Chey - painting the base

The base for the bike and Chey is being painted. I usually use earthy tones on the bases - this one will be Silver Pine and then speckled with a darker brown and a slightly brighter green to represent grass. I use a stencil brush for the dabbing of the browns. For the green swirls I use a soft brush and a transparent green.

When the base is done I will then mount the bike onto the base and then position Chey on her bike.

You can see Chey watching - she's ready to play! Her bike is standing by....

Chey - checking out the pose

It's time to get a sneak peek at the final pose. In this picture I am testing slightly different variations of how she will be balanced on her Fun Cop bike.

I will turn the figure back and forth and look at her in relation to the bike and the way I have turned the front wheel of the bike.

This piece is great because it has a lot of movement - there are so many different angles.

Chey is also going to be holding a Fun Citation in her paw - this will be made from wood.

Painting Chey!

Now it's time for the fun part!

I've gathered all the pictures of Chey and I am beginning to paint.

This is when the piece starts to come alive - adding all the details is fun. Chey has some of the most unique coloring I have ever seen so this is a special project. One side of her face is speckled black and white and the tip of her tail has a little plume of white.

It is great to have a nice series of pictures taken from many angles. In this photo I am working on adding the black speckles to her face using a semi-dry brush. What I try and do is capture the essence of Chey in a folk art style rather than make a super realistic copy.

Chey - more finishing touches

Going back and forth between the bike and Chey, I am now gluing a front arm on Chey.

You can just make out the ears and both rear legs are on. One rear leg is stretched back and one is facing down - the leg facing down will be balanced on the seat. hopefully the front paw will be on the handle bar!!

At this point there is a lot of testing of arm and leg positioning to make sure the finished pose looks 'naturally balanced' - I like the figures to look a little impossible in the balance - this is what makes them fun to look at.

Chey - Police Bike

I have started to paint the bicycle - using a red and blue color theme.

You can see the seat is already on, and I am positioning the handle bars at a slight angle so Chey can keep her balance!

I have not painted the tires yet (black) and there will be a silver star on the front of the bike.

Chey - coming together

Finally, things are beginning to take shape!

This image shows 'Chey' starting to look like a dog. The ears are not yet on but the head is turned to the side a little to give the figure some action and movement.

One rear leg is glued on and I am fitting the front leg into place. She has to be 'just so' so she fits on her Police Bike.

You can also see the bike in the background waiting to be painted.

Chey, the Fun Cop! Building the bike

I started working on the bicycle first.

This will give me the scale for the whole project, especially Chey when I start to make her.

I have cut out the main bicycle and as separate pieces I have the handlebars, seat and a few small items such as hub caps, a star and a decorative knob for the top of the handle bars.