About the Column
The real action in Vinylmation these days is creating your own. Disney sells blank Vinylmations for you to craft into virtually anyone or anything. Thousands of these custom creations exist. Some are, well, it's best not to say what they are, but many are outstanding: often as good as what you can buy from Disney. We're rounding up the best custom Vinylmations and presenting them here, three times each week, with a word or two of commentary from their designers.
Learn about the author, too!
Disney Swag: The T-Shirt
Get yours now!
Disney Swag: The T-Shirt
Get yours now!
Classic Disney Dispatch Content
Review: A Walk in the Park with Rolly Crump
Disney Dreadful: The Bus Beast
Disney Dispatch Columns
Because I Stinkin' Love Disney World
Disney Travel Tips from Mouseketrips
Subscribe to Disney Dispatch Digest
And receive a daily email summary of new stuff on the site.
Duffy the Bear
Today's custom Vinylmation comes with its own how-to video
Today's custom Vinylmation is from Aramis Richards. Click each image to see it full size.
click an image to expand and read notes:
Duffy the Bear
Duffy the Bear: Side View
Duffy the Bear: Back View
Duffy the Bear: Feet First
This is a tough one for me. Everyone knows my bitter feelings for Duffy the Bear. I don't like bears, in general, but Duffy is an especially cunning member of his species.
I won't let it stand in the way of presenting today's custom Vinylmation.
It is, of course, Duffy the Bear.
And you know what: if the real Duffy the Bear looked as good as his custom Vinylmation, maybe I'd wouldn't hate him so much.
Here's what Aramis Richards has to say about why and how he created his custom:
"When most Disney fanatics hear the name Duffy, they cringe or straight out say they can't stand the little guy. But to me, he holds a special place in my heart. When I was young, my family moved around a lot so I never really had time to make friends, much less keep them, and that's really what drew me to Duffy the Bear.
"Duffy was the kind of toy I've always wanted as a kid, a friend if you will. (I never was an action figure or cars kind of boy.) Duffy was a combination of my two favorite topics: Disney and good old-fashioned 'hand craftsmanship'.
"According to the story, Minnie created Duffy to keep Mickey company on the Mouse's travels. It made me think of my childhood and how I wanted something like that. I don't own a Duffy bear (yet), so to compensate I painted a Vinylmation to bring me a bit closer to owning one.
"I painted Duffy completely by memory (yes, you read that right, by memory - even though I have pictures, I didn't use them) which is why his inner ears are light brown rather then dark brown. Duffy is also missing his spiffy little hat, which I'll make later when I have time."
What's really (really!) impressive about this custom is that Aramis Richards shot a time-lapse video of himself creating it. The film is seven minutes long, crystal-clear, and clearly the mark of a pro. You'll be amazed by how much work goes into the creation of a custom Vinylmation.
Wasn't that cool? And yeah, maybe, just maybe, I'm warming up to Duffy the Bear.
Come back on Saturday for another Vinylmation My Way custom.
Stuff Not to Skip
- Disney's Vinylmation
http://eventservices.disney.go.com/static/vinylmation/