The Making of Kaybocha Slug

Concept:

Models and Prototypes

A bluetag slug. Quite round-looking (I added the black dots for eyes digitally)

Paper model: looks flatter like a bug.

Explaining to my friend outside UAL what the hell I'm doing and how I'm going to crawl inside.

Making

I started by making the frame with insulation tubing, because they are flexible, bendy but also sturdy. I do think it's easier to manipulate than wire, which might be more difficult to secure.

Corridor of my room feat. trash. I didn't have enough cardboard to work with so I just used it for a small base which I can push while half crawling. I wanted to recycle my plastic bags so I covered it with the bottom part. 

Adding some cardboard strips as suggested by Carla is really useful because the harder material helps form the shape of the slug! I wanted its back to be semi-spherical but it isn't possible with limp 300gsm pieces of paper.

I added a long piece of knitted yarn blanket over the back of the slug, which kind of works as a cheat for me so I don't have to stick plastic bags or fabrics onto the being piece by piece! But I think it works very effectively because the knit creates a soft texture and the fringes add another layer of texture as well. I also had a white t-shirt and a white pillowcase, which I used to cover the frame.

I bought XL men's white socks and used them for the eyes, limbs and tail. I couldn't figure out how the snail-like eyes would work because they are too heavy to stand on the frame. (I stuffed the socks with newspaper) 

In the end I cut a hole in one side of the sock and tied it around the frame. The eyes fell forward and I tried to sew it in place. They end up leaning forward instead of pointing upwards, but I think this works well too.

Side view of the slug. I later sewn fruit nets (I've collected lots in my anyway: apple, orange, plum and kiwi!) onto the slug to create a dotty pattern. I've left the end of the sewing string so they look like hairs protruding from the "pores", which I find very funny.

Best angle for the slug!

I didn't use enough frame to secure the slug, so after time it was always sort of slouching to one side. I have to adjust it constantly or keep it in place from the inside.

Final outcome

Time for some professional photoshoots.

I had intended it to have one more bump or have a longer body, but in the end it only had two sections. However I think this makes it look more like a slug or a snail with a shell. I like the lumpy textures (stuffed-in newspaper) on the socks, and the long tail of the slug trailing behind increases its dimension. 

Is someone there

The crawling slug: