Technical Guide

How The Human Figures Were Made

This section of your reference gives answers to many of the "how did they do that?" questions about the human figures in the ALPM.

The Art and Technology of the Human Figures

Throughout the ALPLM forty-six highly realistic figures help immerse guests into the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.
Eleven figures represent Abraham Lincoln at various ages between nine and fifty-six years old. Detailed study of photographs and historical research were used to create these. The Lincoln life castings were also used. Forensic illustration techniques were used to create the early visualizations of young Lincoln.

Design

The figures of Lincoln were researched and designed by BRC Imagination Arts. BRC designed the complete visual and sensory environment (the scenes, the figures, the music and the sound effects) all together at the same time, like scenes in a movie, for maximum dramatic and emotional impact.
BRC's Chuck Roberts was the art director. Under Chuck's direction, BRC assembled one of the most comprehensive pre-sculpting research and design packages ever done, with multiple sketches of each figure.

BRC's research (supervised by the ALPLM's Tom Schwartz and assembled by BRC's Darroch Greer) was extremely thorough, down to the details of height, weight, clothing sizes, hair and eye color, and complexion notes for every figure. We also tracked odd personal details such as the fact one of Lincoln's cabinet members (Wells) had a bad hairpiece (so our figure of him will have a bad hairpiece.)

Under Chuck Roberts' creative direction, the figures were sculpted and manufactured by LifeFormations.

Materials

The skin is a silicone material which is cast in a custom base flesh tone color. The tones, blemishes, and details are hand painted on over several hours in multiple steps with a special mixture of paint and other solvents adhere to silicone and still offer translucency.

The hair can be either real or synthetic, depending on the required style and color. Depending on the style, length and viewing distance, it is applied by either completely poking it in by hand one hair at a time or partially glued and then poked around the edges. Most of the hair used for the Lincoln project is real human hair at all the edges where it is most visible. An inch or so from there it blends with synthetic hair.

The bodies are first custom sculpted from foam to the specified body specs and posed and once approved are coated with fiberglass and sanded smooth. Some figures are then fitted with posable limbs depending on the pose and application.

The eyes are basically the same that are used for prosthetics. We apply veins and redden as needed.

If teeth are needed, we use either false teeth or silicone copies from a mold which are glued in and are treated as needed.

We spend a great deal of time adding the details that really make the characters believable. For example, even if a costume is supposed to be pristine, it still needs to look like it has been worn, i.e. wrinkles in shoes, etc. Sometimes extensive washing and aging is done to create worn edges, sweat marks, etc.

We believe this project has achieved an unusually realistic skin tone for African-American figures-far exceeding past industry standards.

None of the figures move! That's an important point in the museum world.

Fabrication

Head Rough Sculpt

During the rough sculpt stage the sculptor creates the likeness of the subject, but without all the skin texture and wrinkles. It is the equivalent of taking a photograph of someone, but with a slightly out of focus lens or softening filter. Once the sculptors reach a point when they are ready for some input, photographs are submitted to the client for approval. In most cases, Chuck Roberts visited the LifeFormations studio to personally direct or approve progress. Aspects of the sculpt such as personality and expression are reviewed and discussed. Revisions can be made to the sculpt if areas are found that do not match the reference material or intent of the application. Once the sculpt is approved at this stage, the features are locked.

Head Finish Sculpt

With the rough sculpt approved, the sculptor proceeds to add the skin texture, wrinkles, and other details that make our portrait figures so realistic. Once these details have been added, photographs are again submitted for final approval. On approval, the head will be molded and cannot be changed without starting from scratch.

Body Sculpt

After the head has been sculpted, a body is sculpted in the appropriate gesture, matching the expression on the face. When needed, additional body elements may be sculpted or life cast. Photographs are submitted for approval.

Skin Painting

The skins are cast and painted/ dyed to achieve the appropriate skin tones. When a specific skin tone is required, we provide several samples to our clients so they may identify the specific tone they would like the figure to have.

Head Hairing

For high fidelity portrait figures, the hair is applied through a blend of gluing and poking techniques. The result is a realistic appearing hairline that looks like the hair is growing out of the head. For lower fidelity figures, or figures that will only be viewed from a great distance, a wig may be used.

Costuming

Each costume is custom created for the specific application of the figure. Materials, patterns, ornamentation, and related props are all selected and custom assembled based on the appropriate reference.

Installation

Initially, the figures are just roughed into place. Then, under BRC's direction, their exact positions and postures are adjusted. This can be a broad adjustment such as turning an entire figure left or right, or a subtle position adjustment of an arm or leg or a head angle. At this point, the figures may still not quite connect with the furniture, the setting, or each other in a realistic way. Once we finalize their position, we cut holes in the furniture, bolt them in and tighten them down. This will pull them into the soft surfaces, so they realistically sink into a couch or chair. At this point, we make more adjustments to arm, neck, and leg angles. This makes them seem much more real and part of their surroundings.

Now, we adjust the position of the eyeballs, so they are looking in exactly the right place.

The dirty laundry comes next. A specialist will "tech-down" all of the costumes and add details. The costumes may have looked clean and new when the figures arrived, but now a specialist adds dirt, wear, tear, and wrinkles appropriate to each character and scene. "Distressing" an item this way is exactly the opposite of what museum workers normally do to their artifacts.

At this point, a hairdresser may also be brought in to give the hair either the well-groomed or "bad hair day" look, whatever is appropriate for each character and scene.

The last step is the addition of theatrical lighting. In some cases, the lighting is realistic. In other cases, it is designed to bring out the emotions of the scene. For example, in the Slave Auction scene, the slave family being torn from one another is in warm white light, causing them to stand out, whereas the auctioneers are sculpted by red under-lighting, giving them a scary, evil look.

Now, with the addition of the sets and the musical score, the figures are ready to play their part in connecting twenty-first century audiences with the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.