Against All Odds

Against All Odds was the major project of my 2023 Art Foundation year, exploring narrative  storytelling through a fantasy diorama. The piece depicts a lone knight confronting an eldritch  horror disguised as a church, inspired by Romanticist artwork, and the classic theme of man versus  monster.

The work explores ideas of courage, duty, and reclaiming institutions from corruption  despite overwhelming odds. Every aspect of the project was designed and created from scratch,  marking my first large-scale venture into original model making and sculpting. 

Working with limited materials and equipment, the church structure was built from cardboard and  clad with individually applied XPS foam bricks, with plaster used to create realistic mortar joints.  The roof tiles were cut from EVA foam, while the creature's legs and mouth were sculpted in air-dry  clay over wire and foil armatures.

Red LEDs were integrated into the interior, with UHU glue used  to create strands of saliva and sinew. The knight was fully sculpted in a custom blend of Milliput  and Green Stuff, while gravestones, trees, and environmental details were handmade from clay and  modelling compound. 

The church was painted using acrylics, extensive dry brushing, washes, and varnishes to create  weathered stonework, necrotic flesh, and wet organic surfaces. The knight and terrain were hand  painted, with the base finished using scenic flocking to complete the environment.