Steampunk is a very interesting genre where technology is powered by steam and often has a very bronze look.
With all of the bronze appearance in steampunk it seems only fitting this month to discuss the master sculptor Nano Lopez.
Nano Lopez creates bronze sculptures of a variety of different themes. He has many human sculptures, but he is probably best known for his Nanimals, or his series consisting of animals. He sculpts everything from real animals like foxes and wolves to mythical creatures like dragons and Pegasi. One of the best parts about his pieces is that these sculptures come in all different sizes from life-sized pieces to his "nano" and "micro" pieces which are super tiny but still as detailed as his life-sized pieces.
The process of creating a sculpture is extensive and can take up to 6 months! Nano first starts with a concept sketch before moving to a clay model. This model is then used to make a mold for the melted bronze to be poured into these molds (one piece may take multiple molds) and then these molds are welded together. The sculpture is then painted to make the features pop.
If you want to learn more about the process from the artist himself, this is a fantastic video to watch:
Now that we have talked about his process, let's take a look at some of the Nanimals in his series.
First I need to start with my favorite, Davian the ice cream-eating dragon who is guarding his treasure! Davian came in two sizes: medium (9"x10"x11.5") and large (21"x15"x18"). Nano is even working on a life-size version of Davian which is currently estimated as going to be 84"x72"! Because Davian is one of his most popular Nanimals, his profile is even featured on a coin.
Next up we have our Pegasus, Arthur the Believer. He only comes in a medium size which is similar in dimensions to the medium Davian.
Third, we take a look at one of his cats, Edison. This sculpture comes in most of the sizes Nanimals come in. Nano (2"x1.5"x1.5"), Micro (3"x2.5"x2.5"), Medium (9"x7"6"), and Large (13"x10.5"x11"). Can you imagine how difficult it must be to have these details in such small pieces!
Fourth we have another small sculpture called Lobito y Luna or Wolf with Baby. These two wolves are howling at a moon we can't see.
Last, I felt it only proper to finish how we started with another ice cream-eating dragon. This one is named Kiko. This sculpture comes in Medium and Large sizes.
So, which is your favorite Nanimal?