My First Try at Sculpting (1/9 bust)

[kaz6120]

hi all sculptors,

I've just started sculpting recently, and here's my first try in my life.



I haven't decided which era to choose, but I'm thinking I would make this figure into a LRDG crew in WW2 or WW1 aviators or WW1 poilu / other countries soldiers. I'm not sure yet.

I'm completely a beginner at sculpting so If you guys have some advices or ideas to make this figure better, please give me a comment.

 

[TWOMOONS]

Nice job!
Could definitely use a front view besides the 3/4 and complete profile. The features look fine; possibly his jaw is a wee bit too large for an overall head that size...it seems to overwhelm the head somewhat...or you could increase the size of the skull perhaps and it may look better proportionately.
If you chose a helmetted subject, then it could be adjusted with the helmet , rather than increasing the skull first.
Excellent.

 

[amcairns]

Hi Kazufumi,
Your off to a great start being your first sculpt.He has some strong features such as chin and the nose.Once the head is sculpted and your happy with it,the rest usually falls into place depending on the level of detail you want to add to the bust.Look forward to his completion.
Andy

 

[kaz6120]

Thank you very much for your comments, Phil, Andy.

Could definitely use a front view besides the 3/4 and complete profile. The features look fine; possibly his jaw is a wee bit too large for an overall head that size...it seems to overwhelm the head somewhat

Ok, I will post a front and other views next time. and...Thanx for your advice on the head and jaw size. I feel it too now. I will shape jaw a little bit smaller and add some volume to the skull too.

Once the head is sculpted and your happy with it,the rest usually falls into place depending on the level of detail you want to add to the bust.

Thanks for your advice, Andy, and I always like your sculpting works and styles so I'm really glad I got a advice from the sculptor I admire.

I started sculpting this figure to make it a WWI aviator, but he doesn't have an "Air guy face" but he got a "Land(Warrior) guy face", I think...(laugh) Sculpting character is really difficult.

 

[gordy]

Very cool Kaz!

Looks great so far, I'd recommend the same from the gents above, and add maybe bring forward the cheekbone starting from under the eye -

On the same hand, there are people who do look like that and it is amazing, when studying peoples faces in public, tv, etc, how much variance there is in human faces.

If we all sculpt our faces with the same ideal perfect proportions all of our heads from each sculptor would look like brothers!

And thank you, THANK YOU for not perpetuating the "Broken A" around the nose! Levator Labii, that dreadful sausage of putty on each side of the nostril emanating from the inner eyes to each corner of the mouth that painters over emphasize!

 

[TWOMOONS]

Very cool Kaz!

Looks great so far, I'd recommend the same from the gents above, and add maybe bring forward the cheekbone starting from under the eye -

On the same hand, there are people who do look like that and it is amazing, when studying peoples faces in public, tv, etc, how much variance there is in human faces.

If we all sculpt our faces with the same ideal perfect proportions all of our heads from each sculptor would look like brothers!

And thank you, THANK YOU for not perpetuating the "Broken A" around the nose! Levator Labii, that dreadful sausage of putty on each side of the nostril emanating from the inner eyes to each corner of the mouth that painters over emphasize!

Interesting observation, Gordy...I agree--it seems to be a "see how I can blend my facial tones so well" part of a figure.
I think with younger subjects it should be toned way down, both sculpturally and while painting...perhaps missing completely; but it does show up overemphasized again and again.
I never do them with female subjects, ever. I would if I was doing an old woman though.
Age I think, should dictate to what degree these are shown...if you notice in films, the makup artists, when trying age an actor, always go whole hog on the labii.
I think sculptors use them for the "haggard" look , too. Like a German trooper on the Russian front.And painters, too.

 

[1969]

For your first efforts Kazufumi this is very good and could develop into something very nice with a bit more work. As for faces i guarantee if you took your face as it is and travelled the world you will find the exact face to match this one so being wrong or right with facial features is a personal choice. Obviously for commercial figures the public have an expectation to a degree of how the generic face should look.

What putty are you using, Magicsculp ? If so then you should be able to get smoother results if you use a damp new paintbrush to smooth the wet putty while sculpting, this will save a lot of remedial smoothing when hardened.

Keep at it though and i will look forward to seeing this one develop.

Steve

 

[Martin Antonenko]

For your first efforts Kazufumi this is very good and could develop into something very nice with a bit more work.

I agree!

Regards

 

[kaz6120]

Thank you guys, very helpful comments.

Gordy, thanks for your encouraging comment and yes i will add little bit more fix on cheek bone stuff. I didnt know what "broken A" was so it took a little time to understand but now i think i understand.
reason why I didn't add it is because I want to make it skinny hungry face not so much fat on his face.

Phil, yes I agree Gordy gave an interesting observation.

Steve, thanks for your comment. The putty I used here is "Cemedain Quick Putty for Metal" which is common putty in Japan. It dries in 10 minutes and becomes really hard. so I found it is good to build the basic shape quickly but it's hard to make it smooth surface. I ordered Magicsculp so I will use it for the farther surface works. Thanks for the info.

Martin, thanks for your comment!

 

[kaz6120]

Progress Images Part 2

OK, here's the second post.

Shaped cheek bones and jaw and changed chin and jaw shape (made it smaller), and a little bit smaller eyes.

 

[T50]

Very nice work!
I think the dome of the head can have more volume.
The head might be a little too narrow...

Keep going!

 

[gordy]

Improving nicely!

 

[Renéduret]

Very nice!

even looks a bit like Robbie Williams.

Go on!

René

 

[kaz6120]

Progress Images Part 3

Thanks for comments, guys.

Taesung, Thank you for the advice. In real view the head looks big enough but in camera it looks smaller or face looks bigger. I don't know why. but anyway, I added a little bit of volume to the sides of the head.

Gordy, Thanks!

René, I didn't know who Robbie Williams was so I looked up on the web... and yes...hmm...maybe....

---

I started this figure to make it into LRDG crew or WWI aviator, but there are already many great sculpts on these themes out there, so I decided to make it into something different.

I picked up two choices. 1) WW2 British Navy, 2) WW1 or pre-WW1 French Navy Gunner.

French Marine Uniforms in Early 1900s are very fashionable and interesting looking so I'm thinking to choose WW1 French Navy.

here is the current tentative build.

 

[Renéduret]

Kazufumi,

looks very Cool!

Rene

 

[pokrad]

It looks very nice, especially with the beard on

 

[kaz6120]

Progress Images Part 4

Thanks Rene, Darko,

Here's today's progress. I added pom-pom on top of the sailor cap, strings around the cap, and base-court putty on pipe.



and...here's the image I was inspired by.



This is from "20 Amazing Color Images of the First World War"
(http://listverse.com/2008/11/10/20-amazing-color-images-of-the-first-world-war/)

 

[TWOMOONS]

Way cool kaz...looking good.

 

[T50]

Looking great!!!

 

[gordy]

You sure this is your first!? Looking great!