Megaloceros giganteus (1:20 scale)

Hello friends, I will present my new sculpture. After a long time without doing anything new, I will continue with the pleistocene fauna and specifically with another of the emblematic animals that lived with our ancestors until about 10,000 years ago.

It is the megaloceros (megaloceros giganteus), the maximum representative in size of the deer family :

" Megaloceros is an extinct genus of deer whose members lived throughout Eurasia from the early Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene and were important herbivores during the Ice Ages. The largest species, Megaloceros giganteus, vernacularly known as the "Irish elk" or "Giant elk", is also the best known. They are thought to be most closely related to the living Dama deer.
Most members of the genus were extremely large animals that favoured meadows or open woodlands. They are the most cursorial deer known, with most species averaging slightly below 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) at the withers. The various species of the Cretan genus Candiacervus – the smallest of which, C. rhopalophorus was just 65 cm (26 in) high at the shoulder – are sometimes included in Megaloceros as a subgenus. "

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It is a rather complicated figure to do. Specifically, antlers so immense and full of tips, is the main problem due to their fragility, but, there we go...

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It's sad we cannot know their colors for sure, because we could make FEMALE Megaloceros as well.

Thank you friends !

Bowhead Whale wrote:

It's sad we cannot know their colors for sure, because we could make FEMALE Megaloceros as well.

Yes, in this case only shades of fur were represented, such as the diagonal spot of the body, very characteristic as well. But, as you say, the colors are not known exactly, unlike the paintings of steppe bison represented for example in Altamira or Lascaux...

Wow, I can't wait to see this one finished I've recently seen a skeleton of one in Paris They were huge!

Ana wrote:

Wow, I can't wait to see this one finished

Me too, me too

This is a perfect choice considering your sculpting style. You use to make your figures with a sumptuous look and a huge level of detail, so my expectations to this Megaloceros are really high. Looking forward to see the result.

thank you Anna, Kosta and Roger ! I hope you like how the figure progresses and the final result...

First steps in modeling the figure, with the typical iron wire armor on which the modeling putty goes
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And then I start to fill and shape the body, neck and head
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We feel already the ornamental glamour of the figure. Thanks for keeping us aware of the progress.

Ooh! This is shaping up nicely. Thank you for sharing your progress. I enjoy seeing the process! That's a really great approach you've taken with the antlers, using the sheet metal (or foil - not sure the correct term).

What an impressive species! Right within your Pleistocene specialty! I'm looking forward to seeing more!

Thank you Roger and Bjarki !

I have continued with the modeling of the figure but I started with a harder gray putty that I had to change for a more manageable and soft one. The hard is useful to fill the inner shape of the figure ...

I have started modeling the head, neck and part of the trunk, with the aim of marking the textures and hairs ...

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It is progressing quite rapidely! We can see already that it will look majestic!

I already love the head :)
The progress is going fantastic

wonderful figurine!

Dear Miguel

among all the masterpieces you have been created, this challenge must be the more difficult...but for what I see so far you will be succeeding again. I really look forward to see the final result

Thank you Roger, Kosta, Caracal and Paolo , .I am very pleased that you are liking how the figure progresses and, Paolo you are right, it is a difficult and delicate sculpture because of the incredible antlers he  had   . I am also worried about the handling of the figure once finished, but I will surely find the solution..

Body modeling is finished. Now it's time to make the most delicate part of the figure, the antler. I will separate it to make it independent because I see it quite impossible to make a single mold for the whole figure and with a view to the packaging I see it safer.

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Bravo! Another masterpiece by Miguel!

I've been following this quietly until now, what a beautiful irish elk! (And it's even unfinished!) I cant wait to see the final product!

This story will have a happy ending.

Impressive, stunning, awesome... Again you are giving life to an incredible animal of the past. I can't wait to watch how you will manage to make the antlers!

Thank you donny, wolfie, Fernando and Christophe ! . Although it is better to make an entire figure without pieces to make the unique mold, I had to separate the horns because it is really very difficult. In the end it will be a mold for the body and two for the antler..

The horns of the rest of the figure are already separated to be able to assemble them as a kit later ...

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Wow  And now... The make up please