A little off the top -  Sanding putty off of somebody’s body is a technique we use to make something smooth.
This hurts me more than it hurts you
This fiberglass head was molded in our roto-caster, and needed to be cleaned up and detailed before having its bronze finish applied.  

Like the old masters - When people first hear that we sculpt almost everything by hand, they often think that we only work in clay.
Let’s face it
We do work in clay, like this three-dimensional reproduction of the clock mender's head from a well known Norman Rockwell painting. But, we also work with a variety of foam, wood and pretty much anything else that can be shaped into something unique.

Re-creating history -  A full sized "bronze" sculpture of Chief Powhatan was based on this maquette. We often use a model as part of our design and approval process so Clients can make changes when it's little. Maquette is actually just a fancy French word for "model".
Why not say model?
It sounds cooler. Its French origins come from Italian macchietta, sketch, and diminutive of macchia, spot, from Latin macula.  Too much info?

Barking up the right tree - This bark surface is created with a silicone rubber texture stamp manipulated onto epoxy putty prior to curing.
It’s not that hard, but it will be
The majority of this 40-foot tall tree had its bark applied and painted in our shop, but then the seams had to be matched on site when it was installed. It’s just part of the process.

The Dolphin Whisperer - It takes a special talent to hand sculpt a figure like this from a big block of urethane foam.
Giving the dolphin his due
It also takes a special kind of dolphin to hold this pose for any length of time.  

Like parallel universes -  We created huge replicas of Wedgwood products for a holiday display. Wedgwood, England’s finest china company has been synonymous with beauty, craftsmanship and innovation for almost 250 years.
It sounds exactly like a description of us
Except for the part about their name, England and they are nearly 230 years ahead of us. We’ll catch up to them, just give us time . . . .

Kinda Dinghy -  We use polystyrene foam (bead foam) for simple shapes, when we can. It's easy to cut with a "hot wire" which can be done by hand or machine.
Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat
This boat lives in a children's play area on a really big boat. It's on an ocean liner to be exact. This boat will see more of the world than any of us ever will.

Sculptor's friend -  Clay is still one of the best sculpting mediums available. (He also came in second place on "American Idol") Like foam, you can easily add or subtract material.
Corn on the curve
Clay provides an immediate, smooth surface without coating or sanding. Usually a clay sculpture can be molded right away without waiting. (Clay should have won, don't you think?)

It'll turn out great -  This is what an 8-foot beer bottle looks like spinning on a huge lathe.
Foam beer, not beer foam
We built this custom foam lathe in our metal shop and we utilize it when we need to create big, round things - fast.  

Traditional discipline, untraditional materials -  When we create sculptures we use a variety of materials, such as foam, wood, clay, plastic and metal armatures.
Sculpture DW-101
1. Begin with square foam block slightly larger than object being sculpted.
2. Remove all portions of foam that don't look like the object.

Just a couple of tools -  We use a variety of tools to shape materials and when you need precision work it helps to have some advanced machinery to assist in the process.
The equipment, not the two guys
When very fine, detailed, precision work needs to be done, we use the best tools for the job. These are a couple of the sharpest tools in the shed. (Both the guys and the equipment).

Wonkavator - For a number of years, Dillon Works has fabricated the interior themed décor for the annual Holiday Extravaganza at the Marshall Field’s flagship store in Chicago; including three-dimensional gazebo displays, signage, ornaments, and toppers for their 35-foot tall Christmas tree in the world famous Walnut Room.
Yeah, that’s the (golden) ticket!
This depiction of Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket is based on original illustrations done by Quentin Blake from the classic children’s story by Roald Dahl.