tips for beginning sculptors?
DB:
I would say that the key to being a good sculptor is to be a good
observer. You must be able know what looks right according to your
observations in life. There is a design within nature, try to learn
from it. Be patient and don't give up. Be willing to criticize you
work and have it criticized by others. Don't settle for mediocracy.
If you know you can do better, start over. If you want to be good
at something try and surround yourself with people that are good at
it already, and ask them to critique your work. Don't just copy
other people’s work. I saw so many aspiring makeup artists that
move to L.A. to become a makeup artist, and had never even tried
sculpting or any type of projects on their own. You should be
artistic already and do it because you love it. For those people
who are truly passionate about pursuing the monster way of life,
Latex Mask Central and some of the other sites out there like The
Monster Lab are so great, it is a monster makers dream to have the
resources to be able to interact and get feedback about your work.
I would have loved to have something like it years ago when I first
started.
 LMC:
What
motivates your designs?
DB:
I
guess I am just motivated by life in general, I am definitely
motivated by all the amazing movies and CGI and incredible masks and
sculptures people are coming out with nowadays. By all the variety
of art and design that people have made throughout time. I love
ancient art, and sculpture, because it is so unbiased and not like
so many things today. But true motivation always boils back down to
the natural world. What really motivates my designs is a desire to
learn from nature. I am so intrigued by animals and the variety
and genius in which they were created. So many colors and textures
and sizes and shapes and they are real and alive! That just amazes
me every time I think of it. I mean what kind of weird mind would
come up with all the amazing living things within our world? It
could not be a cosmic mistake. I believe life was created by an
intelligent designer. I try to keep a fresh motivation by looking
at life as if I was an alien visiting this planet and seeing
everything I observe for the very first time. This way, I don't
get dulled down by seeing it everyday. Sculpting to me is like
being able to physically show other people my own thoughts, and my
own observations in life, if that makes any sense. In a weird way
it is almost a form of communicating with others about the things we
all observe, I try to make creatures that look strangely familiar to
everyone in a way.
 LMC:
What new beasties are coming in the future?
DB: I
am going through this bone phase of finding bones, teeth, and other
parts of real animals that inspire me, and then building the whole
sculpture around that piece. I just finished "Admiral Enob" which
is a little ten inch bust that was inspired by a sternum bone from a
large bird. This bone looked like a helmet so I built the whole
character around the bone and it's existing design. I have another
original creature bust that I am currently working on that has a
bird’s pelvis for a helmet, It will be called “General Mantis”
I also
have a third full size bust of an organic robot that incorporates
pieces and parts of a horseshoe crabs shell and pinchers. And a
trophy head of a dragon like character that is built over the top of
a real Alligator Gar head. The finished sculpture and head will
incorporate casts of the real teeth within the design. I also want
to do a new mask sometime, just too many projects not enough time.
LMC: What paints do you like to use?
 DB:
I
pretty much exclusively use Lifetones water based taxidermy paints
for my resin kits. I have tried a lot of paints and these are my
favorite. They have colors that are already made to match real
animals and fish so it is perfect for my needs. For masks I have
always custom mixed my paints with a latex base from Diversified
Compounders.
But I
really would like to try some of the paints being used today. The
acrylic inks that a lot of artists are using allow very realistic
layering. I got my hands on some and I have not even had a chance
to use them yet.
LMC:
Any
painting tips?
 DB:
Less
is more! Subtle layering will give you the most realistic results.
Don't paint flat colors, real skin whether it be human, or animal,
usually has a lot of tonal variation so build up your colors
slowly. Don't use straight black for all your shadowing, and don't
gloss everything!
LMC:
Are
you still working in latex at all?
DB:
Not
lately, but I plan on making more masks in the future. It is my
first love!
LMC:
Are there any artists out there you admire and/or inspire you?
 DB:
I
admire SO many artists out there, where can I begin? I am so
impressed with some of the work being done today that the list goes
on and on. I really like people who are original, Anything that is
unusual and highly detailed, and uniquely there own idea. Steve
Wang, Jordu Schell, Greg Palutonovich, Bill Basso, Casey Love, Steve
West, Sandy Collora, to name a few, and leave out a lot. I also
really look forward to the Spectrum competition book that is put out
every year. There are so many talented people out there it is hard
to keep up with.
LMC:
What
about famous artists (movies or not). Did any inspire you growing
up?
 DB:
I remember when I was a kid, my parents knew this guy that made all
these medieval weapons and axes and shields and swords out of
wood. He had this whole wall covered with these cool weapons. He
also made puppets and put on puppet shows. I wanted to be just like
this guy, I thought he was soooo cool.
I also vividly remember seeing a Norman
Rockwell catalog when I was little and trying to figure out whether
they were paintings or photographs. His paintings are so real, and
yet exaggerated. That cartoony realism intrigued me. I think he was
one of the greatest artists in history, just too bad he didn’t
create monsters!
 I used
to get Fangoria magazine and I think all the pictures and articles
were really inspirational. Seeing photos of all the
guys doing stuff behind the scenes, and building and
sculpting and mold making, I ate that stuff up. Once I started doing
makeup and masks, one of the books that I read over and over again
was Tom Savini’s Grande Illusions. I read that book from cover to
cover so many times that it was held together with duct tape. I
tried to duplicate all the techniques that he showed. I also loved
the Death Studios mask catalogs, I looked at those things for
hours. I could never afford any masks from them so I just drooled
over the catalogs.
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