Posted by Todd Rivers (Owner of RDI Studio) on November 6, 2023
This year, for Halloween, I was determined to make a sculpture of a zombie head. At first, I thought maybe I would display a realistic looking zombie head placed on a pole / pike inserted in the ground of my home’s front yard.
I planned on using plaster and joint compound, however. Since snow usually hits the Bozeman area at least once before Halloween day, placing the sculpture in the front yard was a no go.
Instead, I decided to make an exaggerated, cartoonish zombie head that could hold the trick-or-treater candy placed on a table underneath a covered porch.
To create the sculpture’s armature, I repurposed an Easter basket, which would serve as the ‘brain bucket’, mounted on some old copper piping. Over the armature, I attached some chicken wire and proceeded to create the mouth cavity.
zombie sculpture armature
After I created the underlying armature and enveloping cage, I covered the chicken wire with cloth and plaster.
plaster placed on top of armature / frame
I used chicken wire overlaid with plaster to build up the facial features, as well. Once the plaster was dry, I applied a coating of joint compound and created more intricate facial details.
chicken wire sculpture additions
I gave the zombie a full head of teeth that I made with air dried clay. I mounted the teeth into closed cell foam palates and affixed them to the skull with plaster cloth strips.
air dried clay teeth
I decided to add another piece that looks like the portion of skull that had been lopped off to expose the hollowed out brain bucket. I covered it with hair / a wig. Eventually, it would be turned over to hold more Halloween candy.
completed zombie sculpture
I painted the completed sculpture using acrylic paints and a stippling technique that uses several shades / values of color.
zombie sculpture, Halloween candy brain bucket
This project definitely added some new tricks to my sculptural skill set. You don’t learn until you start experimenting, right?
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions concerning this topic or need help with your own novelty product design.
Todd Rivers
Novelty Product Design Consultant
RDI Studio