In the latest installment of our Fandom Artist Spotlights we spoke with HR – you may have seen some of his work on Twitter, or at a convention, or maybe even in the hands of one of the cast members of Supernatural. He is a very talented sculptor and artist, and he gave us an inside look about his work and the process behind his amazing creations and the fandoms he makes pieces for.
How did you get into sculpting?
Well from a very young age I was always fascinated by likeness in figurines and statues. I always wanted to know how they create that by hand. So one day at the age of 11, I picked up a piece of clay and started to work with it. It fell into pieces, but I just kept studying; still am.
Have you worked on any other sculptures/projects outside of the Supernatural fandom? Are there any other fandom that you would like to create something for that you haven’t already?
Yes I have. I have made random things from video games and TV shows. For example I’m a big fan of Resident Evil so I’ve made some characters in the past from there. I’d say in recent years my best work comes from Supernatural, but there are a lot of fandoms that I would like to make more stuff for. For example, I’m coming up with a few ideas to make an Ash sculpture from Evil Dead. I may also have a few ideas for Hannibal,John Wick, XFiles, and Firefly. I’m always looking.
You’ve also made “minis” of God and Gabe based off of Scout Villegas’ comics, are there any plans to maybe make Swaingels minis as well?
I would be lying if I said I haven’t talked to Scout about making Swaingels. I’ve brought up a couple of different ideas so never say never. I’m just glad she agreed to collaborate with me and that people seem to like them. We are both artists just trying to make things work; so we try new things little by little. I love it.
Do you enjoy making your bigger pieces more or the minis? Other than the God and Gabe minis, have you created any other characters in miniature form from the Supernatural universe?
I will always be a fan of the amazing realism that comes with the 1:6 scale sculptures. So with that being said, I enjoy the challenge and the process of making the bigger ones. However, right now cute figurines are very popular and I get the draw to them. I don’t have any pop figures and things of that nature myself (except for a few Qmx figs), but I do enjoy designing animated versions of characters or capturing an animated character in sculpture form. Yes, I have made other characters from SPN. For a while I was working on a line that I called “HRminis”, where I made different figures inspired by SPN. People really liked them, and it was my first time making art for others.
Your sculptures are incredibly detailed, but can you give us some insight into what your process is?
What is your favorite part about working on these sculptures?
I would say my process isn’t that different from others. However, I do feel everyone personalizes how they choose to work. For me, I like to focus on things I’m inspired by. So sometimes I will draw a concept sketch. To feel more confident in what I’m doing, I like to attempt to sculpt the likeness before drawing the entire concept. Then I work with super sculpey, create a silicone mold, and cast it to resin. A lot easier said than done; can be pricey too. My favorite part is finally seeing what I’m trying to create come to life. Whether it be through a facial expression, or that moment when you finally see the likeness appear. I also really enjoy the painting process. I’m trying to get better at it.
Are there any fandom artists/ sculptors that you especially admire?
I have been inspired by many sculptors that actually have careers that I would one day love to have also. The number one favorite sculptor is probably Trevor Grove. He’s worked on a lot of different licenses and he works for so many different companies and is incredibly talented. Others are Tim Bruckner, Clayburn Moore, Sideshow Collectibles artists, and lots of others. I don’t know of many fandom sculptors, but as far as other artist go obviously Scout (haha). Also Euclase does great work too. There are more, but can’t think at the moment.
Do you have a favorite piece or project that you’ve created?
It’s hard for me to choose a favorite piece. I know some of the feedback I’ve gotten has shown more favoritism towards certain pieces than others. Out of the last Supernatural sculptures I’ve made, people always compliment my Castiel sculpture. People also really like my current my Jody and Donna sculptures as well. I’m told that I get better with every piece; but since I’m my biggest critic, I take that with a grain of salt and also think, “oh but are the ones I did in the past not good enough?!? No stop! You are getting better, that’s good!”
Are any of your pieces available for sale, and/or how can people best support you and your art?
My bigger more realistic sculptures I currently don’t have on sale. I would one day love to have the license to do something like that, but I don’t think my work is up to par compared to people who actually get them (not yet anyway). I’d say the best way to support me is to keep an eye out for when I make HRminis and other art projects. Feedback is great, so please spread the word about my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram if you like it. I will say that this community has been very supportive of me and it has made me want to be a better artist.
Any thing else you would like to share with our readers?
Yes. I would just like to say thank you to the people who have supported my work and want me to continue doing what I’m doing. I hope one day that this can all mean something in the collectibles and art world. There are a lot of people that I would love to collaborate with; I understand that can be harder because there can be more opportunities to do things in the 2D realm, than the 3D realm; but I feel that there’s always opportunities for new ideas.
Where can we check out more of your work?
The best places people can see my art is either on Twitter or Deviantart (@HRZONE2 or @HRZONE2art). I’m also on Facebook and Instagram. I will be creating some videos talking about the process of making these sculptures on YouTube so check me out on HRZONE2 channel.
Be sure to follow HR on social media and keep and eye out for his next creation!