Richmond-based artist Sky Burkson left a NYC career in theater set design behind to create meticulously perfect miniatures of memorable places in video games, mostly out of paper. Today, Burkson has some truly awe-inspiring creations to show off — not to mention a year-long wait list for his work.
Playboy: How did you find your way into a career making exquisitely detailed miniature things?
Sky Burkson: I wanted to be a set designer and I moved to New York. Then, realizing I did not like set design at all, that I was not made to do that. There’s too much diplomacy. I did like the model making that [you do] when you’re a set designer. You cut your teeth making models drafting or coming up with illustrations but usually, you’re gonna have to build a model start with, and I immediately knew I loved it. I remember asking my professor at the time, “Hey, could I just major (in) model making?” It was like, what the fuck you talking about? No, you can’t do that. You’re here for set design.
Then I started making models for some designers in New York who were awesome. I was there for five years, always freelance. I worked with one guy, Mr. Lee Savage, and then the two other dudes who were also sharing the studio were like, “Hey you want to make my model too?” And for five years, I was just their go-to guy (for) models.
Playboy: But then there was a point where you started making models of things you liked for fun.
Sky Burkson: I did the Iron Throne (from Game of Thrones) back in 2016, which was the first time I went viral. I made the book accurate version, where it’s a bunch of swords stacked up super high. It’s the Mark Simonetti version. That went on to [go viral on] Gizmodo and io9 and stuff. And then I was like, I really like, What am I doing? I should be making more models. So I started doing it just for me and now it’s not a hobby anymore. It’s an actual job, which is nice.
Playboy: What was the first bigger piece that you made? And how long did it take?
Sky Burkson: I started doing small ones for three years. I’d say it was like me thinking I was making really good things, but I was avoiding [that] I wanted to do video game miniatures. I was inspired by all these other miniaturists who do really cool things but they’re doing facades of stoops and actual real life buildings.
So I did the Firelink Shrine [from Dark Souls], and I feel like I actually clicked into “Okay, this is what I’m gonna do.” I cut every stone out with paper because I also love working with paper. I want to make all these stones because the shrine is all this stone architecture. I was like, this gonna take me for fucking forever, what am I doing? And I was like, Who cares? There was an echo of this mentality that I used to come up against with my partner at the shop where he was very much about you had to let things take the time when you’re making something. You have to give them the amount of time it takes to do it right.
Then there’s the Queen’s Gardens from the game Hollow Knight, which is also another one where it was a different angle of letting things take the time where I was cutting. It was all this stone work and I was just laying every stone in for a week straight. Just every day for eight hours.
Playboy: It’s interesting that what you create is diametrically opposed to the pace of the world. It is the polar opposite of a productivity-obsessed society.
Sky Burkson: Absolutely. That’s an active response in my brain. Just keep going because for years now we’ve been taught to get things done fast. And then you spend all your time on social media and you look at people like, they just finished another thing, they just finished another thing, they just finished another thing…is that even satisfying?
There’s always a voice in the back of myself saying, “That’s okay if it’s slow. If something takes you a month, it took you a month.”
Playboy: Tell us about your process of making a miniature. How many of the models that you’re working with are largely made of paper?
Sky Burkson: I don’t think I’ve made any that were 100%. But my angle is always to try to treat the material and figure out how to use it to do a new thing in every single piece. I haven’t done that before, or I did it this way on this one, and I was okay with it, let’s see if we can do it a different way, but usually it’s like, okay, let’s just find a way to do the detail correctly and if it’s not paper, then whatever.
I begin with a balance. There’s the triangle of production: How much money do you have? How much time do you have? And what do you want?
Playboy: What some of your personal favorites pieces you’ve created?
Astera [from Monster Hunter World] is one. The big one that I love the most is the Hunter’s Dream from Bloodborne. I love that one.
Playboy: What would you love to do even if no one commissioned it?
Sky Burkson: Castlevania. I want to (do) Dracula’s Castle. That’s been my top for two years now.
Playboy: Do you still have time to make pieces just for you?
Sky Burkson: I usually try to build in time to be one for them and one for them and one for me. I’m working on a big one right now. That one’s taking four months. Because of that, I allow myself to spend a month on a different piece that’s been on my list.
Playboy: Making miniatures is now your full-time job, isn’t it?
Sky Burkson: Yeah. It was Firelink Shrine, Queens Gardens, Hunters Dream. And then a flood of commissions came in. It was actually just after Ruby, my daughter, was born. and I was like, we got to put her in daycare if I’m gonna do this. So I gotta find a way to pay for the daycare so that I can do the things. Just take those commissions all the time now.
Playboy: Do you have any advice for people who might want to embrace the same type of career?
Sky Burkson: Make space for it, but with that there’s an acknowledgment of you should find someone who’s lovely to bind yourself to who can not just support emotionally, but also financially because otherwise you won’t be able to do jack shit in our society right now. Fortunately, I have space because I have a lovely wife who makes space for this to happen. So I don’t have to be a typical cog.
It’s an unfortunate admission just in knowing I always think about that with other artists. They talk about their day job and you’re like damn you’re good at what you do, the illustration or the embroidery or whatever it is. And you could do this full-time, if we actually cherished the ability for people to do this sort of thing.
Sky can be contacted about commissions here.
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