Robert DeNiro bust as Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver
To start the Taxi Driver bust, I collected photographs of Robert DeNiro around 30 years of age, as well as using photographs and screen captures of him as Travis from the movie. I then built a simple metal armature and started applying water based clay onto it. Over the next three weeks the sculpture was refined, until it had a good resemblance to him. Skin detail was added last then the clay sealed before being moulded in fibreglass. The clay was then removed and a more precise thickness of clay laid in, which would end up being the thickness of silicone rubber. Over this new clay layer, the fibreglass core section was fashioned, and the clay removed. The resulting void was then filled with pigmented silicone rubber to simulate a base flesh colour. Cleaned up, this was then painted with more silicone pigmented, in thin layers to give a skin like final finish.
Hair was then implanted for his scalp, eyebrows and lashes, then his head given a shave to replicate his later “Vietnam Vet” look.
Eyes were fashioned from acrylics and finally he was dressed in clothing similar to that from the film.
