Buy Now
IN A FULL SHELL
IN A
FULL SHELL

Did you know?

Shellies recently heard that there are some “ninjas” running around in half a shell??? how do they get anything done having to hold onto the other half of their shell??? seems pretty ridiculous. Now that summer is here, they can take off their cozy blue bomber jackets and step into something more fun and show these ninjas how to dress up right.
id you know that real ninjas were active starting around the 14th century? They were from all levels of society and their job was to be spies adept at disguise and stealth. Shellies will use these skills to get extra snacks from the kitchen, mmm mm mmmm.‍
- History.com
Buy Now

How a Shellie gets made

Step 1

Making a Shellie always starts with an idea. I toss around different ideas of what I can make, and how I can make it. This particular one, the Shellie GT40, was inspired by the movie Ford vs Ferrari. I've always loved the design of classic race cars and after watching the movie I wanted to design a version of the Ford GT. Some of the things I consider are: do I need to separate some parts before making the mold? in what order to paint the colors, where to put the seam lines so they're not noticeable, and lots and LOTS of sanding.

*This design will be released in January 2021

Step 1

To start the process, I get on the computer and start putting ideas together. I gather up some reference images from the GT40, and look for ways to translate it onto the Shellie. I try to incorporate as much as I can while maintaining the overall shape. I figure out the color scheme and what colors will go where so there's no guessing once the final Shellie is done.

Step 2

Once I have a design I'm happy with, I make a blank shell to start building form. I draw the details from the illustration and decide what parts need to be molded separately. This is the stage where I make any alterations to the design to make it feasible to make. It took a bit of research to figure how I could make the vent hole in the front, and have it work for a mold. The side vents were also separated to make the mold making process easier.

Step 3

After the prototype is done. I make a mold of it, and start casting the final shell.  The casts aren't 100% perfect due to the way the chemicals react. Sometimes i'll get air bubbles in the plastic, or a bit of warping from the heat. All these get patched up and any imperfections are fixed with lots and lots and lots of sanding.

Step 4

To start the painting process,  a coat of primer is sprayed and let dry, which takes over 6hrs, so I let them dry over night. Then I sand them to make them smooth and patch up any missed scratches left from sanding I didn't catch before.

Step 5

I have to mask off each of the colors so there's no need to add more layers of paint to cover up the previous colors. This becomes more important when other colors are applied.

Step 7

After the first coat of paint dries, which is about an hour before I can touch the paint, I repeat the mask/paint process for each color. For this version, there are 3 main colors, plus the individual numbers at the top.

Step 8

The final step... I apply several coats of clear gloss varnish to make them look all shinny and new, and to protect the paint from fingerprints and scratches. Depending on the design, I'll use gloss, satin, or matte varnish to get the desired look.

Each series can take over a month to make depending on the complexity, but I enjoy every minute of it.

How a Shellie gets made

Step 1

Making a Shellie always starts with an idea. This particular one, the Shellie GT40, was inspired by the movie Ford vs Ferrari.

*This design will be released in January 2021

Step 1

Every design starts on the computer. I explore different options on how to translate the design onto the Shellie.

Step 2

Once I have a design I'm happy with, I make a blank shell to start building form. I draw the details from the illustration and decide what parts need to be molded separately.

Step 3

After the prototype is done. I make a mold of it, and start casting the final shell.  Once out of the mold, I fix any air bubbles, and sand any imperfections.

Step 4

To start the painting process,  a coat of primer is sprayed and let dry. I sand them again so they're nice and smooth before I start applying color.

Step 5

I have to mask off the colors so I don't have to add more layers of paint to cover up the previous colors. This becomes more important when several colors are applied.

Step 7

After the first coat of paint dries, I repeat the mask/paint process for each color. For this version, there are 3 main colors, plus the individual numbers at the top.

Step 8

The final step.. I apply several coats of clear gloss varnish over them to make them look all shinny and new, and to protect the paint from fingerprints and scratches.

 

Each series can take over a month to make depending on the complexity, but I enjoy every minute of it.

OTHER EDITIONS

Having a Blast
Another Winter
Legend of the Shield
Gettin' Fizzy
Prehistoric