These pieces were likened to the 'works of art' of past porcelain masters. Lladro Figurines began to really take center stage when Juan, Jose and Vicente decided to devote themselves solely to their creations in and transfer their workshop to a bigger warehouse in the town of Tavernes Blanques. Their old workplace was simply too small for their rapidly expanding business and the demand was growing profusely. The brothers introduced improvements not only in the patterns and designs of the figurines but as well as the firing methods, changing the three layer firing to a one layer process. One firing is a pioneering technique which results in the crystalline finish and the pastel quality that is a signature of Lladro Figurines. To give you a sneak preview of how Lladro Figurines come to life, each piece is actually a result of a very taxing artistic process. Sculptors are driven by their own inspiration but also conduct a painstaking task of research if the need arises. This is usually done for pieces or collections that convey other cultures. But simply put each creation starts off with an artistic inspiration. The sculptor then creates the first sketch of the new figure in clay, which is scrutinized and endorsed by the so called Creativity Committee, composed of numerous members, one of whom comes from the Lladro family. After which, the sketch, in clay, is reproduced in plaster to provide the first mold, which will then become the final mold for the porcelain figurine.