My First bust

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Hy Tony!

Bust sculpting is one of the hardest work. Darkeye is right, and I think too for first work this head is a very good work. (I never made bust ;), but I want too).
I'm looking forward the finished work, as we know you are a very busy man :D

Cheers,
Balázs
 
Thanks Tim & Balazs,

I'm using DAS clay for the main body parts and hat, but I'll use Magic Sculpt for the fine detail work on the uniform.

I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm just making it up as I go along, but I'm having fun, and that's the most important thing.

Cheers
 
not sure about DAS though mate, reckon for faces or anatomy you cant go wrong with Sculpey or Fimo. curious why you chose DAS?

i have found that clays which do not cure are best and less dusty/messy so your wife will be pleased! maybe the next one you could try it and compare.


a good artist friend said you should repeat the same exercise to re-inforce learning. lost count of how many faces or bodies i have done but practice and trying different mediums sure helped.

did you use a build up method? i use the 'in one' method because it reduces 'size creep' and stops the sculpt getting away from you. mostly the only clay i add comes from the volume of the piece itself. its a weird one but works well.

keep going mate its getting there and its cool for a first. definately got potential!
 
Hi Tim,

Thanks once again for your help and your continued encouragement.

Firstly, I chose DAS because it was the only sculpting medium I had at hand. I tend to use it for groundwork, but since I can't buy Magic Sculpt in Perth, I thought it would be OK for the bulky pieces. I've ordered some Magic Sculpt from Quensland and it should arrive in a few days.

I'm not sure what the "build up method" is excatly, could you please explain??? This is only my first attempt, so I haven't had an opportunity to experiment very much.

At my figure modelling club meeting last night, my good mate Chris Walden suggested I try Fimo, as it stays pliable for ever and can be worked on for weeks without drying.

Unfortunately, I have relatives arriving from the UK tonight, and for the next 2 weeks my hobby room will revert to a bedroom. No sculpting for me for a while.

Cheers
 
hey tony,

build up - also called 'Blocking in'; creating something by adding clay to clay and building up to create the shape or design in mind.

'in one' - this one i use alot, imagine an egg or ball of clay , then imagine say a head forming out of it. the basic idea is that all the material necessary to create the head(for example) is already there so no additions tend to be necessary.
i started with 30mm figs so this style of head sculpting is used alot. i should point out that i am no Master, just an enthusiast willing to share so if i can be of any help to you or any other then feel free to ask.

as for sculpey / fimo, your friend is correct. i started with Duro(GRN STUFF) and could do faces fine but when i got my first box of Super Sculpey, i was astounded. you could add a nose and blend it seamlessly. next sculpt try some!!
 
Tim,

I haven't seen Super Sculpey before, but one of mates has told me where I can get some. At the moment I'm a "build up" sculptor, just adding little bits on to gradually create the right volumes and then sanding and filing to create the details.

Once I start using other mediums, I'm sure my technique will change to suit the materials I'm using.

From one sculpting enthusiast to another, sincere thanks for all your help and encouragement.

Cheers
 
no problem! i think my enthusiasm often outweighs my talent!! he, he.

hope its coming along well and look forward to more pics.

way back when, some one directed me to the Clubhouse which blew me away, the foks there are super talented and helpful. i have a thread running at the mo about help with anatomy and stuff and .. none other than Katherine Dewey herself gave me some major info. theres a cool tips and tricks section for us journeymen too.

you are lucky to have a few friends who sculpt , and supportive too by the sound of it so you should progress fast. dont get distracted by 'things' as i do- like 'think i'll just paint that army or model'.. then ... wham! eight months gone.

its true what the guy who helped me with 30mm said; its not possible to sculpt and paint to a top standard, you tend to have to do one or other. Sculpting will take up every inch of RAM in your head....... eventually! :))
 
First pics with Magic Sculpt

Hi guys,

I've been tied up with home renovations,visiting relatives and having to relocate my hobby room to the garage for a couple of months, but I've managed to get my hands on some Magic Sculpt and do a bit more work on my bust of General Sir John Monash.

The grey bits are Magic Sculpt and the white is DAS modelling clay.

I've remodelled the nose, mouth, moustache and upper jaw and changed the profile of the jaw line. I've also removed some of the jowls, to make him look at bit leaner.

This Magic Sculpt stuff is brilliant.

More pics will follow in a few days.

Cheers
 

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Thanks Ian and Dan,

Unfortunately the skin on my hands has reacted very badly to a chemical in the Magic Sculpt, and they are now covered in blotchy red welts, which are quite sore and very itchy. The worst part is that thousands of tiny water blisters have formed under the skin between my fingers and they are driving me crazy. They've also appeared on my face where I must have scratched myself while sculpting last night.

The same type of skin reaction occured to me when I first started to use Milliput over a decade ago and it was that, more than anything else, that put me off sculpting. I had hoped that Magic Sculpt would be different, but sadly that doesn't appear to be the case.

I've resolved to keep sculpting but I'll now be wearing surgical gloves over my hands while I'm mixing the resin and the hardener together. It's a terrible pity because I was having huge fun with the Magic Sculpt until last night, and this morning I can barely make a fist without feeling as if my skin will burst.

Does anyone else suffer from this problem?? If so,how do you deal with it? I'd really like to know.

Cheers
 
Tony,

As I mentioned in our e-mail and as I have said elsewhere in various posts and e-mails, the Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDS* for MagicSculpt, Duro or Elastitite, Milliput, A+B, Apoxie, Pro-Create and other 2 part resin and hardener type air-drying putties** indicate that the putties contain a chemical which is a skin and eye irritant. It is a progressive sensitizer. If you work with the putties without gloves, initially (if you have a normal immune system and no existing skin problems or allergies) you may get no skin reaction at all. But over time, the more you use them, the more likely you are to develop an allergic reaction. If you continue to use them without gloves, in most people, the reaction will only get stronger and more bothersome. There is a wide variation in the reaction to this stuff. Some people may never get a reaction, but most will over time and continued unprotected use.

What can you do to prevent it? Wear thin nitrile or neoprene rubber gloves when handling uncured putty. Wash your hands and face thoroughly with soap and water after each sculpting, sanding, carving session. Why wash your face? The eyes are particularly sensitive to chemical. Be quite careful to keep your hands or gloved hands away from your eyes when handling putty.

The dust created from sanding hardened putty should be minimized and your workroom cleaned up periodically. I also use a fan in my hobby area to keep the air circulating and prevent the build-up of vapors from the resin-hardener chemical reaction.

If the skin reaction continues or worsens, see you doctor and bring the MSDS for the products you are using with you.

*What's a material safety data sheet? - It's a statement provided by the manufacturer of the chemical components of the product and the measures you need to take to use it safely. If you need one, send me an e-mail to dpzpmorton@cox.net and I'll send it to you. I don't think I have all of them mentioned, but I have most.

**The heat-setting 1 part epoxy sculpting materials do not use the same chemical.

No - I'm not a physician. I'm a 30 something year experienced board-certified industrial hygienist with a background in chemistry and working with industrial chemicals. And I still made some really stupid mistakes myself when I first started working with these materials. Duh.

All the best,
Dan
 
i switched from Green to 'Scene!

interesting stuff there Dan; used Greenstuff for about five years, got no reaction but did get fed up with the dust so switched to Polyclay like Fimo/Sculpey. No mixing, no dust, no need to grind it!
best tip i can give is Super Sculpey Firm. you can handle it with out distortion and with minimal finermarks. few days ago, i finished a 1/7 female body. all uncured- just the firmness of the clay, you can ajust, carve or add to the piece then smooth it with a brush and bake.
Highly recommended folks. But any Polyclay is good in my books.


all the best planeteers -- tim.
 
Hi Tony ive been away and only just caught up with this one again,you are progressing well and the work is very clean,i will carry on watching with interest mate.

Steve
 
Thanks Steve,

As you probably read in one of my earlier posts, I've had a severe allergic reaction to the chemcials in Magic Scupt, and my face and hands are covered in red welts and blisters which are very painful and itchy. I wont be doing any more sculpting until the inflamation goes down, and then only in surgical gloves.

By the way,how long have you been working on your Arnhem Para busts? The details on the webbing and parachutes must have taken quite a while to do.

Cheers
 
Hi,Tony.
I guess when you said you'd been infected with the sculpting bug you didn't have such nasty side effects in mind.
Sounds like a very uncomfortable reaction.

When they said sculpting would definately get under your skin they really meant it-Eh?
Sorry,just a couple more!:D

So what did the doctor say when you said I think I got this by handling busts?
Did he suggest you wear gloves next time?

Anyway mate,has this interfered with your preparations for WASMEX08!
 
You're a very funny ******* Mark. Thanks for cheering me up mate.

Thankfully this problem wont interfere with my WASMEX preparations. All my entries are ready to go.

Cheers
 


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