UPDATE: 1/21/10  Jordu Schell Sets the record straight.

By Lauren Davis at http://io9.com

Sculptor and concept artist Jordu Schell breathed life into the Na’Vi, Avatar‘s blue aliens. He talks about working with James Cameron, the actresses who inspired the lovely Neytiri’s look, and why design isn’t the most interesting part of Avatar.

We spoke to Jordu Schell of the Schell Sculpture Studio. Schell has done sculpture and conceptual creature designs for numerous films, including Galaxy Quest, Dawn of the Dead, Hellboy, and The Mist, and he brought the Na’Vi to three-dimensional life.

When did you begin work on this project?

I first was contacted in about May of 2005. Jim picked people — there are only four of us — there were three other guys, including a famous guy named Wayne Barlow who’s a creature and character designer, and I primarily was hired to just do illustration. Along with these other three, I started doing illustrations, drawing and stuff.

I was really frustrated because my real forte is sculpting — you know, actual sculpture in clay, not in 3D programs. And after a while, that frustration became obvious, because I just felt like I was working on design with my hand tied behind my back if you will and I left the project, actually in about June or so of 2005. But then, Jim actually called me back in November of that same year, just a few months later, and said, “Hey, listen, the guys who were doing the 3D brush renderings just aren’t capturing what I want, and I think I do want sculpture after all.”

Interview continues here.