Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Tyler Carantit

WDWNT on June 13, 2012

Email DestinationVinylmation@gmail.com to have your work spotlighted



Destination Vinylmation: This custom is a little different than what we usually feature here, but the design as a whole makes it very interesting. Who did you create this for?
Tyler: I have a client that I actually introduced Vinylmation to the CEO, and she now collects them. They have an annual conference and in 2013 it will be at Disney’s Contemporary Resort! I was asked if I could make a custom vinyl to be given away with a complimentary full registration in a raffle to promote the conference.

DV: Can you tell us about the design process?
Tyler: This was the first time I have ever tried to do a custom Vinyl. I had a few concerns before I started. “What type of paint to use to make it look as factory finished as possible?”  “How do I get the logo on the figure and still be legible?”

I started the process by first going to my local printer, who helped me with my custom Vinylmation light box. We actually tried a sticker material they use to wrap cars with for advertising. You heat up the material and it conforms to the shape of the object. Problem is there are many small creases and areas where the material wouldn’t adhere to. I then did some research into craft paints. It seemed like that type of paint would be better for a more detailed design, however with such large areas of solid color, I thought you would see some brush strokes. I ultimately decided to try to use spray paint, I figured it would give me the most uniform color and finish.

For the design of the Vinylmation, I wanted to incorporate the colors of the logo and the logo itself. With spray paint as my medium, I figured I would have to make the design simple. Earlier renderings had the logo running down his back, but I figured if it was going to be displayed in the box, I wanted it to be on the front of the face. I painted the ears black to make them stand out; almost like a set of Mickey ears you would get at the park and recognition of where the conference would be held.

Let me just say, I give everyone props who make custom Vinylmations! So much work goes in to them! A few problems I ran into with spray paint were first, to take my time to achieve  a nice and uniform finish, and second to apply  many light coats of paint. I saw some pooling of paint a few times. Also, just touching them would leave fingerprints on them. I also masked out the paint on the face too early and it pulled up the paint on the finished parts. The two problems I did have once the piece was complete, was a little over spray between the black and white on the head and a little sticking between one of the arms and the body. I did put a clear coat over the Vinylmation after I was done and that made it so much more durable.

One thing I did want to share is the application of the red spray paint on the feet that gradually turns to yellow on the chest. I basically had one shot to get the paint to look good, so I put the Vinyl on a revolving tray (lazy Susan) and while spinning it, I sprayed from the bottom up!

For the logo on the face, I just had my printer make me some vinyl stickers that would be applied after the figure was done. Kind of the easy way out, but I wasn’t going to even try to paint it on after all the work I just did!

DV: One of the striking features about this creation is box. I really love the Contemporary on the back. It’s a great design and something we don’t usually see along with a custom.
Tyler: The box was actually an afterthought! As I was finishing up the figure itself, I thought to myself, “How do we promote the conference more?” I saw the box as a perfect promotional piece! It would also protect the Vinylmation itself!

I took apart the Create Your Own box, got all the measurements and then designed the box. I tried to add more info about the conference to the box because the figure was so simple.

DV: This is Tyler’s first custom Vinylmation, but he does have a web gallery full of Vinylmation themed desktop wallpaper he created that he has shared with all of us. 

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Crazy4Vinyls

WDWNT on May 4, 2012

Destination Vinylmation: It’s been awhile since we last featured your work and you have been very busy! You recently sent us some pictures of some of your latest customs, Pooh dressed as Tigger and Tigger dressed as Pooh. We will feature those below, but a look at your Facebook page shows this is not a new idea for you. You have made a line of Customs taking the Cutesters Kids and painting different costumes on them. It reminds me of the Disney Universe video game. Where did this idea come from?
Crazy4Vinyls: The idea came to me when I entered a custom design swap on vinylnation.net. The idea of the swap was to take a Cutester kid and redesign it in any way that you want. Now since Vinylmation is Disney I thought it would be a fun idea to take one of the kids and redesign it in a Pooh costume. I was lucky enough to have the co-founder of Vinylmation Kingdom, Xero, send me an extra cutester kid since I didn’t have any extras. When I was finished I sent a picture of the kid to him and he was very interested in me creating a whole army of cutester kids in costumes. So we worked out a deal where he would send me some kids that he wanted redesigned and he would also send me some extra kids that I could have to sell. I did start doing this a little after the Disney Universe game came out but it was not the inspiration for the costumes, although the game does have some great costumes that could be made in the future.

DV: Tell us about the different costumes. Are they all Disney themed?
C4V: The costumes include Figment, Stitch, Monorails, Lotso, Kermit, Mickey, Minnie, Green Dragon, Toy Story Alien, Simba, Nala, Boo, Nemo, Mike Mouse, Sulley, and Duffy. They have all been Disney themed but it could really be done with just about any character. Most of the costumes are based on Vinylmation designs that have already been done.

DV: I really like the Simba a lot. Which one came out as your favorite?
C4V: I am really proud of Simba. At first I thought how could I make all those leaves that surround his neck and head but after looking at him on the computer I just tried to break down the design and figure out where to start first. That’s a hard question. When I finish one I think it’s my favorite until I finish another one. If I had to pick one I would say it’s the alien from Toy Story. He was my first vinylmation I bought in WDW when they were released.

DV: Now you have the great looking Tigger and Pooh, are these the start of a line of Disney Characters in costumes of other Disney characters?
C4V: It could be if I didn’t think of other things to do. It was actually going to be a trio. I was going to do Tigger as Pooh, Piglet as Tigger, and Pooh as Piglet but I decided just to do the two of them. It seems that I always come up with something new that I want to try, but there is always the future.

DV: Moving out of Disney World for a moment, lets take a trip up I-4 to Universal Orlando. Later this year, a new Dispicable Me attraction will open at Universal Studios and I see you have a series of the Minions from that movie! To me, the possibilities seem endless with this design as you can create an infinite amount of facial designs. Tell us about your design and your plans for this series.
C4V: Someone on Facebook suggested to me that I try some Dreamworks designs, non-Disney characters. So I thought a Minion would be perfect. It’s body shape would fit perfectly on the Mickey mold. At first I was torn between one eye or two. I wondered which one would look better. I settled on the one-eyed and began looking at images. You are right there are so many different looks that the minions have. After making my first one and selling it, I had some more people contact me for more. So I made three more, this time a two eyed version along with the one eyed. After posting images of those three I had even more people want minions but I will have to get to those later because I have something even bigger that I am working on. I also had someone send me some more Dreamworks designs. So maybe in the future you might see Po from Kung Fu Panda, Megamind, or Shrek.

DV: One last piece… Oscar the Grouch. I’m a stickler for creative use of the ears and you did a fine job here. Why Oscar? And will we see a HAL Ostrich turned into Big Bird soon?
C4V: I actually have on paper a whole line of Sesame Street characters. I have Bert, Ernie, Oscar, Elmo, and Grover. I decided to go with Oscar because I thought he was a popular character and I wanted to use the ears to add some extras. So that is why I added Squirmy, the apple core, and the words in the ears. When I read your comment about HAL ostrich turned into Big Bird you should have seen my mouth drop open, that is an awesome idea, another one to think about.

DV: We have been following your progress from your first customs to now and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m seeing a progression in your talent level. I know I expect my second to be better than my first, my third better than that and so on. How are you feeling about your progression? And what have you learned along the way so far?
C4V: I think that is a great compliment, that means I’m getting better right?? Ha ha! I have learned along the way that taking the time to spray the vinyls with multiple coats is what makes them so smooth and also taking the time in the beginning to start with very light coats so the paint does not get clumpy or have lines in it. I am really excited to see what I have created and I would have never thought that this is something that I would be interested in or good at.

DV: You sell your customs on eBay. And many of the customs we mentioned here have already sold. But if one catches a reader’s eye, can they request that design?
C4V: I do sell some of my customs on eBay. I don’t have any on there right now but I do have Oscar, Mickey Kid, Minnie Kid, Tenderheart Bear, and Love-a-Lot Bear still for sale if anyone is interested. I do take requests. Just shoot me a message on Facebook or send me an e-mail. On Facebook you can find me under Josh Edwards or my Facebook custom page is Crazy4Vinyls Custom Vinylmations. I can also be reached by email edwardsjmn123@comcast.net, but a message on facebook is the fastest way to get in contact with me.

DV: Do you have anything exciting that you are working on for the future?
C4V: I am currently working on what I think is my most exciting customs yet. I am creating my very first blind box series. The series will consist of 9 vinyls plus the mystery chaser so 10 designs in all. I am planning on designing the boxes that they come in as well. I am hoping to have this done by the end of the month or beginning of February. So be on the lookout for this to make it’s debut. I also just ordered my first 9″ CYO from ds.com so that will be exciting to try one of those.

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist John Ward

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Have your work spotlighted, no matter the skill level. Just email us: DestinationVinylmation@gmail.com
Today we once again spotlight John Ward. He has an amazing custom based on a classic Fantasyland attraction.

Destination Vinylmation: Tell us about how you developed the idea for Peter Pan’s Flight.
John Ward: I wanted to try and come up with something that I hadn’t seen done before, and I wanted to push myself as an artist. The first thing was the I decided that I wanted to try and create something the moved on the Vinylmation, in some fashion. Then I thought that I’d probably be able to create something that would rotate around the outside of the piece, yet still be attached so the it would be all one piece. Once I had the concept for the feature I wanted, I thought about what concept I could use it with. Almost instantly I thought of Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s one of my favorite rides still. So had my concept, ships (the ride vehicles would rotate around over scenes from the ride. The front had to be downtown London, my favorite part of the whole ride. The reverse is Neverland, of course.

After that I had to figure out how to make it all work. How do you have something able to rotate, yet still be attached to the Vinylmation figure. I came up with using a wooden dowel and a lazy susan device.

DV: Besides the moving parts, what was the most challenging part of creating this custom?
John: Trying to sculpt 3 ships that small was quite a challenge, I tried to make them as close to looking like the actual vehicles. I think they turned out rather well, considering the size of them.

Painting the downtown London side was fun, yet very difficult. I had to make sure that the angles were consistent throughout, to where it actually looked like you were looking down from the clouds. I also knew that on one of the ears, I had to put the moon with the silhouettes of Peter and the children.

DV: What’s next and how can people view your work?
I’m currently finishing up my Jafar 2.0 custom. Which is a remake of one of my very first customs. My customs can be viewed on my Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SiberianVinylmationCustoms or on my website; www.siberianarts.com

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist John Ward

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Destination Vinylmation: What have you been up to lately?
John Ward: I’ve recently been working on holiday themed customs. It started with Evilos’ Blind Bag series 3, I did 4 holiday themed customs for that series, three 3″ customs and one “Grand Prize” 9″, each with sculpted elements.

The 9″ which I call “Christmas at Mickey’s” was very difficult to complete and make it look right. It took a lot of trial and error to make the fireplace look right and function the way I wanted it to.

Having to remove the entire front part of the custom, to add the fireplace element was a new challenge for me, the only other time I’d cut into the main part of a custom was for my “Peter Pan’s Flight”.  Trying to get detail on the tiny paintings that are on the mantle was very difficult.  In the end though, I am very happy with how it turned out.

DV: It seems like you have quite the collection of holliday customs.
JW: Once I finished those 4 pieces, I had been hit by the holiday-themed custom bug.  I made Minnie baking cookies, The Coke Polar Bear, Rudolph the Rose-nosed Reindeer and started on my Nutcracker Series.  I plan on doing 12 nutcrackers in all. It started with Mickey, naturally, and the second one I just finished is Stitch.  The rest of the series isn’t finalized quite yet, but I do know that a Little Green Man, Goofy and Mr. Frederickson will be in it.  They should all be available sometime at the beginning on the year.  I just didn’t have time to complete them for this season.

DV: What’s next?
JW: My next projects are a couple of 9″ pieces. One will require me to cut into the Mickey vinylmation once again. It’ll be interesting to see if I can make the finished piece look as good as it does in my mind, lol.  I got the inspiration for the other piece from something I saw hanging on a rack at the cash register at a local craft store.  I saw it, and instantly though, “That’ll look awesome used with a vinylmation figure.”

DV: How can people contact you?
JW: If anyone is interested in any of my holiday pieces, or my other customs, you can contact me through my email siberianarts@gmail.com. You can also become a fan of my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SiberianVinylmationCustoms.

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Cesar Diaz

WDWNT on March 31, 2012

Destination Vinylmation: Why was captain america chosen as the subject for this custom?
Cesar: I made this custom for a friend of mine who I asked to help me advertise The Customation Project last year. In return I would make him a 9″ vinyl of his choice. And so Captain America was the chosen one.

DV: I find one of the hardest part of really taking a custom to the next level are the details. I understand that a majority of it has to do with practice and artistic ability, but can you give some tips for beginners trying to add details like shading and clothing ripples as well as how best to apply such lines?
Cesar: The best tip I can give is spend the extra cash to get some good quality brushes and paints. It makes all the difference with the end result. Plus practice, practice, practice.

DV: OK, the shield is awesome! How did you go about making that accessory?
Cesar: The shield was a challenge. I basically said to myself, if I can’t get the shield to work I might as well not even make the vinyl. I experimented with different ideas on how I can make a decent shield for such a big vinyl. I ended up using a frisbee and some craft foam. I’m pretty satisfied with the end result.

DV: We know you were a huge LOST fan. Are you into J.J. Abrams new TV show Alcatraz? Already planning any vinyls for it yet?
Cesar: I first heard about Alcatraz last year at the San Diego Comic Con and I was very excited for the show. When I finally saw the 2 hour premiere I was actually very disappointed. I found the show slow and boring. By the second half of the premiere I was already asleep. So unfortunately I have no vinyls planed for Alcatraz.

DV: Any plans yet for a second Vinylmation custom artist show?
Cesar: I actually do plan to have a second show this year if time allows it. My brother and I have been talking about it and we both agree that we want to have it somewhere in LA.

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Crazy4Vinyls

WDWNT on March 26, 2012

Crazy4Vinyls from Chatham, IL is our newest spotlight subject. He decided to take his first crack at custom Vinylmation, or really artwork of anykind, buy making a delicious set of famous candy.

DV: Destination Vinylmation: Do you collect Disney’s Vinylmation?
Crazy4Vinyls: Yes I do collect, and my wife calls it my obsession.  I started back when Park 2 came out.  When we went to WDW for a trip we started buying them.  I was able to get 8 of them and I remember my wife saying we need to stop because we spent enough on them.  Oh how I wish I would have bought more, maybe I could have got Pongo. I didn’t buy anymore until our last trip in Feb of this year.  I came home with about 40 more and now I am hovering near 200 of them.

DV: What is your favorite Disney Vinylmation figure?
Crazy4Vinyls: My favorite by far was the first blind box that I bought which was the little green man from Toy Story.  I just love that character in the movie.  I don’t know how many times I have quoted him and my son telling me to stop.

DV: What is your personal favorite custom that you have done?
Crazy4Vinyls: Well I have only done the set of 4 M & M guys, but I do have a favorite.  I really like how the orange one turned out.  The look on his face makes me think that someone is going to eat him.  I really like the worried look!

DV: How did you come up with the idea for the M&Ms?
Crazy4Vinyls: I was trying to create customs that I had never seen before and I wanted to include something with pop culture because I think those characters/logos are instantly recognizable.  I also thought they would look great on the mickey mold and not too many details for a first timer.

DV: Are M&Ms your favorite candy?
Crazy4Vinyls: M & M’s are one of my favorites, love the peanut ones!

DV: What have you learned from creating your customs that you can pass onto other custom artists?
Crazy4Vinyls: Well I have only done the 4, so I don’t think I can tell anyone else any secrets that I have found.  I will say that I was worried about creating the “m” on the front of each one.  So what I did was trace an “m” out on painter’s tape, then I cut it out.  I stuck it on the vinyl and painted over it with my coats.  When it was dry, I carefully removed the “m” and then filled it in with white paint.

DV: What’s next?
Crazy4Vinyls: Well I am calling my series of customs pop culture vinylmations. I even created a logo and included on the back of the collector’s cards.   So without giving anything away, let’s just say I grew up in the 80’s and I am inspired by that era.  I also like to create works that I have never seen before.  So as soon as I can get my hands on some white CYO’s (those are hard to find) I will get busy on my next set.

DV: Thank you for sharing your work with our audience.
Crazy4Vinyls: Thanks for doing this spotlight on me.

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Justin Marshall

WDWNT on March 26, 2012

As a child, my favorite Disney characters were Dreamfinder and Figment. I loved the EPCOT attraction as it originally was. It was a delight for kids and adults alike. So when custom artist Justin Marshall came to us with a Journey Into Imagination custom, I could not wait to share it with everyone.

Destination Vinylmation: What does Journey Into Imagination mean to you?
Justin: I have always loved journey into imagination. It really shows the magnitude of figments popularity because this is a character that is spawned from a EPCOT attraction, and no where else, yet after all these years seems to be just getting stronger and stronger in popularity. Now that the original ride is gone makes it even stronger for that demand for figment, and the Dreamfinder. It was a experience for all ages that brought you through the arts, literature, performing arts, and science. For a time where no one owned a computer, the technology was amazing. They can bring back the exact same ride, substitute a few things with 21st century advantages and you will have a hit!

DV: So you’re not a big fan of the current version of the ride?
Justin: The ride now is… half ass done, and its a shame for all the creativity and hard work that went into it and now it sits in crates in a warehouse some where on the Disney property.

DV: I really like the retro feel of this custom. It seems like something you would find at EPCOT in the ’80s. But this figure really seems to hold special sentimental value to you.
Justin: I made this to keep the attraction alive, and hopefully the new generation of disney lovers will someday get to experience this attraction the way it was intended with some 21st century tweaks.

But wait, there’s more! Justin also wanted us to include these 3″ Figments as a compliment to the 9″ Journey figure.

This is one great looking Figment! Check out the detail on the space suit.
Here is Figment in his sweater.

Great job Justin. For more Justin Marshall customs, check out his Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/justinchad82

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Annemarie: Furry Friends 2

WDWNT on March 26, 2012

It seems like it’s been a long time coming. Ever since Disney’s Furry Friends series was announced, Annemarie has been talking about all the other characters that also deserve a chance to appear on this modified mold. So she designed a set of 12 and today we unveil her newest customs she calls (the unofficial) Furry Friends 2!

We are excited to share these with you, and i know she is as well. Annemarie also brought the figures to Disneyland for a photo shoot. We also talked to her about these terrific designs.

Copper and Tod (“The Fox and the Hound” 1981)
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Destination Vinylmation: What drove you to make your own sequel?
Annemarie: I loved the Furry Friends series, I thought it was such a cute idea to give the characters paws. I figured it would be a great opportunity as a custom artist to give the same look to characters I would have liked to see in the original series.

Lady and Peg (“Lady and the Tramp” 1955)

Little Brother (“Mulan” 1998)
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DV: Did any Disney animals narrowly miss the cut of 12 or did you get in everyone you wanted?
AM: Tito from “Oliver and Company” was one I really wanted in, but we’ve already (luckily!) had several characters from that movie, I wanted to give a couple more obscure characters a chance, like Little Brother and Rufus, for example. I also would have loved to get the rest of Scat Cat’s gang in.

Thomas O’ Malley and Scat Cat (“The AristoCats” 1970)

Rufus (“The Rescuers” 1977)
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DV: We will not let the little guys read this next question… Which one came out as your favorite? Why? And did you know this would be your favorite when you designed it, or did the way it came out make it your favorite?
AM: That’s a really tough question. I’ve been working on these guys for over two months and have grown attached to them all! Figaro is probably my favorite, as you might have guessed. He was the first character I designed, and I really wanted him to be in the original Furry Friends series. As soon as I found out he wouldn’t be, I set to work on him right away, so he’ll always have a special place in my heart.

Figaro (“Pinocchio” 1940)

Georgette is one of my favorite Disney characters, so I was also a bit biased towards her before she was even finished. Peg is another favorite. As for ones I didn’t realize would become favorites, Nana probably best fits that category. I wasn’t expecting her to, but I think she came out as one of the best ones. (Scat Cat is another favorite. I love his little hat!)

Georgette (“Oliver and Company” 1988)

Nana (“Peter Pan” 1953)
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DV: Which FF2 was the hardest to design?
AM: Rajah was the hardest. I initially considered doing him from the scene in the movie where Jafar turns him into a baby. So he would be a cute little baby tiger cub. He definitely would have fit the mold better, so to speak, but I thought it would be a bit TOO obscure, and maybe he would be more recognizable if I just did his adult form.

Rajah (“Aladdin” 1992)
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His ears were the toughest part, I was working off a Furry Friends mold that already had ears in the “ears,” so I had to make Rajah’s ears bigger than I would have liked to cover up the pre-existing ears. Such are the trials of covering up an existing design!

Little Leia is interfering with my photo shoot!