Some life-sized statues can take three weeks or more. It will be at least another 20 hours before the gangly white figures have bodies painted with vibrant oranges, magentas and greens. He uses up to seven layers of acrylic to smooth the body surfaces. Most of the creatures have scales or feathers - designs that require great attention to detail. Each scale or feather is outlined in one color, filled in with another, and often a design or pattern is added inside.
Some designs have Incan or Mayan influences.
Because each alebrije is made completely by hand, no two are alike. Olveda said he uses colors reminiscent of the vibrant colors he saw on houses in Mexico. The colors are traditional representations of prosperous times in Latin America. Some of his pieces, Olveda said, are named for small towns in Mexico, but most are made up. The Olvedas surround themselves with art.