Announcing Google+ Hangouts On Air

This week we're excited to announce something completely new - live broadcasts from the studio! I'll be showing you tons of different ways of working in Cx5, and you can get your questions answered live on the air. 

We're using Google+ Hangouts On Air to stream half-hour sessions about all kinds of topics, from how to start a sculpture in Cx5, to finishing techniques and how to work with a waxer. And, if you're one of the first nine people to sign up for a Hangout, you can work on your Cx5 project live on the air with me.

Cx5 is a truly unique sculpting and prototyping material, and we get questions each week about what Cx5 can do, and how it can do it. We've been thrilled to show it off at events like Toy Fair and Monsterpalooza, where we really get to work one-on-one with sculptors.

The Working in Cx5 Tutorial Video has always been the go-to resource for comprehensive information about Cx5, but there's no substitute for getting a specific question answered in real time, and this is our way of bringing the studio to you!

Now that sculptors all over the world are working in Cx5, we want to invite everyone to be part of the conversation. Each Hangout will focus on a specific aspect of working in Cx5. Ask questions, get answers, and show off what you're working on, live on the air!

See you soon! 

-Adam

How do Hangouts work? 

Hangouts On Air are run on Google+, and you can see all the Hangouts currently scheduled on our Google+ page. Sign in to your Google+ account and reply to any event so we know you'll be there!

Each Hangout will be broadcast live on our website, as well as our Google+ page, YouTube channel, our company Facebook page and the Cx5 Facebook page. That's pretty much everywhere, since we want to make these as accessible as possible. 

You can tune in live at any of these locations, and watch the broadcast as its happening.

And if you want to ask questions, type us one on Google+ or Twitter using the hashtag #AskCx5. Just add that to the end of your question, and we'll be able to see all the current questions during the broadcast.

If you miss a Hangout, tune into our YouTube channel after it's over to watch the recording.

Want to participate in a Hangout?

Up to 9 people can be on a Hangout with me. You can sign up to get into the next hangout at www.adambeaneindustries.com/hangouts, and the first 9 people to sign up will be in! As long as you have a fast internet connection, a modern web browser, and a web cam, you should be all set to go. Check the official Hangout system requirements here.

To be in the Hangout you have to be on Google+, so make sure you're signed up and then add Adam Beane Industries, Inc. to one of your circles. This will let us invite you to the Hangout! 

Sculpting the Portrait in Cx5 Workshop

We had a great time hosting the first intensive portrait workshop this past May. We spent two days with eight participants and a live model, and everyone sculpted a portrait from the ground up - in Cx5, of course!

"This two day, intensive portrait sculpting workshop will introduce you to Adam's unique, intuitive approach to sculpting the face, and will give you the opportunity to work alongside Adam as he demonstrates the process of sculpting a 1/4 scale portrait from a live model..." -Workshop description

We had people come from California, Ohio, New York and Brazil(!). A few people had already been working in Cx5, but for many this was an introduction to the material, as well as to my methods for portraiture. 

We set up each work station so everyone got a Kerr Ultra Waxer to sculpt with, the same one that I use, as well as alcohol lamps, metal tools, and a strong down-light, which is essential for sculpting at this scale. We did most of our sculpting with the waxers and different tips, and it was great to see everyone picking up the techniques on the first day.

Tessa, our model, was amazing. She sat for us for both days, and took breaks to walk around and see how all of the miniature versions of her face were progressing. I was impressed to see everyone do so well with new methods of capturing a likeness.

The next workshop dates will be posted soon, and I'm looking forward to more one-on-one time with sculptors. It was amazing to see what came out of two days of intense instruction and sculpting. Thank you all for making it a fantastic weekend! 

-Adam

Monsterpalooza 2013

It will be nearly impossible to convey the awesomeness of Monsterpalooza in a blog post, but I'm always up for a challenge! If you haven't yet heard of Monsterpalooza, it is the biggest convention of special effects artists, followed only by Son of Monsterpalooza in October, which you can bet we'll be attending. We spent the weekend surrounded by the best talent in the special effects industry, marveling at their work, seeing original props up close, and watching set-worthy special effects makeup getting applied right before our eyes. 

Demos of sculpting without an armature!

We knew there would be tons of sculptors there, but we never could have imagined just how many. We got to hang out with Steve Wang, Brian Wade, Mike Hill, Andrew Clement, the Shiflett Brothers, Jordu Schell and many, many more. And we all got to play with Cx5! 

It's Brian Wade time!

One of the best parts of the show was doing one-on-one sculpting sessions with people who have been working in Cx5 and wanted to refine their techniques. Getting to work on hot sculpting, especially waxer techniques, in person, was fantastic. 

Mony Cazamea is going to make so many awesome things in Cx5!

And then there were the demos of what Cx5 can do. Everyone loved the cloth dipping and forming, and sculpting without an armature was an absolute favorite of sculptors, prop makers, and designers alike. Everybody who stopped by got a chance to use a waxer and other hot sculpting tools, and we demoed lots of techniques for those who were completely new to hot sculpting. By the end of the show we had a cool little pile of three-minute sculpts that visitors had made.

Jordu Schell gets his hands in Cx5, and everybody passes around the waxers.

I loved talking with people about what they've been making, and seeing how excited they were about Cx5. There was an incredible amount of talent at Monsterpalooza and I was honored to hang out with so many established and up-and-coming sculptors, and bring something new to their arsenal of materials. We'll be back in October for Son of Monsterpalooza, and this time we'll bring enough Cx5 and tutorial videos to not sell out on the second day! I hope we see you soon, and I leave you with you with my favorite sculptor of the weekend, Evan, who decided Cx5 was perfect for a pirate hook. 

-Adam

(Check out the full gallery on the Monsterpalooza event page!)

Evan and the pirate hook!