Azathoth

Here is a build of my own design based on one of the H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos “Outer Gods”, Azathoth. I use the term “design” very loosely since this particular individual is in a constant state of flux, always changing and never the same. He/it is in the “anything and everything” who's dreams are the basis of of our universe's creation and should it awake, the universe will cease to exist.

There are dozens if not hundreds of depictions of this creature, none of which is the same but because of its constant state of change, none can be really said to be wrong or inaccurate. For example, Azathoth is often referred to as the “Blind Idiot God” but it often portrayed as having eyes (the number varies) as does my interpretation. The back stories of the beings that exist in the HPL universe are quite detailed and voluminous so if you'd like to see more on them, I suggest visiting one of the following links: https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Outer_Godhttps://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Azathoth or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azathoth

In any case, I had seen a painting of hideously twisted face (for lack of a better word) which got me thinking of Lovecraftian horrors which, in a round about way, brought to this project. I can't say that I can sculpt but I thought I'd give it the old college try and see what would transpire. I figured that a wall hanging type of presentation would be a good beginner's starting point as opposed to a bust (maybe attempt that on another day). I figured that a solid base of plywood would work best and. as luck would have it, I came across a pumpkin shaped (it was around Halloween) piece of 1/4” thick plywood at AC Moore. The overall dimensions were 10” high x 12” wide which was perfect. I randomly shot 1/2” staples into the surface (but NOT flush) to give the sculpt places to 'bite' into the smooth plywood.

I decided that 99% of the sculpt would be using two part epoxy clay which would give me roughly one hour of work time before the clay cured. I started with roughly golf ball sized gobs of the stuff which gave me enough material to work with yet not so much that would be wasted if I spent too much time on each section of the creature. To save clay and add contours, I used small blocks of wood as fillers to raise areas here and there.

I attempted to bring in some of Azathoth's features that I had seen elsewhere, primarily in the horror films, “The Mist” (2007) and “Deep Rising” (1998). I was particularly taken with the mouthed tentacles in each film as indicated by the amount I have on the sculpt . Eyes are always disturbing (or can be) so I added several different sizes along with yellowed and red veined sclera for that 'icky' look.

Coloration was hit or miss at the start. I started with a orange base coat and went from there. The textured tentacles were greenish gray with iridescent & clear reds for the mouths. The teeth are real (fossil shark teeth actually) and were placed to suggest a full or partially formed mouth. One has an eye in it if you look carefully. Once I was satisfied with the final coloration, I went to my old standby, a wash of black over most of the creature. I use this technique pretty often because it will bring out the subtle surface detailing.

I have to admit I went into this project with a bit of trepidation but I'm generally pleased with how it turned out. Now my only problem is to figure out where I'm going to hang the damn thing! 11/24/19