The Pro Shots product line sold in Toys “R” Us but also included two other skus, a hobby version (clam shell packaging) and Pro Shots Ultimate. The Ultimate is a higher-end version with a larger figure (12″) and a custom base both made of poly resin ($199 Retail).

Above shows the first two stages every figure goes through. Once the athlete’s moment is chosen, we research for reference material for the sculptors. With Tiger, I made sure every aspect of the figure was historically correct, right down to his belt buckle. Once the initial sculpt was complete, we had a quality control stage to be sure the figure was proportional, natural looking, and the athlete’s likeness was spot on. The second and third sheets above show where the sculpt needed improvement in these areas. A bit painstaking but in the end, attention to detail and good communication with our sculptors, Gentle Giant Studios, it definitely paid off.

After a few rounds of fine-tuning, the last revisions included Tiger’s Nike shoes and that belt buckle I mentioned. Once the sculpt was approved it was off to the next stage (paint, tampos and applying the decals). For the base we determined the paint colors and created artwork for the custom nameplate. We also determined how the figure would be placed on the base for the best display view.

Here you see the completed figs unpainted. At this stage only minimal adjustments can be made. Next, the paint and decals. This was where the figs started to come to life. For this Ali, we used a pearlescent white paint to match the actual silky white trunks. It was a little detail but it came out sweet. We created two paint master samples. We kept one and the other went back to the factory for their paint reference. The last image shows the turns of the completed master for final approvals to go to production.