Emmanuel Rodriguez

CUCUY- Chupababra

Emmanuel Rodriguez 🇲🇽 🇺🇸

Medium: Digital Sculpture
Creation Date: March 2024

"El Cucuy is the Mexican/Latin American boogeyman, the thing that goes bump in the night. He takes misbehaving children or those brave enough to go into the darkness alone, be it your closet, hallway, or under your bed; you were never safe, only in the light. Descriptions have been made, but nothing has really been definitive, so whatever is scary to you, that's waiting for you in the dark.

Chupacabra (goat sucker) is a small creature that feasts on farmers' livestock at night. It is described as either a hairless dog-like creature or a more alien-like being with large eyes and greenish skin. Originally starting in Puerto Rico, el Chupacabra made its way to Mexico and the USA, making its presence known and adding to the long list of creatures to be found."

Why did you choose to sculpt this piece?

El Cucuy was probably the one that scared me the most as a kid. My cousins and uncles constantly teased me about it, daring me to go into the dark or outside late at night, and saying it was going to get us when the power went out. Since nobody knew what it looked like other than its name, my mind conjured up all sorts of horrifying images. So, for this, I wanted to give it a look that would have scared me as a kid. And maybe, just maybe, it's my hand over its mouth in an alternate timeline.

Regarding El Chupacabra, I was more fascinated than scared. I spent hours looking up several videos of sightings of it in Mexico and Texas, as well as "real" found footage, blown away by the possibilities of what could be out there.

How long have you been sculpting? What is your artistic background and style?

"I've been sculpting for about 10 years. I started first in traditional methods, using all sorts of clay, and eventually adopted digital sculpture about 4 years later.

I grew up always loving creatures in movies and games. I would spend a lot of time just looking at game models whenever possible and also spent a long time online looking at images of horror movies as well as watching them. My main background is in filmmaking and prop creation, but those are really just skills to show and see more monsters, hehe.

My art style I've always had a bit of trouble pinpointing since I like to do different things, but a lot of it is usually on the creepy or "cursed" side of things, corrupting childhood memories or creating something to give you the creeps. My favorite things to sculpt in my creations are elongated and gnarly teeth, based a lot on creatures and movies I used to play and watch, like the teeth on the deadites of "Evil Dead 2". I also like distorting faces, exaggerating them, and pushing their anatomy."

How long did it take to create the piece? What tools / software did you use for your creation? Any insight on your process?

"It took about a week of work for both total working time. I used ZBrush, Substance Painter, and Blender for rendering.

With my process, I usually start out very rough once I've gathered reference and inspiration. I make rough, aggressive, loose shapes with intention, and sometimes randomly push and pull to see if anything comes of it. I work the forms until I eventually start to use more and more precise brush strokes, leading to the final sculpt."

Is this piece for sale? How can a fan acquire it?

yes! you can reach out to me or hellfire sculpting club

Are you looking for work? If so, in what role & location?

yes! i am! id love to be a character sculptor either digital or traditional i am located in fayetteville arkansas

Your website / showreel & social media

https://www.instagram.com/emmanuelrodriguezart/