Featured FreeForm System User:
Oluf W. Hartvigson, Master Sculptor, Hartvigson Sculpture &
Design
Combining superior sculpting skills with the touch-based FreeForm® modeling
system, Alaska-based Master Sculptor Oluf W. Hartvigson creates toys and
collectibles for blue-chip clients such as Mattel/Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Creata
Promotion, and Sideshow Toy. Hartvigson's current line of collectibles includes
figures from Star Trek® and Lord of the Rings® as well as Monty Python® and
James Bond® movies.
Hartvigson officially opened Hartvigson Sculpture & Design in 1992. Since that time,
he has acquired an impressive arsenal of design tools to match his increasingly
impressive client list of companies all over the world. One of these design tools is
the FreeForm system, which has become a key part of his digital production process.
Speeding the Process With the FreeForm System
Before incorporating the FreeForm system into his workflow process, Hartvigson
used the traditional, often time-consuming, method of modeling with industrial
styling clay and wax. Using clay and wax, his core modeling time for smaller toys
was about two weeks, and up to two months for very large toys. Then Hartvigson
incorporated the FreeForm system into his production process. Just three days after
he first picked up the PHANTOM™ Desktop interface, Hartvigson completed this
model of Star Treks' Spock character.
Spock FreeForm model
Spock wax output
"It was extremely easy transitioning from traditional methods to the FreeForm
modeling system," Hartvigson says. "It remained an artistic experience yet I was
sculpting in a digital 3D domain. The sensory response makes the other 3D form
building software pale by comparison. Using the FreeForm system you receive a
complete tactile experience." Plus, by working in a digital environment, Hartvigson
reduced his overall core modeling time by more than 50%.
Oluf models "Gorn" with the FreeForm system