Making a Slipcast Mug pt1: Sculpting! - Tiki Technical Tuesday

[@cyberpunk42]

I for one would watch you push clay around for as long as you want to show. No amount is too much! So inspiring to watch your videos 😃🍹

[@vantikistudio]

Ha! Thank you! I always worry when editing episodes

[@lisatikimaewest3064]

I could watch these ALL DAY LONG. Thanks for sharing Henrick!!!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you for watching! I appreciate it!

[@eXoudOne]

I cannot express how thankful I am for what you do. You are beyond amazing, you explain everything in such detail and filled with passion. It helped me tremendously getting into the world of pottery. Keep on being awesome!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much!

[@honor9458]

it's magical watching it come together! also, watching you weather the piece is not boring in the slightest!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you!

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Nothing you do with clay or anything else thus far, is ever boring! Please show every little detail of your work! Thank you so much! I'l be waiting with great anticipation for the coming videos for this new mug! Lisa

[@alexdavit3]

@BossaNovaTiki here… Another amazing episode! We just can’t get enough of these videos - watching these continues to be a fun family activity for us. What a beautiful sculpt! Can’t wait to see how these turn out! Mahalo!!!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much! I can’t wait to see how they turn out also!

[@RainCoug]

I always love your videos! I know I don’t speak for everyone but feel free to post even longer form sculpting vids because I both find it fascinating and incredibly relaxing. It’s beautiful to see these all come together.

[@vantikistudio]

Maybe I’ll start doing long form “director’s cut” versions 😂

[@emmanuelcarrillo6330]

These episodes always scratch my Good Eats itch. Love your presentation style.

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much!

[@ceramiclabs]

Your videos make me fell like a kid in candy shop. Just sad when they end. Have the best day.

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much!

[@TrudioStudio]

You. Are. So. Inspiring! I found you while searching for some mold making techniques and follow along and I’ve been binging your videos obsessively! You got me into slip casting and inspired me to start sculpting more elaborate pieces. And your videos are soooo helpful, entertaining and educational! And I also rediscovered my love for tiki cocktails and together with my new slip casting obsession I’m (of course!) working on my first tiki mug as well! Anyway: keep doing what you’re doing! Sending love from Germany!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! This makes me so happy!

[@LA_Food_Dude]

Thank you so much for another amazing sculpt video! If you ever release a 90-minute long video doing fine detailing I would watch every second of it, it's my very favorite part.

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! I suppose it takes me so long to do, I feel that folks would grow tired of it. I’ll be sure to feature more of it on the next mug!

[@LA_Food_Dude]

@@vantikistudio As a tropical cocktail nerd who's just getting into sculpting your videos are super inspiring. I may not be representative of all of your viewership, but I feel like the more detail I see you putting into each step the more I'm getting out of the video. Anyway, thank you so much for putting your process out there and putting so much work and thought into the products you make, whether those be mugs or videos!

[@keithlightminder3005]

Not only is this an excellent series to learn from, explaining processes. Showing considerations we might never think of because the final tikivessel is so enthralling and looks like it was magically found under a coconut tree on a walk, but our appreciation of the effort and developed skills is enriched. I am going to with start much simpler sculpting and slip casting but you are the pinnacle I would aim for!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much! Best of luck on your project!

[@jonconrad1093]

you can show it all. You have inspired me to continue sculpting...... thank you so much for your beautiful work

[@vantikistudio]

Thank YOU!

[@ghetorange9604]

Seeing the process is super cool, and seeing the details, is like looking into the artist's soul/mind

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much!

[@RumRunnerDan]

I cannot wait to buy one of these!!!! Amazing craftsmanship!!!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! So excited to see one glazed! I just poured the first production mold this morning ✨💪✨

[@MikeDupris]

Thank you for sharing the process! Super interesting and helpful!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! And thank you for watching!

[@greglaplaca544]

This video is great! I learned so much by watching. I have made a few molds over the years, and you make it look so easy. Thank you!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much!

[@patrickhyde5118]

Your videos are always so interesting and fun to watch! Never boring or too long on any details. The details and your enthusiasm is what makes the videos so awesome 👍 This sculpt is looking so cool!! 😍 We have one of the original hornbills and it is a bit lonely ❤️

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you!

[@GIRLBOSS-1111]

so well edited, informative, and funny thank you!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much! And thanks for watching!

[@ryanrose8856]

I like watching all the detail.. nothing tedious on my side about enjoying your videos :)

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you for watching!

[@nathanvilla3339]

So excited to see the jungle bird return and for those of us who missed out on the original to have another chance at such a beautiful pieces of art. Can’t wait to see the glaze on this one!

[@vantikistudio]

I also can’t wait to see it glazed!

[@daveyeh3570]

If you made an entire unedited video of you pushing clay around I would totally watch it!

[@vantikistudio]

That would be a loooong video! 😂

[@Epicspectating]

Fascinating. I’m so enjoying this journey. Maybe one day I can get one of your fabulous mugs for my Lava Lounge which officially opens in my backyard next Saturday. I wish I were even remotely talented this way. Thanks for sharing your work.

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you so much for watching! Hope the Lava Lounge opening goes well! 🤙🍹

[@tinellie7025]

amazing sculpt and workflow, love the camera tilts :)

[@vantikistudio]

Thanks!

[@ID-ig6fq]

Danke!

[@teetotaltiki]

Another enlightening episode! I LOVE that you share the "learned through experience" tips and tricks like the use of pencil instead of Sharpie™ and the reasons why you do those things!

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! There will be more tips when we get into molding - hope to have that episode out next week! 🤙

[@TonyLockhart]

Fantastic work!

[@hillbillywisdom777]

Alright !!! Sculpting with chocolate again !!!

[@battyteacher5588]

I’m not sure if you go back and read comments but I love watching. I think it’s boring to you because you are used to this. It’s fascinating to me and I’d watch hours and hours even in regular speed.

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! Other folks have shared the same feedback - I promise in the future to not edit out the sculpting bits that I worry are boring 😄

[@christophersoprano-sculptor]

Always helpful to see your process. I need to try those Negative Armatures.💚 RE: Editing the clay pushing. I like to put your videos on while I'm also working. 💚So more content in your videos allows me to get more work done, without having to find another video to play. Cheers! .

[@vantikistudio]

Lots of folks have said the same about the sculpting video! I’ll let the next one run longer - or offer a uncut version for folks to watch while tinkering in their studios 😂

[@beastlybombers]

please keep up the great work.

[@vantikistudio]

will do! Please share there videos with anyone who you think may enjoy them!

[@chriscarlson8657]

Another fantastic episode!!!!! Thank you for all the time you put into these videos. I always look forward to them. Would you ever have a few VanTiki T-shirts available for purchase?

[@vantikistudio]

Great suggestion! Although, I'm not sure what I'd put on them :)

[@alexdavit3]

Ooh! A series of VanTiki Tee Shirts with images from VanTiki island, images of their mugs, and some of the imagery used on the Fireball Island project would be awesome! Sign me up!

[@Michelle89023]

Strongly recommend nomad 3d sculpting for iPad and 3d printing

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you! I played with Nomad a bit on my iPad when figuring out the tentacle layout for the Lil’ Ammy mug. Since I paid for Zbrush years back, I figure I better buckle down and learn it 😂

[@Michelle89023]

@@vantikistudio your work is amazing ! And the hand work is very rewarding that’s for sure, but when you said in the video that you have to remember to advance on both sides, I was like yeah that’s why nomad haha It’s great to sculpt everywhere without dirty hands or clay with you 😅 anyways thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@mikepenhall315]

Can’t wait. Hopefully I can score one. Still hoping there is a next gen mean Moby in the future

[@vantikistudio]

I don’t have a Moby on the calendar, but I do have a new “under sea cute” mug in the family that I’d like to do

[@johnp2773]

This is great

[@vantikistudio]

Thank you!

[@genestudioceramics]

Been a fan of your mold making work since you made the original bird! When I first started working in clay, my FIRST big gig was slip casting 40+ tiki mugs using only one mold and I learned a lot about casting from your photos, thank you!! Now here I am following along in your youtube series to finally dip my toes in using silicone to cast multiple plaster molds. Im wondering if you have ever considered 3d modeling and 3d printing your sculpture(something im looking into myself) instead of carving---for those undo features!!

[@vantikistudio]

Aloha! I have considered it, but there is a steep learning curve to 3D modeling, and I’d want to be able to learn the software well enough to sculpt as well as I can in clay before using the technology

[@raleighfontaine5748]

So glad to follow along on another sculpt journey. Very happy to hear we get to see the molding process, and hopefully, the casting. Always interesting. Curious to know if you've considered 3D printing a scuplt; it could be the return of the UNDO BUTTON. Would love to hear your thoughts on new technologies and practices for Vantiki Island (cue bubbling cauldron sounds). Thanks for everything you do for this channel. Mahalo

[@vantikistudio]

I would LOVE to be proficient in a 3D modeling app. I have several designs in my head that would be so well suited for digital design. I own Zbrush, but haven’t been able to fight my way into learning it. Someday I’d like to attend a week long class on it.

[@PolRaDaemon]

Wonderful as always! BTW personally I do not mind seeing more detailing, it's always good fun to check out other artists' techniques. I have a question I've been wondering about for some time... do you ever calculate the volume of liquid a mug can hold? Or do you just go "meh, this is the size I was thinking of and they'll fit as much as they want in there"

[@vantikistudio]

Good question! For client mugs, volume is often an issue and I try to get as close as I can to their requirements by making rough models and calculating the volumes. For my mugs, I don’t worry about it too much - form is more important to me

[@kittygurl8233]

Is there any particular reason you chose to go with the brown over the grey clay for this sculpture? I just purchased the grey in hard and am looking forward to playing with it, but I do remember in previous episodes of TTT you stated that the grey was easier on the eyes. Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@vantikistudio]

Good question! I love the look of the grey, but the batch I got felt a little softer and stickier than the brown I was used to. I ended up ordering a crate of the brown. I may try the grey again, once I work through the clay I have, as I do like the color better

[@andrewsmith7543]

My 11-yr-old who's watched a bunch of clay vids (and who's super excited about our mug order!) says armatures are often made with wire, and would like to know if you ever use wire (or why not).

[@vantikistudio]

Good question! I do use wire for thinner bits of an armature - you can see me use some making the armature for the Giant Crab Claw sculpture a few episodes back. The armature does two things: 1) it supports the soft clay and keeps it from sagging or slumping, and 2) it fills up space so you don’t need to use clay (as clay can be expensive)

[@ADALLEN11031]

Beautiful mug, hope I can acquire one! One question, once you start sculpting, how long do you have to work with the clay? Or does it keep its form and can still be worked with?

[@vantikistudio]

The master model is sculpted with a wax based clay that will never dry out. I could continue sculpting on the original jungle bird model I took off the shelf from 2017!

[@sevendesign1805]

I'm curious, aren't you running an 80W laser? I would have cut that with my 80W laser, 6mm/s 85% power. I'd be surprised if your not using Lightburn. If you are, you should buy a Lightburn camera and cut your wood with your laser. The camera is EXTREMELY helpful and super easy to set up. The camera from Lightburn, with their mount attaches to the inside of your laser's lid. From there, you can "capture image" or something like that. Basically, convert your hand sketch to laser paths on your board (placed inside your laser, obviously) with your Lightburn software. You won't regret it.

[@vantikistudio]

My partner is the laser pro. We were concerned when we jumped from the Glowforge to the larger (and much better) Trotec laser that we no longer had a camera. Turns out the Trotec is very easy to set up without a camera. As to capturing art - most of my final art I create for the laser is done digitally, so it’s easier to send to the laser that way. I’ll ask my partner if she’s looked into Lightburn

[@nubbinthemonkey]

Maybe it's just how im perceiving things, but your designs have a cartoony feel to them. Do you take inspiration from cartoons and comics? Maybe you could talk about your influences in a video sometime

[@vantikistudio]

Well, some of my mugs skew more playful than others 😁

[@justinbudreau3808]

how do you manage a production schedule?

[@vantikistudio]

As best we can 😂 - seriously though, we plot out our calendar very carefully. We plan almost to the day for many months ahead, and we plan out mug schedule out over a year in advance.

[@KimUlrick]

Did you study sculpture or are you self taught? You use so many clever techniques.

[@vantikistudio]

I took a lot of sculpture classes in college, but they were mainly abstract and realism was discouraged. I did begin to learn moldmaking there. I worked as a makeup FX artist in the 90’s and that is where I was able to watch master sculptors at work and observe their techniques. The rest is from books and trial and error 😅

[@Spifferiferfied]

You need to do like Adam Savage and release the raw footage of you adding details so us weirdos who like all of the process can let it run while we're working.

[@vantikistudio]

😂

[@thecaitiff]

I always love your mug videos but I've never been lucky enough to get one of the mugs that come out the other side. Darn shame. Maybe this time. Have you ever considered ending videos with a drink of the week? There are so many great tiki drinks out there you'll never want for something new to try.

[@vantikistudio]

I hope you are able to get a mug someday - but if not, I’m happy you are able to watch the videos. Drink of the week is a great idea!

[@BrettTFassbind]

I'm very interested in this pompadour jungle bird! So stylish!

[@vantikistudio]

😂 thank you!