Kristian Beverly

Breyerfest Artisan Gallery

July 12, 2019Kristian BeverlyLeave a comment

The artisan gallery showcases some of the best artists the hobby has to offer.
Kim Bleecker had an array of resins and customs.
Jennifer Buxton had a table devoted to NaMoPaiMo.

She had a few of the models she’d painted. She also had models painted by other participants.

Kristen Cermele of KNC Equine Art had this. Isn’t this amazing?

Best of Customs

July 12, 2019December 28, 2024Kristian Beverly2 Comments

Since the beginning, the Breyerfest Best of Customs contest has been filled with excellent and innovative entries. 2019 is no different.

So here they are!

Throwback Thursday

June 20, 2019December 28, 2024Kristian BeverlyLeave a comment

The subject of my last post was my new Thestral, but he wasn’t the first one I ever made. Even if he’s a huge improvement over the last one.

Back when I could show in the Breyerfest Youth Show, I sculpted a Thestral. He started out as a Morgan model. I think I made him the last year I could show in that show–so I was 16–making it seven-ish years ago. He won his unrealistic custom class.
I couldn’t find a picture of him at the Breyerfest Children/Youth show, but here’s one from a local show. I showed him at a handful before he fell apart.

Time hasn’t been kind to him. I have zero idea about where his other front leg is. For real. No idea. He had wings at some point, but they broke off too and have been lost. I made them out of chopsticks and fabric. I spray painted it all.

While I was making him the leg popped off and I merely hot glued it back on. It seemed like the most clever of ideas at the time. Unluckily for me, hot glue has a much shorter life span than the super glue/baking soda mix.

I still like the face work I did on him.

One day I’ll make a traditional Thestral, but for now, I’m happy with the huge improvement between one and two.

The Making Of Black Mirror

June 17, 2019December 28, 2024Kristian Beverly8 Comments

Back in Febuary I had the desire to sculpt. But I didn’t have any idea of what to sculpt so I hacked off a few of the stablemate unicorn horns.

But then then it hit me. An idea. I’d had a Django body hanging around for a year and imagined him as a Thestral.

Thestrals are skeleton horse like creatures with reptilian features. And a beak.

source: harry potter wiki

First I drew some guide lines on him.

And then I grabbed my engraver and dremel and went at it. I whittled him down to pretty much an armature.

The trouble area was the tail area. Chopping the tail off took away some of his hind legs too. Oh well, it needed resculpted anyways.

Threstals have long tails so I inserted a wire for that. Super glue and baking soda held it together.

Next came the actual sculpting part.

I finished one side of it in a weekend before putting it down. After I’d finished the face I thought wow, now I have to do the other side. I think I’m good for now.

School took over and the Thestral was forgotten. After I finished the semester I decided to do more work on him. And the idea of entering the best of customs contest took hold.

I stopped taking progress pictues because I needed him done, and done fast to meet the deadline.

The wings required some creativity. I made an armature with wire and poka dotted fabric. I stiffened it with baking soda and super glue.

The Thestral gained the name Black Mirror because of my re-binging of the Netflix series.

After much sanding and painting, Black Mirror was done. He was photographed the last day the contest was open and the photos were submitted with two hours to spare. I’m really happy with how he came out. It has been a long time since I’ve resculpted something to this degree, so it was a nice challenge