Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Brian Shapiro

Destination Vinylmation: First of all, thank you for helping me prove MC wrong! This Genie surely does not have any car features. He seems to fit perfectly onto the Vinylmation 95 canvas, what was the most problematic area?
Brian Shapiro: You're welcome!  I hope this changes MC's mind on what can be done with Vinylmation 95.

When I made my Vinylmation 95 Maleficent Dragon custom, I was convinced that the canvas would only work for characters with snouts.  I then tried to think of something different to attempt, and considered the possibility of using the hood of the car as a chin instead of a snout.  That's when I immediately realized it would be perfect for Genie, one of my favorite Disney characters.  As soon as I sketched his face on the vinyl with his large chin and tapered forehead I was amazed how perfectly the character's iconic features fit the contours of the mold!  It was if it was meant for him.  The eyebrows fit perfectly and placing the ears where I did on the wider part of the car made them look like they were sticking out.  In fact, when viewed from the front, I think it looks more like Genie than a car!  From the side the proportions are a little off and appear elongated, but distorted features are frequently the case with the Mickey shaped Vinylmation mold. Just ask Tinker Bell and Kim Possible!  The only problem creating this design was what to do with the back of the figure.  There was no way to create a body with limbs given the size of the head!

Luckily, one of the features I wanted to include in the design was the Lamp.  I absolutely love the Animation Series #1 Genie nine-inch figure released by Disney, but I was disappointed that there wasn't a reference to the Lamp on it.  I wanted to include it in my design, and fortunately, the contour of the spoiler with its elevated corners was perfect.  Once I had the Lamp in place, it solved the body problem.  On the side of the vinyl with the Lamp's spout, you can see Genie's head reducing to a thin taper as if it's coming from the lamp.  In essence, he is peeking his head out of the Lamp and looking to start some mischief!

DV: The lamp is placed perfectly on the spoiler and I love the fact that it is double sided with the starry night back ground. What tips can you give when painting on a feature that is double sided instead of just wrapping around the canvas.

Brian: These types of design decisions are tricky to execute, and I try to avoid them as much as possible.  I always prefer to wrap a design around the figure rather than break up its continuity.  Fortunately, the Lamp is a combination of both styles.  As I stated, the raised corners of the canvas' spoiler made ideal locations for the handle and the spout.  The handle, especially, wraps completely around.  As for the rest of the Lamp and other double sided features, I try to place the breaks in continuity in the least conspicuous places, or I include other features in the design to help hide the breaks.  For example, not only did making the Genie's head look like it was emerging from the Lamp's spout solve the body problem, it also helped hide the fact that you can't see the rest of the Lamp when viewed from the side.  The starry sky also helped fill in some of the breaks, including the space in the middle of the handle.

DV: Do you have any tips for artists to get those nice clean smooth lines such as Genie's nose, mouth and eyes?
Brian: As dentists, we are obsessed with clean lines and margins!  It is critical to everything we do, and the same is true when I paint my customs.  My technique first involves drawing the design in pencil on the blank unpainted vinyl.  This can take a long time as I sketch out every detail and refine all my lines until I am happy with them.  Once I'm satisfied, I prime the vinyl by spraying it with Games Workshop's Skull White paint primer.  This not only leaves the vinyl with a nice white surface to paint on, but also it allows my pencil lines to show through.  Finishing the custom becomes simply a matter of painting over the lines and coloring in the spaces.  To keep things clean and crisp, I use one of Games Workshop's "Standard" size paint brushes, and I never dip the bristles directly into the paint pots.  Instead, I dip the back of the brush's handle into the paint pot and dab some paint onto a ceramic tile or plate.  I then clean off the back of the handle, dry it, and use it to add a drop or two of water from a cup into the paint on the tile.  This thins out the paint a little so there is no clumping.

To apply the paint to the vinyl, I dip the tip of the brush in the paint on the tile.  As I withdraw the brush tip from the paint, I drag it along the tile while twirling it.  It takes some practice, but it twirls the bristles into a point, perfect for painting lines and small details.  When I'm done painting, I always wash the bristles in water and then twirl them into a point on a paper towel so they will dry in the shape of a point for next use.

Of course, not all lines will come out as straight as I prefer, but I refine them using the color paint I used to create them and the adjacent colors as much as necessary.  The key thing to remember is not to apply a thick layer of paint.  It is best to be patient and use many overlapping thin layers.