Yoda life size replica prop statue from the Star Wars – Attack of the Clones
I was asked to make a life size Yoda statue from the second Star Wars trilogy, holding his lightsaber and look mean and moody ready for a fight, as per his duel with Count Dooku in the finale of the Attack of the Clones.
Once reference pictures and screen captures had been collected, I proceeded to build a steel armature of the pose, over which he was sculpted in water based clay [for his head and body] and wax based clay for his hands and feet over a few weeks.
Once the sculpture were completed, moulds made in fibreglass in sections, from which silicone skinned head, hands and feet were cast with fibreglass understructures. The resulting castings were de-seamed, then painted to try and make him look realistic, but also resemble the digital film version of him. A bit of a balancing act. The parts were then bonded together with the torso made in fibreglass.
The clothing was made from wool and silk and he was assembled onto a fibreglass torso. Finally his eyes were made from acrylics with hand painted irises, and hair inserted one strand at a time. A store bought lightsaber finished off the look.
