Balloon Review #100 - Balloon Modelling Vol 6 DVD by David Grist

WOW - so here we are at balloon review #100! I never thought that when I started I would make it this far. As recommended by Graham, we are celebrating reaching #100 by reviewing a DVD from the collection of David Grist.

All DVDs in this series are available from www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk priced £17.99 or £125 for the entire 9 DVD set.

Sadly David passed away in 2005 aged only 47 and with my balloon career only just started, I never had the opportunity to meet David but from what I know about him, and how others fondly speak of him, he clearly is a legend in balloon modelling history and he led the way in developing new balloon techniques which still stand the test of time today. All profits from the sale of these DVDs goes straight to David's family, so if you are tempted to make an investment in these DVDs, please do so via Graham as he freely gives away his profits to David's wife.

These DVDs were originally released as videos and so have been transferred to DVD. The quality of the DVDs are very good and highly watchable. Each model is indexed by a chapter and the audio is clear.

So i've chosen Vol 6 for no reason other than it was easily found on my library shelf!

So let's see what we have here...

BASEBALL CAP

A very quick 2 balloon baseball cap. Very fast and easy to make ideal for line work. This cap is fully adjustable which is a nice touch. You will use this one.

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DOLPHIN

A one or two balloon dolphin depending upon how complicated you want this one to be. A very quick dolphin. My only suggestion would be to pinch twist the side fins so that the bubbles stay in place a little better. Perfect for line work.

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RABBIT & HAT

This is a brilliant table decoration design. The hat base is ingenious and using the technique David describes ensures the hat is weighted properly and the rabbit is held upright on top of the hat. This technique would be perfect for anything that can be held in a basket/vase. Really clever. The rabbit is easy to make. On David's final design the rabbit is holding some playing cards and a magic wand.

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MOTORBIKE

This is a brilliant motorbike. Plenty of detail without being overly complicated. All the colours are interchangeable to make different motorbike designs. Too complicated for line work and likely to be something you will make in advance. A reputation maker.

Apologies for the small photo - I made this one a few years ago!

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CARTOON BUILDER

On this DVD, David shows two ways to make a balloon head. The Bob The Builder character uses the more advanced design. You can see how this head can be used for other designs and I have included a karate kid and a nurse which I made many years ago. I like David's style of teaching as you feel like you are using concepts that form a decent foundation of skills to build upon. David also includes a selection of builder's tools to add to your character.

Again apologies for the small photos - I just can't be bothered to make them all again!

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BRIDE & GROOM

This design uses the simpler balloon face. The groom design is fine (reminds me of the tetley t-bag people for some reason) and the bride's dress would be fine had i used a larger balloon to fill out the dress. Not sure about her face and hair. She looks scary! This was my first attempt and things got better from there. I still use variations of the bride and groom's bodies even today but with different heads.

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SUMMARY

Revisiting this DVD after so many years and making some of David's designs again really gives you an appreciation of how cutting edge David was around 10 years ago. This DVD (and others in the collection) really are essential for all balloon artists. Even if some of the models are outdated by today's standards there is still much to be learned. It's like being a modern day chef without a copy of Delia Smith's Cookbook!

The only criticism I would make of the DVD is that David doesn't always give you an idea of how much to leave uninflated in the end of each balloon or accurate bubble sizes. It will be a case of visually checking as you follow along making each design. Not a major setback but may be a problem if you are a complete beginner.

Every balloon artist should buy these DVDs - what a delightful way to celebrate my 100th balloon review!

It has been said by many, but thank you for the time and effort that you spend on these reviews. It is great to see what is out there and your honest approach is great.
Congratulations on the 100 th review  

I made this at a care & share day in 2011 at Bishops Stortford, with yellow in place of the hair it would make a Bob the Builder?
It might need a not so noticeable lower jaw, looks a little desperate Dan like, now I'm showing my age.

I have the full set of David's DVD's and I have looked at one or two for a few minutes but never the full DVD or full set  :oops:
So after seeing Darren post the models it inspired me and I had a little while this afternoon and tonight to play a little.
I tried to keep the bike looking a little David'esq with a squarer looking shape, I might re-make the rear section tomorrow after my party and have another little play.
I made the smaller bike first and then had another little play and made a few adjustments,

I then went onto the bride and groom, I tried two different variations for attaching the nose. Darren was the nose stuck on with a glue dot on the DVD?

If anyone wanted to try the bride and groom here is a shot from the back which might help.

Graham,

Yes the nose was stuck on with a glue dot. I love your variations especially the face of the groom.