General Art For your viewing pleasure, Various Art and Photochops Created by our Talented Members.

Designing Toys!

Old Mar 15, 2007 | 08:05 PM
  #1  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
Designing Toys!

Alright, well I have been really thinking of designing some toys.
Specifically using Vinyl as a medium.
And if I create something I really like, I would like to sell it.

But I have no idea how to start. From paper/mind, what is the next step? I'm thinking of getting a 3-D graphics program, and using that to get a blue-print of what I want before sending it out to a place that can make the real thing.

Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2007 | 08:12 PM
  #2  
future9er24's Avatar
Post *****
 
Joined: May 13, 2004
Posts: 18,616
Likes: 3
From: Berkeley/Redwood City, CA
What kind of toys? Vinyl? I'm kinda lost...
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2007 | 08:57 PM
  #3  
burningman's Avatar
Bow Chica Bow Wow
TMS Staff
 
Joined: January 29, 2004
Posts: 7,446
Likes: 12
From: Proudly in NJ...bite it FL
wish i had a clue about that stuff
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2007 | 10:24 PM
  #4  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
Originally Posted by future9er24
What kind of toys? Vinyl? I'm kinda lost...
Here is a brief history on vinyl toys:
http://www.millionaireplayboy.com/toys/urbanvinyl.php

and here are examples of vinyl toys:




Reply
Old Mar 15, 2007 | 10:39 PM
  #5  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
Here's a place that I found that makes toys for people:
http://www.chlproducts.com/index.html
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2007 | 10:48 PM
  #6  
Blue Notch's Avatar
 
Joined: December 5, 2006
Posts: 31,454
Likes: 71
From: Trapped in Minnesota
That sounds cool!!
Reply
Old Mar 15, 2007 | 11:01 PM
  #7  
future9er24's Avatar
Post *****
 
Joined: May 13, 2004
Posts: 18,616
Likes: 3
From: Berkeley/Redwood City, CA
Lalo, that stuff looks pretty sweet. I'm sorry I can't give any insight, but I'm pretty sure you could swing something like that. You're a great toonist and artist, and shoot, you can substitute teach hoodlums like myself while retaining sanity.

In typical rowdy Arin fasion...

YOU CAN DOO EEETTT!!
Reply
Old Mar 16, 2007 | 07:46 AM
  #8  
Knight's Avatar
Needs to be more Astony
 
Joined: October 4, 2004
Posts: 8,610
Likes: 5
From: Volo, IL
that looks pretty cool. Any hints on what kind of toys you want to make?
Reply
Old Mar 16, 2007 | 04:37 PM
  #9  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
Originally Posted by Knight
that looks pretty cool. Any hints on what kind of toys you want to make?
Right now I am working on a design that can be used over and over again for different artists to design on, a la the dunny, munny, smokin' labbit, Mad*L, etc. It's more like a canvas than a toy. (like it states under the Dunny boxes "This is not a toy, it is a work of art."
Reply
Old Mar 19, 2007 | 08:30 PM
  #10  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
Here are some of my designer toys (mixed with other toys i have)
I bet you can't guess what they all have in common lol
It all started with the knockman (right of iPod)


In other news, I am well on my way to creating a design that I like, and with the help of Rich, I now have a program that I can use to create a "blue"print
Reply
Old Mar 19, 2007 | 08:46 PM
  #11  
Evil_Capri's Avatar
Post *****
 
Joined: February 3, 2004
Posts: 14,160
Likes: 73
What about using CAD with a 3D printer? Of course most 3D printers are expensive. And I'm not sure about the textures using their material.

http://www.dimensionprinting.com/

http://www.zcorp.com/
Reply
Old Mar 20, 2007 | 07:16 AM
  #12  
Blip's Avatar
GTR Member
 
Joined: February 2, 2004
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 9
Lalo, that's a cool idea.
Can't wait to see the finished "product."
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2007 | 04:03 PM
  #13  
Orphan's Avatar
Bullitt Member
 
Joined: October 24, 2005
Posts: 275
Likes: 2
Any good at sculpting? Scupt your own out of clay and make a mold of it. Then you can cast as amny as you like.

O
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2007 | 12:23 PM
  #14  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
Well, I had a great idea of making TV headed toys with a body, I created the front, back, and sides of it on Expression about two weeks ago. I had dubbed them "Channels"... but I havent had access to my main computer since the black out happened, so I didnt have an opportunity to post it

Anyways, I just found out that a designer toy company is releasing TV headed toys soon! So my idea is scrap now...

Back to the drawing board

Funny thing, my brother had an idea of making toys representing the different elements... the same company with the TV Head idea is releasing Element inspired toys in a month or two lol
http://kachingbrands.com/
Attached Images  
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2007 | 02:44 PM
  #15  
future9er24's Avatar
Post *****
 
Joined: May 13, 2004
Posts: 18,616
Likes: 3
From: Berkeley/Redwood City, CA
Ouch Lalo, it's gotta blow when someone thinks of your idea and markets it first

If you ever get a chance, theres a Mark Twain essay on the subject, "Mental Telegraphy" While it's not exactly comforting, it makes for a nice laugh
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2007 | 03:33 PM
  #16  
Knight's Avatar
Needs to be more Astony
 
Joined: October 4, 2004
Posts: 8,610
Likes: 5
From: Volo, IL
Originally Posted by future9er24
If you ever get a chance, theres a Mark Twain essay on the subject, "Mental Telegraphy" While it's not exactly comforting, it makes for a nice laugh
My brother and I always said that we communicated by mind. Cause we would always have the same exact same ideas at the same time. We suspected it was mostly me projecting thoughts to him because i would always think of good inventions and companies would make them after the fact. So Lalo i have had the same problem..but yours is a little closer casue you even had a means to make it..my ideas were always things that i couldn't readly do myself.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2007 | 07:11 PM
  #17  
future9er24's Avatar
Post *****
 
Joined: May 13, 2004
Posts: 18,616
Likes: 3
From: Berkeley/Redwood City, CA
It's happened to me a few times with various Lego kits. Sometimes comparing what I made as a kid to what they as a company did months later is really eery.

Still, just like Chris, I had not the means :-\
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2007 | 12:27 PM
  #18  
n00bstang's Avatar
Mach 1 Member
 
Joined: December 7, 2006
Posts: 895
Likes: 0
that would have been cool if you made the toys.
i would have bought one. fo sho.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2007 | 01:09 PM
  #19  
Lalo's Avatar
Thread Starter
I'm people, and I like.
 
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 9,243
Likes: 0
From: PDX
I'm gonna spill one of my ideas right now, since I don't have access to a scanner... See what you guys think about it.

I want to create car-toons made of vinyl! Vinyl is a very lightweight plastic that works great as a "canvas" to draw on.
The model will be blank, and the shape will be pretty simple (no light bulbs, grill, etc.), just the general overall shape. This allows artists, enthusiasts, everyone and their mother to draw on the model and create their own creation without too much constraints and limits.
I'm thinking of making a "Muscle Car" model and a "Mini" model. The Mini model is complete on paper.
I also plan to send these models out to various artists and car designers (including two from TMS ), in hope that they will draw on it, and allow me to produce limited numbers of their work for sale.

So, for example...
Here is a blank "canvas" toy... very simple, overall shape


People/artists buy them, and then draw, paint, accesorize, and everything you can think about


Reply
Old Apr 14, 2007 | 02:18 PM
  #20  
Blip's Avatar
GTR Member
 
Joined: February 2, 2004
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 9
Lalo that's a great idea, now quickly get to a copyright/trademark lawyer
to protect your idea. It will cost some bucks, but will give you the rights to produce the design.
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:53 PM.