WIP Critique New Year Resolution - Learn to Sculpt

[Eludia]

Hey folks,

The title of the thread pretty much sums it up - my challenge for 2016 is to learn how to sculpt. More specifically, I'll be trying to learn how to sculpt 1/12 scale busts. After much bumbling through the various facets and scales of our great hobby over the last couple of years, I've had the most fun painting Stormtroopers V12 series busts (now sadly discontinued, although some are still about) so I decided that I'd learn how to make my own stuff.

To encourage myself to get my finger out, and not to find excuses to back out, I've decided to go public with my journey and to air all my failures along the way so apologies in advance if you're easily offended by shoddy work.

So, erm, watch this space if you're really really bored and want to have a laugh at my expense. Or, even better, maybe you can tell me to stop being a t**t and show me how it should be done

 

[billyturnip]

I'm not easily offended and like a laugh so I'll be following.
Seriously though I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on Billy and wish you the best of luck. I have the utmost respect for anyone who can sculpt and even more respect for a first timer giving it a go.

 

[Eludia]

Cheers Roger.

To be fair, I've had all the kit for ages (probably too much kit if I'm honest with myself) and I've dabbled a little bit with the clay but nothing serious. I made some tools after reading a book which showed me how to and I've bought a couple of sculptor's anatomy books for my Kindle (which are excellent btw (the books that is, the kindle's ok I s'pose ). I've even got some anatomy charts that I've managed to adjust to the correct scale so I've got something to copy. So I've got all the gear, just no idea*

*I have a rough idea of what I want to achieve, and an even rougher idea how to get there. I just need to work on the specifics

 

[Scotty]

I've printed off an anatomy diagram and laminated it so I can work right on it. It works for me, good luck, I look forward to seeing your work. Everyday is a school day.
Scotty.

 

[Eludia]

Phase 1: The Armature

I intend to use compressed aluminium foil as the main material with some form of strong but bendy metal for the neck and also some strong (and a bit less bendy) metal for reinforcing the torso.

These are the options I have to hand for now:

1. Some thin gauge wire, of which I have a more or less limitless (and free) supply. This isn't so good in single strands as it is only about 0.3mm and like wet spaghetti. However, I can add a bit of strength to it by twisting strands together using my (patented) electric drill and hook on the wall method.
2. Heavier gauge wire. This is almost as thick and stiff as the wire coathangers that were used as TV aerials throughout the land in the 70s and 80s. It certainly has the strength but it can be emotional to work with. This too is free and I thought I had a plentiful supply but could only find a single twisted length about 2ft long tonight (I'll need to have a word with my dealer )
3. Brass tubes and rods. This isn't free but it certainly has the strength and is a bit easier to bend than the "coathanger" wire. By sheer chance, the sizes I have also telescope inside each other perfectly so I could maybe model the head and torso seperately and marry them up later. I'm thinking that this would allow me to twist the head to adjust the pose (at least horizontally side to side).

Your thoughts and input would be much appreciated

 

[Eludia]

Onwards and upwards

I have my Apollo and Aphrodite:



I'll be concentrating on Apollo for now (he's quite the beefcake )



I made an armature from tin foil and wire. I went for the thick coat-hanger wire for this first attempt, I might try the brass rod next time (the thin wire was a non starter as it was just too bendy).





I then spent an hour or so building up the torso with a 50/50 mix of Super Sculpey Firm and Original (I read somewhere that this was a Good Thing (tm), don't ask me why )







I think I'm getting there with the general shapes, volumes and proportions. I'll do a bit more tidying up tomorrow as I'm on leave for the rest of this week

My aim tonight was just to get the armature done but I got carried away and completely lost track of time, before I knew it I'd been at the bench for over 3 hours without a break. I've not zoned out like that for a long time, there may be something in this sculpting malarkey

Thanks again for tuning in, comments and critique are always welcome

 

[captfue]

Great start look forward to seeing more of your work...

 

[Eludia]

Thanks Anthony

 

[Range Rat]

Wish you all the best, tried it once

 

[Rich Sculpts]

Hi Billy, good to see you are taking up the challenge!

When you come to sculpting the head try using some facial planes reference material, it can be a great help in setting the features correctly. Plenty of free stuff to be found on Google and Pinterest.

-Rich

 

[DaddyO]

If you do decide to go for the brass you heating it up and then plunging it into water will make it easier to bend smoothly

Paul

 

[MCPWilk]

Looking good so far - good luck to you.

Mike

 

[Eludia]

Hi Billy, good to see you are taking up the challenge!

When you come to sculpting the head try using some facial planes reference material, it can be a great help in setting the features correctly. Plenty of free stuff to be found on Google and Pinterest.

View attachment 226018

-Rich

Thanks Rich, I'm using this fantastic book as my main reference, as well as the charts of course:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anatomy-Scu...2075836&sr=1-1&keywords=anatomy+for+sculptors

The illustrations, photos and descriptions are amazing. I managed to find the bits of the book I needed (head, neck and torso) as individual Kindle downloads a while back but they seem to have been withdrawn now as I can't find them. The whole book is expensive, especially if you buy a hard copy, but I do think its worth the investment.

 

[Eludia]

If you do decide to go for the brass you heating it up and then plunging it into water will make it easier to bend smoothly

Paul

Thanks Paul, I'll try to remember that when I get to that point

 

[Eludia]

Wish you all the best, tried it once

Looking good so far - good luck to you.

Mike

Thanks for your support guys

 

[Eludia]

I started to rework and refine the chest area this morning and came across my first dilemma; "How do I make a nipple?"

So, in true Army fashion, I improvised, adapted and overcame. After a little bit of thought, I decided to make a "nipple tool". I cut off the tapered end of a cocktail stick and drilled out the centre of the flat end. Here are some pics of my Tool Nipple Forming, Mk 1, and also the results:

 

[pokrad]

From my experience, forget the nipples and details until all the volumes and planes are set correctly.
It's like using old camera: you point the camera, and the object is blurry, but the main contours and volumes are there. Then you focus a bit more, you see some details but not all of them. You do multiple passes until the object becomes "sharp".
I do sometimes make "points" for nipples, ears etc. but only to mark its position - using divider so I get basic symmetry.
Otherwise you might for example spend an hour by making the eye, only to discover the position and size of the eye is completely wrong (and I repeated that mistake many times until I learned a different way).
At least this process is working for me

Good luck

 

[bogusman53]

Very nice start, I'm afraid my skills are limited to minor conversions such as sweatrag/towel on one of my Vietnam 1/9th busts and figures and my conversion of Youngs LRDG bust to a Royal Navy crewman with duffle coat and helmet instead of Cap comforter. Oh, and painting busts and figures.

 

[Eludia]

From my experience, forget the nipples and details until all the volumes and planes are set correctly.
It's like using old camera: you point the camera, and the object is blurry, but the main contours and volumes are there. Then you focus a bit more, you see some details but not all of them. You do multiple passes until the object becomes "sharp".
I do sometimes make "points" for nipples, ears etc. but only to mark its position - using divider so I get basic symmetry.
Otherwise you might for example spend an hour by making the eye, only to discover the position and size of the eye is completely wrong (and I repeated that mistake many times until I learned a different way).
At least this process is working for me

Good luck

Thanks for the advice Darko, I especially appreciate it coming from an accomplished sculptor like yourself

 

[Eludia]

Very nice start, I'm afraid my skills are limited to minor conversions such as sweatrag/towel on one of my Vietnam 1/9th busts and figures and my conversion of Youngs LRDG bust to a Royal Navy crewman with duffle coat and helmet instead of Cap comforter. Oh, and painting busts and figures.

Thanks Ian

I wouldn't underestimate your conversion skills, my use of putty up till now has been limited to filling gaps or replacing bits that I'd inadvertently sanded/cut/knocked off or otherwise destroyed in my usual ham-fisted approach to modelling.