The story of "Derp", a neoprene cast puppet head

So this, like many projects, started with a sketch. Actually it was a doodle, as Bart P Roccoberton requested a "scribble drawing" to start us out on this. Scribble drawings work like this:

Mark a scribble. Look and find a drawing or character in it. Create drawing.

Ta da!

My original scribble, after shading and detailing, looked like this:
(Note the unfinished/unloved scribble above it)

This bird needed to become a plasticine sculpt, so the prep drawing, after some photoshopping and love, looked like this:

Then it was time to sculpt. I sculpted Derp in plasticine on a wooden armature. When I was done, he looked like this:

Pose and werk it, darling!

You know you're in trouble when you catch yourself talking to your sculpt as you work. Oh dear.

Then it was time for casting. I made a two-part plaster cast.

"Derp faces Derp: a study in grey"

And then, after a good scrub down to get out every scrap of oil-based clay, it was time for neoprene. After a twelve hour drying time, I pulled out my sculpt.

Lo and behold, no holes or bubbles. Not bad!

Now I just need to clean up that seam and give him a good washing. Updates to come as this project continues.