When I was younger, one of my favorite activities was to make things out of clay. I at first would make whatever random things came to mind, those usually being random sculpts of animals. Years later though, after finding a new obsession in video games, I realized that my older obsession paired beautifully with my new digital one. Making models of video game characters became my go-to for clay projects.
Thanks to my childhood fascination with clay, I now have a sentimental affection for custom models, sculptures, and figures based on my favorite game characters. That preference in mind, it’s easy to see why this sculpture of Valoo by YouTube artist Sculpted Nostalgia would find itself as the owner of my undivided attention for a time.
The art style from The Wind Waker certainly lends itself to replication in clay. I suppose that’s the point, considering the Nintendo Gallery present in the game, but it’s a different experience to see the models in real life. Valoo, the mighty sky spirit, carries the same amount of splendor in putty as he does in polygons. The vivid red and blue hues that cover his wings and scales, plus the smooth light tan of his underbelly, make Valoo seem ready to spring to life. This is doubled by his face and expression, which were perfectly adapted from his digital form. This clay beast looks as if he’s about to start flapping his wings and fly off in search of villains in need of a good scorching from his fiery breath.
The model’s scale is also important. Maybe some people don’t always think about this, but artists need to consciously consider their project’s dimensions. This model of Valoo is just right. It’s not too small as to lose Valoo’s imposing nature, but it’s also not so large as to make fully absorbing its details difficult. This a hefty piece that takes up the right amount of real estate, getting the point across without being overbearing.
I must give credit once again to Sculpted Nostalgia, a real-life Carlov. As his name implies and his videos demonstrate, he knows how to bring our gaming memories to life. And the sculptures are also inspiring, enough to make me think about buying some sculpting clay and revisiting my long-lost hobby.
