WIP Critique New Year Resolution - Learn to Sculpt
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Scotty
A Fixture
Making baseball bats from cocktail sticks? I would love to see the tiny lathe you're using .
Top work.
Top work.
Tonight's progress;
Baseball bat - fairly easy, nailed it on first attempt.
Hand to hold aforementioned bat - a right PITA, and it looks huge in the photos (I see a lot of carving and sanding in my near future)
I also had some mixed putty left over so I made some rear pockets and a zip-fly for his denims.
Sorry for the crap iPad pics, I promise I'll try harder next time
Baseball bat - fairly easy, nailed it on first attempt.
Hand to hold aforementioned bat - a right PITA, and it looks huge in the photos (I see a lot of carving and sanding in my near future)
I also had some mixed putty left over so I made some rear pockets and a zip-fly for his denims.
Sorry for the crap iPad pics, I promise I'll try harder next time
Hey again folks, I'm still training quietly in the shadows. Tonight I've been practising on big faces before attempting to do the face on the 54mm figure I've now dubbed "The Slugger". Instead of a wire armature for busts I've been messing about with foil cores again, this time with a bit more luck. I've also been giving a bit more thought on how to prepare the armature after watching some of Tom Mason's videos on YouTube so on this bust I've put a thin layer of Aves Apoxie over the foil core and then another thin layer of Super Sculpey over that before it cured. I'm happy with how it turned out - no trapped air pockets and the sculpey behaves a whole lot better. It actually feels like I'm in control of the Sculpey now rather than the other way about.
Anyhoo, some pics:
I know that he is still a bit rough looking. There are a lot of tool marks to smooth out and tidy up but I'm relatively happy with how this one is progressing. Not bad considering that this equates to about an hour's work after getting the general shape and volume of the head sorted. I'm also quite chuffed that it was mostly done freeform, without checking my charts or references - I just went with what I thought a face should look like. A good hobby day for me today, most enjoyable
Comments and critique would be very helpful
Anyhoo, some pics:
I know that he is still a bit rough looking. There are a lot of tool marks to smooth out and tidy up but I'm relatively happy with how this one is progressing. Not bad considering that this equates to about an hour's work after getting the general shape and volume of the head sorted. I'm also quite chuffed that it was mostly done freeform, without checking my charts or references - I just went with what I thought a face should look like. A good hobby day for me today, most enjoyable
Comments and critique would be very helpful
Scotty
A Fixture
I think you've done a great job there mate, his nose is big but perfectly formed. I'll look up those videos on you tube, thanks for the tip. All the best,
Scotty.
Scotty.
Yeah, you're right Scottty, I forgot to mention the elephant in the room....that HUGE conk. He'll be getting a nose job soon
Scotty
A Fixture
The elephant, I see what you did there. Lol.
pokrad
A Fixture
You are on the right track
As for the tool marks, I use soft synthetic brushes in combination with olive oil or with Johnson baby oil to smooth the surface. It works for Fimo, SuperSculpey and SuperSculpey-Firm.
For more aggressive blending (really aggressive) you can use Zippo lighter fluid.
More than two passes with lighter fluid will change the clay properties and make it more dry on the surface so do not do it to many times
Also try to do it ad the very end of sculpting process...
As for the tool marks, I use soft synthetic brushes in combination with olive oil or with Johnson baby oil to smooth the surface. It works for Fimo, SuperSculpey and SuperSculpey-Firm.
For more aggressive blending (really aggressive) you can use Zippo lighter fluid.
More than two passes with lighter fluid will change the clay properties and make it more dry on the surface so do not do it to many times
Also try to do it ad the very end of sculpting process...
Scotty
A Fixture
You are on the right track
As for the tool marks, I use soft synthetic brushes in combination with olive oil or with Johnson baby oil to smooth the surface. It works for Fimo, SuperSculpey and SuperSculpey-Firm.
For more aggressive blending (really aggressive) you can use Zippo lighter fluid.
More than two passes with lighter fluid will change the clay properties and make it more dry on the surface so do not do it to many times
Also try to do it ad the very end of sculpting process...
Is it ok to bake them with the oil on? Thanks for the tips.
Scotty.
Cheers Darko, your input and advice has been awesome
I've been using baby oil sparingly to soften the clay up, I never thought of using it for smoothing. I've been using IPA for smoothing, would that have the same effect as lighter fluid on the clay?
I had another "take your clay to work" day today and during quiet moments, I put a face onto The Slugger. I fixed a layer of Super Sculpey onto the Apoxie with superglue and then set about it with my trusty toothpicks whenever I could throughout the day. This is the result:
Evidently more refinement is required but, as its the farthest I've taken any of my practice pieces yet, I'm quite chuffed with it. It looks a bit like a face, and it's (almost) the right size for the scale so I'll take that as progress
Thanks again for tuning in. All advice, comments and critique will be warmly welcomed
I've been using baby oil sparingly to soften the clay up, I never thought of using it for smoothing. I've been using IPA for smoothing, would that have the same effect as lighter fluid on the clay?
I had another "take your clay to work" day today and during quiet moments, I put a face onto The Slugger. I fixed a layer of Super Sculpey onto the Apoxie with superglue and then set about it with my trusty toothpicks whenever I could throughout the day. This is the result:
Evidently more refinement is required but, as its the farthest I've taken any of my practice pieces yet, I'm quite chuffed with it. It looks a bit like a face, and it's (almost) the right size for the scale so I'll take that as progress
Thanks again for tuning in. All advice, comments and critique will be warmly welcomed
Wings5797
A Fixture
I have been away from pF and missed your great progress in your determination to sculpt.
You look to be enjoying pushing the putty as it shows in the advances you have made.
Really like what you are doing and hope that stick at it Billy.
All the best
Keith
You look to be enjoying pushing the putty as it shows in the advances you have made.
Really like what you are doing and hope that stick at it Billy.
All the best
Keith
pokrad
A Fixture
I usually wash the completed sculpt under the stream of cold water for a couple of minutes, and then leave it to dry. Stream does not have to be too strong, it removes both olive oil or baby oil.
Then leave it to dry completely for a couple of hours. So, I do not know the answer does the baking oiled piece have some unwanted effects...
pokrad
A Fixture
Newer used IPA, but from what I read it is more aggressive - similar to lighter fluid. Oils do not "melt" the surface that much and can be used for final smoothing and "polishing".
Lighter fluid I mostly use only once - in the phase where all my volumes are on the place and I'm satisfied with overall look - lighter fluid helps to blend the volumes together and even the surface.
After that I try to bring more sharp details up, fixing small things that does not look right, and use oils and brushes for few more times.
That is technique that works for me, so consider this as only a tip - find and do whatever works for You
Forget to say: both after lighter fluid and oils "treatment" I wash the piece under the slow stream of cold water...
Also, the reason I use synthetic brushes is that I can find pretty soft but thick ones without spending half of my month salary.Natural ones are probably better but they are expensive. It is also important to wash the brushes with the lighter fluid and water and soap after use if You want them to last longer.
I'm away from my bench for a week or so but I brought my sculpting kit with me and today I've been doing a bit more practice on a face and head - this time the scale is 1/16. Depending on how it progresses, I'm thinking of portraying a Portugese Tiradore from the Peninsular War. I know next to nothing about the subject but I saw an illustration and liked the uniform so what better excuse to do some learning
I took a few iPad pics of progress so far. A lot of the detail has been lost in the photos (darned autofocus), I think it looks a lot better in the flesh. This time I've only used Super Sculpey, a mix of roughly 60/40 original and firm both for the armature and top layers.
I took a few iPad pics of progress so far. A lot of the detail has been lost in the photos (darned autofocus), I think it looks a lot better in the flesh. This time I've only used Super Sculpey, a mix of roughly 60/40 original and firm both for the armature and top layers.
Scotty
A Fixture
Excellent work mate, he looks an angry man.
Scotty
A Fixture
Accidents like that I could live with, mine usually end with a scalpel in my hand
Reference pic:
I found it online, anyone know what book it comes from?
I made a start on the shako and collar tonight, and also gave him some hair and sidies. I'll try to get some pics in the morning. I'm very happy with progress so far, a definite feeling of improvement
I found it online, anyone know what book it comes from?
I made a start on the shako and collar tonight, and also gave him some hair and sidies. I'll try to get some pics in the morning. I'm very happy with progress so far, a definite feeling of improvement
