thefigurinessketches

Barks had to do sketches from all possible angles of the object that was to be a figurine. These sketches would serve as work drawings for the sculptors. Barks was very interested in the concept of transforming his two-dimensional ducks into three-dimensional masterpieces, and he followed the arduous sculpturing process the best he could from his studio.

The motif from the painting Hi, I'm Donald Duck! was used for the figurine Sixty Years Quacking. Here are a few preliminary sketches showing the rotation of Donald as if he was posing in front of a moving camera.

I am so used to drawing things in two dimensions that I find it easier to make one drawing in one position, and another in another position, until I have turned the duck completely around and you see him from all angles.

Front view of one group	Back view of the same group

The painting Lavender and Old Lace became the basis for a figurine which was extremely difficult to accomplish because of its many details. Barks first made numerous sketches of each individual duck. Then he grouped some of them together, before joining the groups in one figurine. I can show the sculptors how those ducks should look from other angles, because these artists are not familiar with the way the ducks' tails are attached or the way their knees bend. And the construction of the beak is pretty much a mystery to these guys, so I have to help them out on that.

Front view of the finished figurine	Back view without the lace

Making the extremely brittle lace in the background was a must for Barks who wanted an old-fashioned parlour effect to the figurine. It proved a real challenge to the sculptors. They ended up with designing a die to stamp the lace out of copper sheeting, which then got covered with white enamel and baked.