Fantasy
Frazetta’s
Tarzan
Behind the Scenes
I was so inspired by the painting the piece is based on that I sculpted it twice, though both times I worked as quickly as possible, basically sketching the piece, to capture the looseness and freedom of Frazetta’s brush strokes. The first version was an homage in which I intentionally avoided trying to capture the master’s style. It was only my second piece since taking up sculpting again. At the time, I was focused on building up my portfolio and had set myself the ambitious goal of cranking out 4 major pieces in 3 months—an arbitrary and aggressive goal—because I thought that was the pace I’d have to maintain as a professional. I wanted the anatomy to be fantastically hyper-realistic, asking myself “what would a guy that swings through the trees all the time actually look like?” Well, he’d have huge forearms and the widest back in the world, his hands would be meaty, disfigured mitts and his hair would be a matted mess. Voila.
Tarzan and the Lost Empire
Frank Frazetta is one of the greatest fantasy painters of all time, and arguably the most successful book cover artist ever. Classic technique and boundless creativity led to dozens of iconic images. Many publishers would buy his paintings and then ask writers to come up with a book that matched it—an incredible example of the tail wagging the dog, except that it worked; people bought these books just because of the image on the cover.
Frazetta’s Conan is undeniably the archetype all other artists aspire to and emulate. His Tarzan may not have reached the same exemplary status—perhaps because it evolved quite a bit over time—but it eventually settled into a unique version that many consider a definitive one.
Behind the Scenes
A couple of years later, by then semi-established as a working artist in the toy and hobby industry, I thought I should step up my game, diversify my portfolio and explore crafting more high-end work. I once again “sketched” Frazetta’s Tarzan, this time in traditional casting wax, to generate a one-of-a-kind bronze. It was a one day sculpt—and a challenge—because it was only my second piece in wax and there’s a little monkey on the guy’s shoulder. I chose to emulate the master’s style on the second attempt, so I also used references for his version of Tarzan’s face.
My dear friend Rick did an amazing job of casting the piece and personally handled the patina.
Original Tarzan
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Let’s make something amazing together
Please note, all Manifest Sculpt work is completed with traditional sculpting techniques—modelling and carving—rather than through modern digital techniques and programs. Consequently, the resin and bronze castings in this edition were also produced through traditional mold making and manufacturing processes. Final Manifest Sculpt commissions are available in a variety of materials, but they are not 3D printed and are not available as printable files. Copyright Notice: all work, including ideation, concepts, stories and their development, character design and production are the property of Carlos Soca unless otherwise noted, and all rights are reserved. Should you wish to discuss collaboration or licensing of an intellectual property or its design, please contact Manifest Sculpt.