Hyper-realistic painting of giant figures
September 2007 - smart art is commissioned to paint eleven 18m! high figures of football stars for Euro 2008. After a pattern head had been made and painted by different artists as possible photorealistic previously, the choice of customer Adidas / TBWA Berlin fell to the execution of smart art.
In March 2008, then it went off. The execution took place in Rosenheim (Bavaria), since the production of the figure parts was made. The responsible agency (Move- it Media, Nuremberg) took care of a correspondingly large workshop, which should now be the new workplace of smart art for the next 3 months. First, data were milled (at company B & T Raubling) Styrofoam blocks after 3-D scan. These were then provided with an epoxy layer. Thereafter, each part had to be thoroughly sanded.
Since all trades due to the uniqueness of the project had to deal with unexpected problems, the schedule was clearly advised to the rear. So it was called sportsmanship 'to prove and lost time to get back inside. The team consisted of nine people at peak times, instead of the planned 3-4. Most effort prepared the shoes. The three models (Predator, Tunit F-50, Pure) have worked very rich in detail in the original. Neither should the XXL version in no way inferior. Also it does not do!
Of course the heart of the figures are the heads. This proved to be even more difficult to make than originally thought. Because the 3D scans the important details of the eyes were not particularly well captured. A further deterioration of the starting material was given by repeated coating and grind. So it was of distress to rework or to completely remodel almost all parts of the eye three-dimensional. Margo made a great job here and conjured from lifeless heads and eyes, with life beaming faces.
Newspaper articles Ruhr News (16 June 2008):
Elf Giant Be ye!
DORTMUND. One European Champion comes with security from Germany, which is already before the final on 29June firmly: An artist from Dortmund secures the title with eleven giant soccer player figures.
Martin Dippel is called genius. The airbrush artist, built in 1971, has done for EM truly great. And not with a neat one-two, but with finely selected color combinations. The Artist has dribbled the design of eleven giant player characters in the heart of Zurich's football fans.
Figures standing arm in arm
In the foyer of the main station, the 18 meter high kicker available - arm in arm. Up to three meters high heads do encounter almost to the ceiling of the station building. The feet are in 2.80 meters long shoes. Super realistic the players act in XXXXL format. The jerseys hang loosely on the body; the facial expression looks amazingly real.
"The eyes were to make the most complicated," said Martin Dippel, who after three months of residency in Bavaria again takes his orders in Dortmund contrary. Three months was his work in Rosenheim. Twelve hours a day, six days a week. In a large warehouse. There, the eleven giants were born. Ballack, Lahm, van Persie, Cech, Charisteas, Villa, Benzema, Vieira, Chivu, Ivanschitz and Barnetta. All at a scale of 10:1. "I got the job in September last year. It started in March 2008, "said Dippel, the football against actually" is immune, "he adds with a grin. And yet he had a lot of fun on the EM project. Stress out, time pressure here.
The players gave it delivered in parts (made of styrofoam).Leg for leg, arm for arm, and head by head. "But not as we thought." So went ever by a left leg for a right one later had to be painted again to. With rollers, brushes, airbrushes Dippel and his staff moved the player blanks to my body. Were particularly difficult "Giant transgressors" the kicker. The original shoes always in sight, it was the material to life.
Whether leather, plastic or transparent - the eye of the artist and the right color choice made for the realistic representation. We were finished two days before EM-start, "said Dippel. With the truck we went to Zurich, where the figures assembled and final blemishes were eliminated.
-Bauerfeld-