Celeste has a great looking Bambi 9″ and Thumper 3″ to share with everyone.
Bambi has flowers on the bottom of the foot from front to back and has butterflies and birds all around him to mimic the classic scene from the film.
The reason I wanted to make him and Thumper was that I thought he should of deserved his own vinyl and Bambi was one of my favorite films since I was a kid and continues to be.
I wanted Thumper also to be included with Bambi to complete the set as a whole, hopefully I did them justice.
send us and email to have your custom spotlighted: DestinationVinylmation@gmail.com
We enjoy seeing and spotlighting new custom artists. Today, for the first time, we share with you the work of John W. from McAdoo, PA.
Destination Vinylmation: What inspired you to put Jumba in a Santa outfit?
John: The moment I saw Jumba, he instantly became my favorite Disney Character. And even though I was not lucky enough to get one of the original 9 inch vinyls, I had to have a Jumba for my collection. So instead of just making a normal Jumba.
The image of him dressed up as Santa in the final credits of Lilo and Stitch just hit me. Plus I started doing right when we were taking down our decorations in January, so that helped me with the mood.
DV: Your second custom features Mickey playing football for the Nu-Way State Orange Crush, tell us about this fantasy team.
John: I love to play a lot of NCAA Football on the Ps3. And even though my favorite team is the FAU Owls, e like to use some created/fantasy teams when we play. And the Company I work for is called Nu-Way and my nickname is the Orange Crush because I love the color orange. So I put two and two together for a very original name. I’ve been lucky enough to win each year and hold the overall record versus some of my friends and rivals like the Oswego Ocelots, the Sunshine Valley Pirates and the Death Valley Reapers… lol.
DV: What position do you think Mickey would play if he was on the team?
John: I think if Mickey were to play football for the Orange Crush he would definitely be the QB. Since Mickey’s always # 1 and would be able to lead the team over anyone he faces. Plus he got some big ears so he can hear when defenders are coming up on him from either side. 🙂
DV: Thank you for sharing your work and we hope to see more from you in the future.
John: Thank you so much for your time and I really really enjoy the site.
Last week we posted Mike Boon’s speculation on the vinyl sequel to the Toy Story Series. When he saw them, Crazy4Vinyl mentioned that he had done similar series. So, to continue the theme, here is Crazy4Vinyls’ Toy Story Series 2.
What do you think? These are some really cool characters. First he has Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead. Then Chuckles and Mr. Pricklepants. Then to round out the set of figures similar to Mike’s he has Dolly. I think the Chuckles came out magnificent. And Mr. Potatohead’s hat looks great (I think this set was done before Villains 2.
To complete the set he has Puck, Bookworm, and Stretch. Two additional awesome characters included are, Totoro (a Japanese Miyazak character who has a cameo in Toy Story 3) and the Troika nesting doll. Take a peek above at the full turn around of Troika. And then below look at the original character.
Crazy4Vinyl did a great job and found some really cool characters that would be a great addition to the Toy Story 1 series already out. Good job Crazy and let us know what you think in the comments below. Anyone else you would want to see in this set?
Destination Vinylmation: A long time ago we featured some of your work, but I honestly do not think we ever posted the finished sports players. I love the sculpted hats!
Cesilie: Thanks! They were fun to create and I have a few more hats sitting around waiting to be… drafted to a team 😉
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DV: USA Mickey is all over your Facebook page. Did you have any challenges creating the rustic look on him?
Cesilie: My mom is the mastermind behind the antiquing process. When I created my vintage Minnie she suggested we give them a lil bit of something extra. Since I’m all about the vintage feel and look I thought giving them a bit of brown would make them look sort of wooden. It’s actually a really easy thing to do.
DV: Oswald! How long did it take you after seeing Disney Easter Bunny to decide to make this?
Cesilie: Literally as soon as I saw the leaked photos of the Easter Donald vinyl I screamed “OSWALD!!!!”. I’ve been wanting to make an Oswald since I started doing my vinyls… For me he’s such an under rated and under appreciated Disney character- after all if it wasn’t for Oswald being taken away there would’ve been no Mickey!
My motto’s always been “It may be big because of the mouse but it’s because of the loss of the rabbit.”. When I was able to go to Disneyland and pick up some of the Easter Bunnies I just knew they would be perfect for an Oswald 🙂
DV: Is Facebook still the best place to contact you and see your work? Do you still do commissioned pieces?
It is! Facebook.com/MoDoodleDesigns. I still do commissioned pieces! I’m working on an Avengers set right now as well as some Phantom of the Opera figures. I’ve also opened up my art mediums to other vinyl platforms like dunnys and kidrobots.
When the new Brick pattern 9″ Create Your Own Vinylmation was released by Disney in November, it caused many to scratch their heads. But not custom artist Evilos. I remember a tweet he sent out stating he just ran out and picked a few up because he had some good ideas for their use. He was not kidding! Evilos just released a YouTube video of his new Haunted Mansion custom and it makes perfect use of the brick pattern to pay an amazing tribute to the legendary attraction.
You know Annemarie Brown from her various speculation articles on our website including Park Starz and Furry Friends, but did you know she is an exceptional custom Vinylmation artist? We recently talked with Annemarie about a couple of her creations.
Destination Vinylmation: How long have you been creating custom Vinylmation?
Annemarie: I began fairly recently, I made Roger Rabbit this summer and he was my first.
DV: In that short time, how many have you done?
AM: I’ve done about six, and I’m currently working on a new set.
DV: Why did you pick Roger Rabbit as your first custom?
AM: Roger Rabbit has been my favorite Disney character since I was a kid, I have an entire room in my house devoted to him. It’s actually rather impressive, if I do say so myself. So as soon as I picked up my first CYO Vinylmation I knew it would be Roger, there was never a doubt.
DV: How long did Roger take to create?
AM: Roger didn’t take me very long, maybe a couple hours. Once I got his design on the mold the painting went rather quickly.
DV: What was the most difficult part about making this character?
AM: Since it was my first one, I was kind of flying blind. Everything was a bit of an experiment. His hair and cotton tail were extra pieces I had to form and stick on, and I just used glue, which has been working fine so far. I considered sculpting the ears but I wanted to utilize the area of the vinyl as much as I could.
DV: Your Peter and the Wolf has an extraordinary amount of characters and detail packed into it, yet it doesn’t looked overcrowded. How much planing went into creating this custom?
AM: I’m extremely proud of Peter and the Wolf, he’s definitely been a labor of love. At first I considered doing a 3″ figure, but I quickly realized it was going to be impossible to include all the characters since I was hand-painting it, so I switched to a 9″ to get all the detail. First I plan everything out two-dimensionally so I can be sure everything will fit where I want it to. I knew I’d put Sasha the Bird in the ear, since he was the only flying character. Ivan the Cat and Sonia the Duck had a playful relationship in the film, so I wanted to be sure to incorporate that into their design and expressions.
With the Wolf, I considered just doing a 3″ figure to go along with Peter, but I realized the Wolf needed to be larger, and he wouldn’t have looked as menacing in the squat Vinylmation form, so I decided to paint him in full glory, sneaking up on Peter from behind.
DV: What is the most rewarding part about creating custom Vinylmation?
AM: For me, it’s being able to create characters and moments that may not ever be created. I knew the odds of getting a Peter and the Wolf Vinylmation figure were slim, and I wanted one, so I made it for myself!
Annemarie wanted to share this Youtube video featuring a turnaround of her Peter and the Wolf
DV: Do you have any tips to pass onto other custom artists?
AM: Everyone has their own method, but I would recommend designing/drawing everything out beforehand, it will save you time in the long run. But more importantly, create what you like, since you’re going to be looking at it for awhile while you’re making it. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of making something you don’t care about.
DV: Thank you for all your work and for sharing these custom with our readers.
AM: Thank you for sharing it, and for all you guys do!
Annemarie is a contributor to Destination Vinylmation. You can follow her on Twitter @admiralakbrown and stay tuned for more spotlights on her work soon.
At the 2011 Festival of the Masters, great art work is around every turn. The festival’s featured artist, Joe Kaminski, seemed to have his hand in a few different creations. He is the artist behind the festival’s logo and this LE 750 pin:
He used this great looking retro design in a few pieces of artwork that are on sale this weekend.
Pins, paintings… how about Vinylmation you ask? Joe Kaminski worked with fellow artist Lee Clark on some 9″ customs called Paint Splatter Mickey. Each piece retails for $1200
You can find all of the above at the Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney Orlando this weekend. Just stop by D-Street.
The 36th annual Festival of the Masters kicked off at Downtown Disney Orlando today. There was a chill in the air, but I won’t complain… it was a beautiful Central Florida day to be outside. Over 150 award winning artist set up booths all along the sidewalks.
But you want to hear about the Vinylmation. Unfortunately, Donald Ferro from Disney said we will not see anything on display this weekend featuring sneak peaks at future sets from Disney that we have not already seen. But, we did see some spectacular one-of-a-kind customs. The first group was from Naples artist Marjorie Pesek. She had 6 custom 9″ figures in the D-Street display case, all with a $750 retail price tag.
Dachshund
Normally used to working on a 2D canvas, she went outside her comfort zone to produce these figures for Disney.
Daffodil
Notice anything? Look closer:
Up close of Daffodil
Up close of Sunflower
Marjorie was given access to the database of Vinylmation artwork to hide within her designs. She seemed to favor Animal Kingdom and Juniors.
Golden Retriever
It was originally thought Marjorie would use Disney characters, but then she decided it would be best to use what she knows best… nature and animals. She produced these 3D designs in the same way she produces much of her 2D artwork.
She uses a collage of other prints to compose her art. She has a tent set up by the water across from D-Street with some of her creations.
Sea Life
Sunflower
Originally, she was going to keep all the art on the canvas, but then decided it would be much more powerful to let the prints flow off of the canvas. So we get a dog’s nose that hangs out toward us or leaves that stick out around the head.
Flamingo/Bird
If you get a chance, go check out Marjorie’s work this weekend. They are some of the most unique figures I have seen. Here is a look at some of her non-vinyl artwork at her tent:
Update: 11/08/11 Artist Will Gay’s custom Vinylmation is featured in this video posted by the Disney Parks Blog today.
The Festival of the Masters will be happening on November 11th thru the 13th at Downtown Disney in Florida. It’s an event dedicated to allowing artists of all different media display and sell their artwork. (I personally love the sidewalk chalk drawings) As part of the Festival, Vinylmation will have a stand (usually across from D-Street) and will be showing off some new figures. We also have word that a couple of classic vinylmation “celebrities” will be on hand at 10:30 AM on Saturday the 11th. UPDATE: According to the Art of Disney site, Randy Noble (one of the very first vinylmation artists) is scheduled to be at the event. Does this mean he’ll be around the vinylmation area?
Also on display somewhere in the festival will be custom vinylmations, the first of which we found in the flyer for the event. Lee Clark will be displaying this cool crayon drawingish vinyl.
This event was one of the first events we covered as a site and a podcast last year, and was the event where we got our first interview with Steven Miller back in the day.
MC’s friend Bob Kodzis at the festival in 2010. (Pic by MC)
Come out and enjoy all the free artwork! Check out all the Disney info at the Art of Disney FotM post.
On today’s Spotlight we feature the talents of Californian artist, and appearently Dole Whip fan, Are-Jay. And I’m sure after you check out all his customs, you will soon be a fan of his.
Destination Vinylmation: Were you into creating artwork before custom vinylmation?
Are-Jay: Yes! I have been creating art for all my life. I remember going door to door selling my drawings while I was still in elementary school. Comic book art was my passion for such a long time until I began customizing various vinyl figures about 4 years ago. Prior to Vinylmations, I created custom Symbiotes, Mighty Muggs, and Minimates!
DV: I have always enjoyed your work, and i’m glad we can finaly share some with the DV readers. How long have you been creating custom Vinylmation?
Are-Jay: My first Vinylmation custom was completed on 08/19/2009 and was a Classic Batman design.
DV: How many custom Vinylmation have you done?
Are-Jay: I’ve lost count at this point but I’d say somewhere around 175-200.
DV: Wow! How about Disney’s Vinylmation. Do you collect any?
Are-Jay: I do! I used to be a completist for the 3″ figures but due to the flurry of releases each month, and the limited availability of some of them, I’ve cut down and began only collecting my favorites.
DV: Do you have favorite Disney Vinylmation figure?
Are-Jay: My absolute favorite Vinylmation is the 3-eyed Monster from Urban 1, designed by Tyler Dumas. I just love the vibrant colors and randomness of the design. I even created a 9″ tribute piece to match the 3″!
DV: You have just launched your first custom blind box series. This is exciting.
Are-Jay: For my first custom blind box series, I created 15 unique Spiderman customs- including a chaser, and 3 variant designs. They are shipped randomly, which adds to the excitement and captures some of the fun when buying an official Vinylmation blind box!
DV: Why Spiderman?
Are-Jay: Spiderman is such an great character and even though a person may not be into comic books, everyone loves him! I initially wanted to do a mixed series of various Spidey characters but he had so many amazing costumes, I couldn’t choose! I ended up creating the entire series based on his most famous looks which worked out well as everyone who purchased one would get who they wanted- Spiderman!
DV: Which Spiderman costume is your favorite?
Are-Jay: Like mentioned above, its so hard to choose! LOL My current favorite would have to be the Ultimate costume worn by the new Spiderman, Miles Morales. The costume design is incredible and I’m really enjoying reading his series. I’d definitely recommend checking out the book!
DV: Out of your personal custom portfolio, can you pick a favorite?
Are-Jay: While my Batman is a close second, I’d say I am most proud of my Twilight Saga Collection. Each custom features the cover design to each of the 6 books. The book covers are really amazing and they translated so well to the Vinylmation shape. I love that set because the customs have such a unique sophisticated look to them.
DV: You are one of the more experienced custom Vinylmation artists out there. What have you learned from creating your customs that you can pass onto other custom artists?
Are-Jay: I’d the say the most important thing for any artist is just to stay true to yourself and your style!
DV: How can people purchase some Spiderman blind boxes and see the rest of your work?
Are-Jay: You can purchase my Spiderman series by contacting me at arejaydesigns@yahoo.com, through my new facebook fan page: facebook.com/arejaydesigns, and they are also currently listed on ebay. You can view some of my past work at my blog: arejaydesigns.blogspot.com
DV: Thanks for sharing your work with our audience. Don’t be a stranger. Keep us updated on your work.
Are-Jay: Thank you for the opportunity! It’s been wonderful getting to share a little bit about myself and my art. Please feel free to stop by any of my sites and say hello!
