The saga of making a tiger continues.....
After the sculpt was handed off to Jim Ojala of Ojala Productions, he created a beautiful mold and made a fiberglass form which was our base for the body. The finished tiger body is in two pieces so that the head can be detached as Madame Tussauds Las Vegas will place two speakers in its head. This baby is going to grrrrrowl a welcome at the visitors to Madame Tussauds.
Ernesto Cornejo did a pre paint, creating a black striped pattern so that our Chief Critter had a pattern to follow. Now it was time to start the "furring" process.
Using calf and goat hides Chief Critter spent numerous days piecing and puzzling the hide together, sometimes dealing with pieces that were no more than 1/4 by 1/4 inch. Piecing of the hide is a very tedious and meticulous process, as you have to take the fur length, thickness and direction into consideration.
Piecing creates a much sturdier application than flocking or transfers. Both of these applications are beautiful and realistic looking, but are not meant for a lot of wear and tear. Piecing of the hide leaves the hair attached to the hide and is more durable and has a much longer lifespan.
(see the “process” link at thecritterden.com)
Our tiger was delivered on January 21st to a very happy client and should now be on display in Vegas as a part of the Siegfried and Roy Exhibit at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Aina
Chief Critter
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