# Montague the Dragon progress



## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Meet Montague, our guardian dragon who will watch over our haunt this fall. Thanks, everyone, for all the input and inspiration while we were getting started on him, feel free to keep it coming as he progresses!

Hubby is framing him up, then I will take over on mudding him and sculpting head and details. He's being built on the roof on the backside of the house, once Fall is here, he will be moved over the peak the the front of the house. 
ps. Please don't mind hubby's 1/2 nakedness...


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

That's going to be one nice size dragon. Looks like he won't lack for structural support either. Thanks for the photos and I'm looking forward to seeing him come to life. 
Any comments from the folks next door yet?


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Looks like you've made a good start. I hope you don't have a storm come through like we just had (tornado warning and 60 mph wind gusts). High winds and heavy rain might not make Montague happy. Do you have a way to secure him?


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

Wow, that is amazing, I cannot WAIT to watch this progress!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Half-nakedness is always forgiven when someone is building a dragon on a hot roof


I'm so looking forward to seeing how this prop develops. It's an ambitious build in a challenging location.


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

That's going to be huge. Looks like a great start. Can't wait to see the progress.


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

Very cool, A dragon on the roof and a guardian dragon at that. Won't have to worry about any prop vandals anymore.Will be looking to see the progress on this one.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

WOW ... awesome start!


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## Howlinmadjack (Jul 20, 2009)

Great work so far!! I'm really looking forward to see all the progress pix!


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

Love the way you decided to go with it. Can't wait to see how it comes out!


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## PirateLady (Jul 23, 2010)

Hey I think this is a great Idea...Looks like it's taking shape really well. Just hope my hubby don't see it and decide he needs a giant squid on the roof now.. LOL just kidding.... Good luck and look forward to seeing the finish project. :xbones:


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Great start on this project, really look forward to watching the progress


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## Ripper (Jul 24, 2010)

That is a great idea!

That sucker is gong to be huge when you get it done (can't wait to see it!)


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## shar (Jun 19, 2010)

That is insane, totally insane!!! Love it, and the name is Great!!!


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

oh.my.gawd.

what the fu....how are.....did ya......................AWESOME!


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## pagan (Sep 9, 2009)

GO BIG BABY!!! He looks great!


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

very cool nixie BUT will it get finished???? its already August


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

I loovvvee when individuals undertake a project this large. I can not wait to see this finished.


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

Looks great so far. Lots of girth without lots of weight (proportionately). Really good build design.


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words, guys! 

We're hoping to get a lot done on him this weeekend, then I'll post an update. My husband is entirely to thank for the engineering of his body. He asked me how I wanted it done, I said, "uuuuuuuuh.....", handed him a picture, wished him luck, and within 2 hrs, he had his spine and ribcage framed in! Halloween wasn't his forte in the beginning, he just went along with it. Thankfully, the bug finally hit him in the last year or so! I'd be up a creek without his skills! He's about fininshed with the framing, then it's my turn to take over on the mudding and details.

This is the only really big and hubby-labor intensive project this year, the rest are smaller projects that I can tinker with while pretending to watch Elmo's World with the tiny ones... I'm cautiously optimistic about finishing him in time, we'll just keep plugging along and hope for the best!

I'll keep you posted!


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## Ripper (Jul 24, 2010)

ABSOLUTELY, keep us posted!

THIS is just TOO damned cool!


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

I had the honor of meeting forum member, Apetoes and his friend Bonewart the Dragon at the MMUHA meeting this past weekend. Thanks to the ispiration and encouragement they gave me, Montague is now the proud owner of a pair of hands! Bonewart is papier mache, but I'm still intimidated by that medium, so I used the materials I'm comfortable with. They still need mud and claws, but Montague is pleased with them so far.

Here is my son, Liam posing with one of the hands:


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Wow, great start on the hands! It's almost as big as Liam!


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

You'll have to tell the dragon to quit stepping on your kids!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Whoa, that hand is huge!


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

I see someone came straight home from the meeting and went to work LOL looking good


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

hey nixie. it's been forever! that hand looks awesome! and liam is cute as ever!


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Thanks, guys! I was going for oversized features since he's up on a roof, plus I wanted him to have an exagerated, slightly caricature look. I put one of his hands on him today, and it didn't seem oversized at all. I think I may have underestimated the size of this guy, I'm going to take a tape measure to him one of these days...

His neck is all framed up and tapered, his tail is about half done, I've started the preliminary carving on his head. He's really starting to take shape, I just really want to get his skin on him soon!!!


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## STOLLOWEEN (Apr 13, 2008)

Dang that is huge...can't wait to see him progress...very cool indeed.


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## dynoflyer (Oct 8, 2006)

That's so incredible, and BIG!! Keep going, looking awesome! DAMN!


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Would love to see more!


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Hi there! 
I just wanted to give you guys a little update on Montague's progress. I'm sad to say, that he is not doing very well. I intended to get him all mudded over the holliday weekend, but the weather didn't cooperate. We got most of him mudded, but his neck and two legs aren't finished, and he will still need a 2nd coat of mud. He looked great as a wire structure, but having skin has revealed a few shape problems in his back and hindquarters. I've been assembling his extremities, scales, spikes, head, etc. indoors to be added to his body when it's further along, but things aren't looking so hot right now... My attitude with any project is that if we keep plugging along, eventually it will come together, I NEVER give up! I'm sure we can pull him around, I'm just worried that time is going to kill us.

I would love your input on something: Reshaping his back and hindquarters at this point wouldn't really be practical, so what do you guys think of adding something to him such as armor or a giant rider in a flowing cloak to cover his body shape issues? I have a giant mask that no one will wear, and tons of burlap and muslin, so it would be fairly easy to make a giant. I think armor would be really cool, but I don't know how we could pull that one off in the time constraints. What do you guys think?


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

I vote no on the rider. It would work if the dragon were going someplace, but since he's just hanging out on the roof, I don't see why anybody would want to ride him.

Armor sounds cool. Consider poster board or foamcore covered in aluminum foil. You can use spray glue on the foil and squeegee them together. A little globbed-on/wiped-off black paint for texture. Especially if you use foamcore, it's going to be hard to avoid a lot of corners in the armor (as opposed to curves), so try to make them part of the design.


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

i don't have any experiance when it comes to shaping but what mr. chicken says makes sense. i would definitely try for armor. this is just a thought, but is there something you could use to fill out the structure? wait, isn't that what mr. c said? nevermind


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Thanks for the input, guys! I'll let you know how it goes...
DA- I wish you could be here to help too!! That would be fun...and helpful


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

I hope all will go well with the dragon I'd like to see it done for Halloween night and I dont think I should have started another prop I dont think mine will be done now but then again I dont have a job so I got time to work on him.....I'd go with some armor too to hide the hips you dont like or build them back up with spray foam and go over it with MM again just blend it in GOOD LUCK !!!!!


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Armor gets my vote too.
Hang in there.


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