Gallery of work

[Esgarblackpoxs]

Mind-blowing stuff here Evan. I'm really impressed with the details in your stuff, especially all the really clean lines in that very first piece. Again, great stuff. Hopefully I'll reach this level of skill one day, heh.

[The Goblin]

Wow, your work is amazing. I hope to one day be able to acheive what you have

[rattus]

fantastic work!

[EvanCampbell]

Evan - awesome to read your post and am very familiar with your work. Your sculptures is AMAZING and really translates what you are capturing in your work. Although I am a new sculptor and have yet to complete a piece, what word of advice would you have for a guy that just can't stop ripping the clay off of his armatures?

Luckily, professional work has often prevented me from throwing armatures through walls. I have been forced to forge ahead and work through many a dreary sculpture that ended favorably only due to patience and willpower. Every time I sit down to sculpt, it's a battle...and I don't always win. For every few nice sculptures that I produce, there is an unfavorable one that has been abandoned or destroyed. With time and experience, you start winning more often than not, but every competent artist is capable of doing bad work if his heart is not in it.

When my hand-eye coordination is foggy, and I get overwhelmed by a formless muddy mess, what I tend to do is break it down and work on specific areas. I will spend a few hours on the eye area or the ears, etc, just to get some visual confidence in a certain part. Even if you have to go back later to readjust the proportions, it gives you a sign of improvement that can keep you committed to the work.

The fact that you are critical with your work, can be an asset later on. You are not letting your eyes lie to you. Honest eyes usually take years to develop. I have always had a tough time seeing what is really there as far as anatomical surface forms. I am not plugged in that way as an artist. I tend to look on the inside rather than the outside. My inspiration for sculptures are triggered from internal ideas and then I eventually work my way to the surface. I finally end with the hard technical battle of achieving recognizable anatomical forms...or at least my own version of the forms. To be quite honest, I’m not that interested in anatomy but I am forced to use it to convey my ideas. In turn, my anatomy can sometimes be underdeveloped. We all suffer from some amount of visual cataracts when creating our own artwork, but that gives us each a distinct artistic style.

Don’t be so hard on yourself ! It should be play time in the beginning. Freedom and lack of boundaries can help you discover interesting things in your work. You will have plenty of time for critical rules and regulations concerning realistic forms...for now just have fun and create.

[HiveTrygon]

Luckily, professional work has often prevented me from throwing armatures through walls. I have been forced to forge ahead and work through many a dreary sculpture that ended favorably only due to patience and willpower. Every time I sit down to sculpt, it's a battle...and I don't always win. For every few nice sculptures that I produce, there is an unfavorable one that has been abandoned or destroyed. With time and experience, you start winning more often than not, but every competent artist is capable of doing bad work if his heart is not in it.

When my hand-eye coordination is foggy, and I get overwhelmed by a formless muddy mess, what I tend to do is break it down and work on specific areas. I will spend a few hours on the eye area or the ears, etc, just to get some visual confidence in a certain part. Even if you have to go back later to readjust the proportions, it gives you a sign of improvement that can keep you committed to the work.

The fact that you are critical with your work, can be an asset later on. You are not letting your eyes lie to you. Honest eyes usually take years to develop. I have always had a tough time seeing what is really there as far as anatomical surface forms. I am not plugged in that way as an artist. I tend to look on the inside rather than the outside. My inspiration for sculptures are triggered from internal ideas and then I eventually work my way to the surface. I finally end with the hard technical battle of achieving recognizable anatomical forms...or at least my own version of the forms. To be quite honest, I’m not that interested in anatomy but I am forced to use it to convey my ideas. In turn, my anatomy can sometimes be underdeveloped. We all suffer from some amount of visual cataracts when creating our own artwork, but that gives us each a distinct artistic style.

Don’t be so hard on yourself ! It should be play time in the beginning. Freedom and lack of boundaries can help you discover interesting things in your work. You will have plenty of time for critical rules and regulations concerning realistic forms...for now just have fun and create.

That is the most inspiring thing I have read in years. It's almost as if you took this from my own mind and put it down in words everyone can relate to. I'm writing this down and saving it to my computer for those days I can't get something right and yet "I feel it is". I'm so far beneath most sculptors here but am trying to learn and at times creating interesting textures to me alone is interesting and feels like a way of doing something creative. Thank you for sharing this, means a lot to me.

[EvanCampbell]

Happy buggy man...roma plastilina clay sculpture.

[EvanCampbell]

HiveTrygon - I glad my words connected to you...as your did to me. Thanks for writing!

[SpookyPooka]

Beautiful work! I enjoy reading your responses to everyone. It is good to hear such support/advise come from others. If I may ask, where/what/how did you study to develop your talents?

[HiveTrygon]

If I may be so bold as to ask, do you use any other materials besides the oil based clays? I've always wanted to learn how to sculpt with it but never found the material very easy to use. I have been working with epoxy putties for a while now and migrated to the 28mm miniature scale, however you are really tempting me to try doing some large scale sculpts for fun. I enjoy making molds and casting so I could brush on a few molds of these and wondered if you could give me a tip as to what clay would be best for a new artist. Thank you in advance for any information you could give me, your inspiration alone has been enough.

[Katzenminze]

your ideas are wonderfully twisted!
and you really know how to present your sculptures to make them look great.
thanks

[EvanCampbell]

Beautiful work! I enjoy reading your responses to everyone. It is good to hear such support/advise come from others. If I may ask, where/what/how did you study to develop your talents?

Thanks so much! I started really young with magazines and books on makeup and sculpture. I was self taught....actually, most of the artists I have worked with were self taught. What really helped was working in effects studios very young. I got to see first hand how all the technical things were done. The artistic part was developed by years of trail and error. Now with google and youtube you can find dvds and books to learn about most of these techniques.

If I may be so bold as to ask, do you use any other materials besides the oil based clays? I've always wanted to learn how to sculpt with it but never found the material very easy to use. I have been working with epoxy putties for a while now and migrated to the 28mm miniature scale, however you are really tempting me to try doing some large scale sculpts for fun. I enjoy making molds and casting so I could brush on a few molds of these and wondered if you could give me a tip as to what clay would be best for a new artist. Thank you in advance for any information you could give me, your inspiration alone has been enough.

You might want to try a water-based clay (WED). It is sold in most art stores and is fairly priced. Many artist I know use this type of clay for head sized busts when making latex masks. It is very soft and can be smoothed with water or dry with alcohol. If you want to make smaller models, I would use a form of Sculpey. Slightly more costly but you can bake the sculpture to an almost ceramic like quality. It can be sanded and painted as a finished figure.

your ideas are wonderfully twisted!
and you really know how to present your sculptures to make them look great.
thanks

Thanks for the kind words - I am glad you like the ideas and execution. I do place a great importance on the photographic aspect to try and help intensify the visual impact.

[BornOfFire]

Your stuff is amazing. Do you have a website? Maybe some of your work is for sale?

[яequiem]

Amazing work, I love it.

[ZLuca]

Evan, I love your style, ideas and way to work!
There is no one of your subjects that doesn't make me jump on my chair.
AMAZING!
Luca

[AragornMarks]

you're work is marvelous I just stay with my mouth open watching it
just hope you are older than me ( 33) so I could climb at you level
best
A

[hanvisuals]

you have great vision and i admire you for that.

[rdeyoung]

Mr. Campbell - Excellent work! I am greatly inspired. I have a question if you dont mind. What is your technique when you go to do skin textures?
Like for instance in post number 34 of the bust done in waterclay? Also - does the water clay dry out eventually? Is it possible to do molds?

What do you usually do after youre done with a sculpture? I have done most of mine through Chavant nsp which is an oil based clay that never dries and all it does is collect dust and get all nasty. I was thinking about just creating molds of all of them and just re-use or throw out the clay.

Thanks for your time! Amazing work!

[EvanCampbell]

Latex mask I sculpted and painted.

[Aris Kolokontes]

Beautyfull work once again!! The mask is awesome in all aspects!!

[EvanCampbell]

BornOfFire - I did have a website but I took it down at the moment...kind of reworking it.
I never really sold my work...but that is a really nice gesture.

яequiem - Thank you - that is very nice of you to write!

ZLuca - What a sweet comment to read...I appreciate your words and that you took the time to write me.

AragornMarks - Thanks! I am a couple of years older - so you have time...hehe!

hanvisuals - Thank you very much.

rdeyoung - An easy way to make realistic texture is to use plastic bag material and fine tools. The plastic acts as a barrier and makes very natural looking lines and textures. I usually mold all of my sculptures and save the clay if possible. Thanks so much for your interest in my work - it is very much appreciated!

Aris Kolokontes - Thanks so much...I love the busts you have put up - very cool work!

[EvanCampbell]

This is a design maquette sculpted out of Klean Klay approximately a foot in height.

[TeaMonster]

I love this one Evan, lovely composition and excellent finish!
You gotta tell me how you did the string so perfect?!! Please, please, please!

[sculptingmonsters610]

your talent for this art is incredible could you post some more pics of the gargoyle
keep up the good work

[stridiggio]

Outstanding work, when I saw it at first time I thought that was a real lamp, just amazing as all your work. Glad you shared with us here. cheers.

[limion]

my god that skeleton bust is amazing! What a wonderful idea and as always superb execution. I humbly await more pictures of your work.

It gets the creative part of me all tingly. Every time I see an extraordinary piece I want to make it myself, what's up with that. any one else have that?

[Mawh]

Amazing pieces ! Makes me think to Ron Mueck. As Doggy said on page 1, beautiful and creepy at the same time.

[cosmicbeanbag]

Wow!!

[pauljmendoza]

Okay, these are incredible. Your work is amazing!

[feeb]

Just another admirer saying admirer things to a more-than-admirable admiral of sculpture.

That was painfully cheesy, but I'm leaving it as-is.

[EvanCampbell]

Thanks so much for all the great comments!