Animatronic arachnid funnel web spider

Funnel-web spiders are some of the world's most deadly arachnids and are found in the coastal and mountain regions of eastern and southern Australia.

◄ This delightful creature is an animatronic replica of a male funnel-web spider (Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Family: Agelenidae Genus: Atrax Species: robustus .

We had to study them ...alot).
IT was created at the workshop of Animatronic Technologies Australia.

As part of the crew that constructed this fiberglass arachnid, I got to sculpt the underbelly and Cephalothorax (top bit). Cast, refine and reshape the various body parts under the the direction of Wayne Nelson then bolt the eight legged freak to its metal frame, as well as having to cram in various components to make the thing move, paint it up and ship it off, only then to suffer an acumulative attack of the "willies".

Artists Description and general comments.

Client : Australian Reptile Park via Animatronic Technologies Australia. (now Cynotech)
Brief : Sculpt and Cast large scale Funnelweb Spider.
Animatronic Sculpture: (Sculpted in stoneware clay, mold made, Fibreglass shell finished in two-pack paints)
Estimated size : 4m by 4m Created at A.T.A.'s workshop 1999 a.d

Design notes :Generally I do 2D artwork for Cynotech,--formerly Animatronic Technologies Australia-- ( Conceptual research and design, Presentation visuals, Creature design, Weapons design and construction, Storyboards, HTML presentations ). However if I'm free I get my hands dirty and get to build some pretty interesting stuff : Sculpting, moldmaking, resin casting. Below is one example.

Several (dead) male funnelweb spiders were mailed to us for acurate scaling. The Metal chassis was welded together once dimensions were established. We built the sculpture around it, cast the mold.
Sountrack (music to sculpt to) : Triple J - (Radio Station)

Two Small humanoids used as scale reference for animatronic spider

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