Art toys

Artists use a variety of materials, such as ABS plastic, vinyl, wood, metal, latex, plush, and resin.

Creators often have backgrounds in graphic design, illustration, or fine art, but many accomplished toy artists are self-taught.

[2] By the early 2000s, the majority of art toys were based upon characters created by popular Lowbrow artists, linking the two movements.

[3] In his book Vinyl Will Kill!, illustrator Jeremyville, in Sydney, claims that the cultural phenomenon of designer toys began when Hong Kong–based artist Michael Lau took his customized G.I.

Qees vary in their design, usually with the same basic body type, but with head sculpts that may be of a bear, a cat, a dog, a monkey, or a rabbit.

Some creators of designer toys are Hong Kong–based Michael Lau, credited with the establishment of the Urban Vinyl movement; Devilrobots, a five-person design team from Japan, known for their television character named TO-FU Oyako;[5] Mexican artists Carlos & Ernesto East "The Beast Brothers" which are known for their Dia de muertos and Aztec influences; American concert poster artist Frank Kozik's Mongers series and Labbit character; and British illustrator James Jarvis's cast of characters, produced as vinyl figures of varying sizes.

[10] Other creators of urban vinyl figures are Japanese artist and designer Takashi Murakami whose work has been exhibited in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Australian designer Nathan Jurevicius's Scarygirl, based on characters from his comic of the same name, and produced in conjunction with Hong Kong company Flyingcat, and former graffiti artist KAWS.

Two examples are Lau's depiction of the LMF rappers from Hong Kong, and figures based on the members of the virtual electronic band Gorillaz, produced by Jamie Hewlett and made by Kidrobot.

In addition to their plush dolls, Friends With You also create modular wood toys, and motion graphics for companies such as Sony, MTV, Nike, and Columbia Records.

Like other platform art toys, there have been mimobot designs by a wide variety of artists, including Mori Chack, Sket One and Jon Burgerman.

The appeal of designer consumer electronics in flash memory form tends to be the addition of a digital canvas, allowing affiliated artists to create much more in-depth characters, complete with animations, music, etc.