From model to full size, this very famous likeness of Beetle Bailey was carved at the request of the artist and his son by myself at Foam Props. The sculpture stands welcoming visitors to the new Reynolds Alumni Center at the University of Missouri.
The artist supplied the initial model of the character that I then tweeked to his specifications. We then began the process of sizing the work up to it's final height, making the rough out of rigid urethane foam. I carved Beetle out of rigid urethane foam carefully adhering to the proportions and feel of the model that the Walkers had worked on with us. If he was to lean on the bar and look right, I had to carve him at the proper angle. Bob, at Foam Props, took the height given of the bar top at the Alumni Center and constructed a mock up of that bar in the shop for me to carve against. After I had finished, critical parts that would encounter more wear and tear upon use were molded and cast in a hard plastic. The foam parts were sealed, coated with plastic, sanded smooth, bondoed and sanded some more. The plastic parts were added in the end before it was painted by the talented Ami Mesner of Arteriors and readied to ship.