Claymore: Clare vs Ophelia - Artist Interview

Welcome Figuramians to another installment of our artist interviews! Today we have a very special interview with the concept artist for our Claymore: Clare vs Ophelia Elite Exclusive Statue. Without any further ado, read the interview below. 

How did it feel to create a statue for such a renowned series?  

I am sincerely grateful to have the opportunity to sculpt this amazing piece for Figurama Collector, the second one in this franchise. - Miguel Leonardo

I'm a fan of the series and manga, as well as the designer of the first piece in this line for Figurama so this one was pretty fun. - Daniel Karumadin

This is the second statue that Figurama Collectors is releasing for Claymore, how did that impact your work? 

It was quite a difficult task, as the initial Claymore statue created by Figurama Collectors was one of their most beloved collector pieces. I took on the immense responsibility of ensuring that every tiny detail was carefully looked after. - Miguel Leonardo

Now there's a set art direction for. the lne, so designing within those guidelines was an interesting experience. The goal was to have the new and old designs look like part of a series when put next to each other. - Daniel Karumadin

What challenges did you face when concepting and designing this statue? 

Designing the main character Ophelia was the most difficult task, as she is central to the piece and sets the visual tone. She is both aggressive and delicate, with a snake tail texture, that needed to blend manga style with realistic aesthetics. - Miguel Leonardo

The monster ths time was huge, and realistically wouldn't fit in the statue if it was represented 1:1 so finding a way to 'break' the design in a way that maintains the scale was a challenge. - Daniel Karumadin

What did you want our wonderful collectors to feel when seeing the statue? 

Entranced and captivated, I believe the spiral design and the final result of the water's movement and dynamic motion will draw the viewer into this magnificent scene, like a snake hypnotizing his prey. - Miguel Leonardo

A familliar feeling to seeing the first one. An moment in the clash captured in time. - Daniel Karumadin

What made this statue design unique?  

The base of the statue was another enjoyable challenge to sculpt, with a large water feature adding dynamism and completing the composition. It gives the impression of motion when viewed from any angle. - Miguel Leonardo

The large serpentine monster placed in a swamp, with the submerged parts partially visible stand out on this piece. This too is not a fight on solid ground so working with this much water elements is a rarity in Figurama. - Daniel Karumadin

How long did you work on this piece for? 

It's challenging to accurately gauge the timing because a wildfire in my area interrupted the sculpting process of the statue. However, I recall spending approximately 4 months sculpting, then making changes and refining the pieces based on feedback from the Figurama Collectors Art team and the licensor. - Miguel Leonardo

About a month or so on design work. - Daniel Karumadin

What’s your favorite part of the statue?  

I particularly like Ophelia on this statue. - Miguel Leonardo

The base motif showng off the swamp. This represents the lead up to the fight where Ophelia weaves around the trees toying with Claire before they clash in the water. - Daniel Karumadin

What’s your favorite moment from the series?  

For me following Clare's training that precedes the encounter in this piece portrays a courageous and dramatic story. It works for me as a lot of inspiration. - Miguel Leonardo

This fight stood out since it was also animated. - Daniel Karumadin

What made this design different to anything else on the market? 

Without a doubt, there is a complete and dynamic interaction between the two characters. You can look all the way through the entire piece, and nearly lose your vision following the spiraling motion that makes up this piece. - Miguel Leonardo

Scale, detail and composition. you rarely find something like this outside of FIgurama. - Daniel Karumadin