Rigid polyurethane (Easycast 120), acrylic

In 2025 I made these funky mushroom figures based on an enemy from the SNES game Earthbound. I adore all the clay models created for that game, especially for the ramblin' evil mushroom.

I made these little guys while working concurrently on the Woodland Friendos so I could try completing similar tasks at the same time. Unlike the ~~Moogles~~ Woodland Friendos, I wanted to go with something simple to avoid issues caused by complicated parts. In the end I hit a lot of walls with both projects as I was figuring out design and material challenges as I went along.

Making of a Mushroom

A big reason why I chose to create this sculpt while working on the other pieces was largely because I enjoyed sculpting with Super Sculpy and wanted an excuse to make more.

While modelling was fun, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to firing sculpy clay. The figures didn't stand up on their own comfortably after firing, which I imagine was caused by either natural warping of the model due to too much or inconsistent heat, the model pressing in a certain angle without proper support or potentially a loss of stickiness from the firing process. I'll be sure to do more research for next attempts, however I'm always open to advice.

I created moulds for the mushrooms in three parts including the stem (legs?), cap and base which was created retrospectively. The moulds were fine, however I noticed warping of the mushroom cap when casting with polyeurethane, likely due to the use of rubber bands inconsistently tightened to hold the mould together, creating an uneven surface. I did a fair bit of sanding on each piece to round it out.

I had picked up a second hand airbrush I was keen to try. With no prior experience and opting to 'learn-as-I-go-how-hard-could-it-be?', it was a frustrating approach that I would not recommend. Though at the very least I learned how to maintain and clean the brush. I was already frustrated with both projects because of road blocks that I almost shelved both at this point. A bit more preparation and research would have saved the additional pain at the end of a long project.

Fortunately I persevered and eventually got the hang of the airbrush enough to paint each figure with minor touch ups required. While the overall quality of the figures themselves is not as I envisioned, I'm happy with the results, but even more so seeing the project to a 'good enough' end.

Packaging and Promos

I kept the packaging simple, though taking photos of the figures, editing them and collating it all into various layouts was time consuming. It was also incredibly satisfying to create transparent images of the figures which is reminiscent of the clay models created for Earthbound. I ran with the bootleg Earthbound vibes with the presentation, taking inspiration from the psychedelic pixelated backgrounds the player would encounter in the game.