tiki project finished

pictures

video

Tiki Head Process

Click the picture below for a short .mpg video of the talking tikis typical monologing.

progress and parts pictures

Here comes Lolo Po'o himself.....RightClick and "Save As" to run these files off of your harddrive for best effect.

Below is a "gif" slideshow of the planning of the armature and the carvinf of the tiki head.

A 1:1 drawing was done with an armature frame overlay drawn as well. The drawings were give over to Tom and the Plastic Fabricators at All Valley Plastics in Burbank, CA.

mock ups were made to test foam carving techniques.

the foam block is a composite of three smaller upholstery grade polyfoam blocks.

Below, you can see the cubbyhole design of the armature/skull of the tiki head. You can also see the servos, and push rods that move the eyes-eyelids and jaw coordinated by a Radio Control Servo Controller.

The composite foam block excavated to fit the skull and hardware.

Very Bland.

Shaping begins.

More human.

Using many tools including electric knives and dremels and scissors...The head begins to look like a stylized wall mask. With a placeholder jaw/lower lip..

Here is the jaw/lower lip being shaped. You can see how it fits in with the skull/armature.

Altogether in a finished shape, being textured to give it a wooden feeling.

Ready for paint.

Early painting.

Fully painted ready for detailing

Added aging and paint details..

Primitive painting style in mouth and on face to match the theme of the booth.

During mounting tests, see the computer bag and the RC Controller to the right on the table. Both were used to test the head while mounted on the front of the booth.

The final head, mounted and operating under computer control in Palm Springs in the Lawn Area of the Caliente Tropics Hotel for Tiki Oasis 5.

The group won the best booth contest for the second year in a row. It was the goal we set. Mission Accomplished.

Tiki Booth Construction Process.

The tiki booth began as an answer to the question how will we win the best booth prize a second year in a row.

I began to submit sketches and basic designs for an 18 foot tall structurebased on a 10 foot tall gazebo/steel cube, but it was quickly pared down to 12-14 feet on a steel cube of less than 8 feet.

With the scale being pared down secondary structures, like those above on the color color design for puppeteers to work bird puppets were eliminated. The booth was to house a lot of merchandise and also be the general hub of the tiki style effect we were trying to create.

Details of production came together to make the hut as portable as possible. Including the inspired idea of making the bow and stern "sprits" out of foam core and covering them with fabric. Above you can also see the inspired panel style ideas for the gateway arches, the seams of which were frayed to look like coconut husk.

Designs were also submitted for discharge printing of the fabric wall panels(to be done later). AND designs for papua new guinean style painted skulls to spit upon the corner staves of the hut.

Above one can see the structure of the hut coming together. Early paper patterning on the lowest part, and all the structural steel pipe join ed together by the founders mother. Queen of the welders. Each of the metal pieces was hel together with drilled holes and aluminum cotter pins.

The roof was constructed of a strong plastic netting used for protecting gardens from deer. And the netting was used as a based like that of a giant latch-hook rug. Fabric for the entire project was found in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles on a few precise and manic fabric safaris. The roof was attached through removable zip ties in yet one more excellent imaginative idea by out founder.

Above you can see various stages of the panels and the features applied to the frame. The tiki hut begins to live.

Our friendly neighborhood artist/effects painter Tiny, ages the model skulls we will be spitting on the corners and then applies tribal tattoos patterns to them designed by uber-draftsman Stickmann.

Many scores, if not hundreds of hours went into the production of this monster and the product sold from it and the other booth(The Giant, Now Flaming, Fez.)

Many thanks to all involved for their hard work and dedication.

UPDATE!!!!! 2006!!!!!

I carved and painted a new Prow and "Aft Sprit" for the Tiki Hut.

Tiki Shame.