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Behind the Mask with Nikolas from NAG Sculpture Studio

HorrorBid Goes Behind the Mask with Nikolas from NAG Sculpture Studio

Guys this is a very cool read with a great artist! Nikolas lives in Greece and therefore the language barrier makes it tough sometimes for him to convey his thoughts clearly in English. There is no denying that Nikolas is one of the most talented sculptors on the scene today and for him to take the time to do this interview in English had to be tough and I want to personally thank him again. Enjoy the read!

How did you get started in the buness of mask making?

I like special effects from a little kid,i started sculpting at age 13,5 in my mothers friend house when i first saw wed clay,after hulk hogan and ultimate warrior busts i made this first time(they were fair for first time)i was starting to think that i want to make something that i can wear!I have sculpted many masks that they didn’t make it because i haven’t idea how to mold and stuff but after a sort period of time i realize the< magic of molds> and i started making masks, busts,action figures and replicas at age 20 (I’m 29 now),so practically I’m doing this for a living for 9 years now but mostly as a portrait sculptor and makeup effects.Please describe in detail what led to your pason for the horror genre and or the Halloween holiday?

Hmmm, I really don’t know,i just like monsters:) Who doesn’t? We Greeks have many monsters in our ancient history and in Greek mythology, you can find from Vampires to werewolves and other monster forms like Minotaur and learn Hydra,so we learn this kind of stuff from little kids.Id say its in my blood:) Unfortunately we don’t have Halloween here in Greece : (,we just have (on February)something milar with masks and stuff but more funny than scary.Who or whom was the biggest influence in your life and how did that effect who you are today?

I have a big influence from Rodin who i think was a genius in sculpting.I understand from him that the anatomy is the most important thing in sculpting and nce then i study very often. Another big influence also was a Greek who change the movie history, the makeup creator of Frankenstein, Dracula, mummy , werewolf and many more,his name is Jack Pierce(Janos Piccoulas). A big modern influence is Rick Baker yes the 6 Oscars guy,i m very glad i met him recently in a trip i had in London,Dick Smith of course,Steve Johnson and other fx guys.What do you do in your spare time when you are not making masks or doing something work related.

I’m sleeping in my studio:)Unfortunately here in Greece we have oppote time zones and most people send emails to me around 3 to 4 o clock (local time)in the morning so i have to stay until late because i really don’t want people to wait,i think its nice to give the idea that you are all the time there for them to response. I have so much things to do that i really don’t want leave my studio,when i can find some spare time I’m watching movies of course(i have more than 2500 original dvds). I’m watching football very much and bacally my hobby is my work and if i had different work i would still make this as hobby,not that much though because it takes time. Favorite movies?All:).I like many movies.Its an endless catalog really.Mostly horror of course.I remember my most like film as a kid was NIGHTBREED and i still like that movie a lot.The Legend,Fright night,the Howling,The American werewolf in London,The Fly,Big Trouble in Little China,The Company of Wolves,Re-Animator i will never stop!!!What was your first sculpt and or mask making experience? Were you a natural or did it take time to hone your skills? How much have you learned nce then?

My first sculpt as a mention earlier :) was the first time a found wed clay in front of me and it was hulk hogan and ultimate warrior busts.It was nothing to be proud about but good for first sculpts because i was 13,5 years old,my first(completed) mask was a couple of years after that it was a pelloquin mask from nightbreed,i might have a rotted copy somewhere in the studio,i want to make a new veron of that mask when i find some spare time.Practically i can draw anything from when i was 7-8 years old,i can make portraits in 5 minutes and i did that job for 1-2 months.Painting its easy and its nice but for me sculpting is another level of art because you can actually touch what you made.iv learned many many things nce then and I’m a profesonal for 10 years now,but really you never stop learning things,each day you find new things and thats the magic of sculpting molding painting haring or anything has to do with art and mask making.What projects have you accomplished in your career that you feel really cemented your legacy in the buness. Was there a point where you took a step back and said, "Wow, how am I going to get all these orders filled"?

They say that you making a step back when you see an old sculpt of yours and you say oh that was really nice!That means that we must getting better and better. I’m really trying to have all the orders before the time i mention in the product description because this look like a surprise and its good,some times when the period is very busy i might have rush about the orders but God helping me and give me the strength to finish every work no matter how hard is it.I have helpers(except God)periodically and id like to keep it this way because its very difficult to find people who actually love your work,because i must admit that if you don’t love this work you cannot do it.It depends on the job,next month i ll be a crew as a lead sculptor in a zombie film:)its nice to be a crew sometimes.What project have you worked on in the past that you would conder your favorite thus far?

One of my favorites is the Chris Reeve portrait because i think that he is the superman! I mean he gave life to the superman character and we all going to remember him as the superman. also after the terrible accident he show strength of a real superman.I heard that some people talk to him(before the accident)in a convention,and when they came back they had the feeling that they talk to the real superman,its funny but it does make sense.How has being a husband, father, or being in a relationship affected your work and are they supportive of what you do?

All the girls i have they cheating on me because I’m inde the studio all day making masks!Another question please......What were some low points in your career (if any) when you had to take time to reflect and ask yourself if this buness isn’t right for you?

Each time i have a bad result in the buness in my early days when i was making fiberglass jason masks and freddy gloves and other stuff i was going in the stores(here in Greece) and i was selling my stuff very cheap and i was thinking what the hell am i doing this is not creative!people selling my stuff and they gave me the money after 1-2 weeks,thank God i stop this kind of work very fast. The standard in life is that everything has an end and this end we all want to have the opportunity to put it where WE want but it doasent work this way because many times other people stop you from what you do,and this contains all works except the art.Art never stops.What upcoming project can you share with us? Any surprises on the horizon?

i have some projects on the table but i really cannot reveal right now much things. I’m working on the new screen used part 2 mask that will be soon out and limited and part 4 mask(not the cover),and....a cover mask from part 4 also:) I have a couple more masks on the works but i cannot say right now,stay tuned!Thank you all for everything and God give you all health.

Nikolas

EXCELLENT interview.....Nikolas is such an amazing talent! I can only imagine how amazing it would be to vit his studio! One thing I was wondering was if Nik was going to ever use his talents in films. Greece doesn't have a huge horror scene except for a few splatter films and the well received zombie flick "TO KAKO" (The Evil) but I wonder if he'd ever become the Tom Savini of Greece.

Nik is a great guy & an awesome mask maker!! Good interview too. It's a shame he got the raw end of the deal with the whole CGP fiasco.

Yeah, Nik is a great guy.

It sucks what happened with the 30th mask, I hate that he got burned by that whole deal.

He deserved better than that.