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| Tate and his winning Egyptian Vulture. Courtesy Syfy. |
“Face Off” got a little flighty and the fab four were certainly in it to win it in this final Spotlight Challenge before the finale. The Burbank Airport served as the backdrop for the introduction of Animal Planet host, Dave Salmoni and some beautiful birds.
The artist’s challenge was to choose one of the exotic birds and use it as an inspiration to create a human-bird hybrid. Laura selected an Umbrella Cockatoo; Roy chose the rare Blue-Throated McCaw; Tate was drawn to the Egyptian Vulture; and, Miranda was instantly attracted to the Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill. They spent some time with the birds and Dave Salmoni offered some insight to make their design be a success.
Lab Work
It was clear that determination was the prevalent theme in this challenge. Grand designs and attention to detail produced four beautiful and intelligent creations. They all had their struggles throughout the three days. Laura worried about all the pieces she had to mold and the coloring being too monochromatic. Michael Westmore encourage using more colors to break up the “whiteness” of the cockatoo.
Tate’s original sculpt was gigantic and he was concerned about his decision to make such a bulky piece. Mr. Westmore advised Tate on how to make the mouth moveable and it was a perfect example of his expertise. The amount of work Tate put into this “vultureman" was staggering and it certainly paid off.