I have always been a huge fan of comic books and comic book movies. among my favourites has always been the spider-man universe and the character known as Venom has always been very high on my list of favourites. I wanted to make my own venom bust that would take from the inspiration of the comics and movies but was also of my own design. I also took inspiration from Orca whales in the way that the large white spot is more of a suggestion of a large eye but the physical eye is much smaller. I really wanted more of an creepy realistic alien type of look in the end.

Supplies

The materials aren't many and aren't overly complicated upon doing a little research and looking into local suppliers. if this isn't something you are familiar with I strongly suggest seeking out people with experience to answer questions or give tips and suggestions. one video on youtube does not amount to a full education. with that said, for this project I used the following:

clay: to sculpt the actual form, here I used two different types of clay the main body was made out of WED clay and the teeth section were made out of Chavant, this is more so for personal preference and ease of casting.
sculpting tools: these can be purchased online or from any local craft or pottery store, the tools are not nearly as important as the techniques and talents to sculpt but a nice set of tools does make it easier.
mold making materials: here is where things get a little more technical to make a rigid casting you need to make your mold from pliable materials so this mold is made of silicone (brush on silicone) called Rebound 25 made by Smooth on. the outer shell of the mold is made from plasti-paste 2 another smooth on product.
casting materials: yet another smooth on product this project i used foam it 8 which is a two part mixed foam that becomes rigid and self skins so you can pretty much paint straight on to it.
paints: I like to use acrylic art supply paints and clear coat sprays.

now that we have supplies under way now comes the hard work and patience

Step 1: Its Just a Sculpting Phase

If you have never sculpted anything before this is probably not the project to start on, I would suggest to start small with oil based clays and or cheap clays and challenge yourself to make small detailed individual parts if sculpts (I.E. ears, eyes, a nose etc.)...

Once you feel confident to start its just a matter of doing it. here I started by building up a form with tin foil then padding the clay over top and adding a few layers. then its just about adding the details slowly and patiently. this entire sculpt took me approximately 19 hours broken up over a couple weeks. Please note that you may have to rip your creations apart and build them up again over and over again this is normal don't let it break you.

once we are happy with the sculpt we can prep from Molding ...

Step 2: The Same Mold Story

Prepping for molding can be tedious but its a necessary step. In these photos you can see the teeth are white that is because I molded them separately and cast them separately out of a plastic material I did this for ease of demolding as well as ease of painting. it means that when I mold the main body the teeth aren't in and so its easier for material to get all the detail and there are no undercuts to get the mold stuck. you can see there is also a thin band of clay I put around the base this is for registration of the mold and to stop access uncured casting materials from leaking.

we now start to apply silicone in thin layers until it builds up and we can move on to the next part

Step 3: Same Mold, Same Mold

After a few layers of silicone enough so that it feels thick and won't easily split, I add these little registration points which I have many of from previous projects. these are made from bolt heads I made a mold of and pour excess silicone into from time to time.

then because I need this mold to open in multiple pieces I start making a dividing wall out of clay.... I also put little clay wedges along the wall this is so we can pry the mold open later on (very important). once the wall is done I apply the plasti-paste to one side and let it cure, the next day I take down the remaining clay wall and apply a generous helping of vaseline to keep the new layer side from sticking. then apply another layer of plasti-paste to form a completed mold jacket.

next its time for casting!!!

Step 4: Casting Extras!

I don't have many photos of this stage. here you can see the completed mold I have a pour spout at the bottom. I apply a little release agent to the inside of the mold after it has been thoroughly cleaned out of clay. then I put the mold together with ratchet straps and mix the Foam it product to specifications and pour it in.... I like to wait a day for this product to fully cure before demolding . I also always cast multiples even if you only need 1 or 2 I cast plenty so I can practice painting or if I decide to do more with them or not down the line in this case I made 5 in total.

Step 5: Paint the Town!

The best part of any of these projects is the finishing. paint techniques can be learned by reading books or watching tutorials. or you can just play around and see what you come up with, either way have fun with this step. I used a combination of hand painting and airbrushing and finished with a crystal clear satin .... in my case and you can see it in the final version photos I decided to choose to make multiple paint version of the symbiotes ... I made 2 venoms and 2 carnages and 1 anti-venom bust.

this was a lot of fun and I love having these guys on display in my collections room. Symbiotes were a big one on my list for favourite fandoms, they are always a big draw for people and a great conversation starter.

I hope you enjoyed this instructable and I hope it maybe inspired you to go out and try something new.