Color (Clay) Shapers

[simon42]

Hello everyone !
I want to buy few color shapers. I paint mainly large scale figures (75mm and on).
I understand that the grey tapered ones are best suitible for our needs, but what sizes are recommended ?
Are the soft white shapers have any use ?

Simon

 

[Colin_Fraser]

I use grey, black and white shapers and I have collected a large # over many years. They are all useful. For sculpting 75mm's I think you would start with size 2. But consider size 0 for fine detail....I have never seen this size in art stores but got a set in a doll sculpting specialist store. I use size 0 a lot, even on large scale busts. You may also want size 4 for smoothing larger ares.

Re. Colour: black is very firm and grey is almost as firm. White is very soft, like a white eraser. Which you use depends on your style and the material you are using. For example white would be useless on a firm material like Duro. But I have found all colours work fine with sculpey and magic sculpt. Perhaps buy one of each colour to get a feel. I actually use the white shapers a lot when sculpting creases and folds or smoothing areas as their "give" allows you to deal with rounded surfaces easily.

Re shapes: I find the cup round, taper point and angle chisel useful in that order. I rarely use the flat chisel and almost never use the cup chisel. So buying a set rather than individual pieces may be a false economy. If I could only have 5 shapers I would get the cup round and taper point in various sizes before acquiring other shapes.

Here is a good site that shows the selection available. And a size gauge from that same site.

Hope that helps.

Coin

 

[housecarl]

I have these Simon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Shap...&qid=1393333582&sr=8-1&keywords=colour+shaper

 

[Colin_Fraser]

Oh yes .... Make sure you clean then after use as sculpting material left in place will spoil you investment. I give the a quick wipe with sculpey clay softener, an oily product.

Colin

 

[simon42]

Thanks guys.
That's very helpful ..

 

[Colin_Fraser]

I forgot the link in my first post - sorry. Here it is.

http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/CLAYTOOLS/clayshapers.htm

Colin