"The Black Yellow Night" - The Giant Wasp

This is my most ambitious model to date. I had the vision of a Giant Wasp being the penultimate fear for the grandpa, but realizing this character physically proved many a challenge. The character design began with initial sketches to get a idea of scale, body construction and character. I studied the common wasp to understand its physical make-up but simplified some parts and exaggerated others (and added a few spiky bits).

Character Sketch of Wasp

The armature was very much trial and error, and i never new if my design would actually hold up during the filming process. Again the modular armature parts were supplied by Armature FX and these allowed me to design an armature that hopefully would allow me all the movement i needed as well as being strong enough to withstand the animation process. As with my other models the bones or in-between joint sections were made primarily of twisted wire, with the addition of two part putty to create 'bones'.

The bulk of the wasp's body was made from polystyrene. I used a hot wire cutter to shape the polystyrene and then a thin layer of plasticine was applied for the finish. The wings are wire framed with acetate segments.