Sculpting with wax

[Rich Sculpts]

Looking to change the medium I sculpt in - I'm a big fan of Tony Cipriano's work and would be very interested in the wax that he uses to sculpt the final version of his figures. Does anyone know what he product he uses?

If you have success in any other wax mediums could you please share your experiences?

My interest is in relief sculpting (see my work here). Would wax be a good medium for this type of work?

Many thanks for any advice you can give me...

-Rich

 

[Wings5797]

Hi Rich,
I cannot offer much help in your quest but just had to say that your work is brilliant.
I do know that David Grieve used wax for some of his round figures and I think that it was the hard wax used by jewlers.
Cheers
Keith

 

[Wings5797]

Hi Rich,
You may find this of some use;
http://www.sculpture.net/community/showthread.php?t=10907
Good luck,
Keith

 

[Rich Sculpts]

Many thanks Keith and thank you again for taking time out to see my work.

I'm getting to the point now where the modelling clays that I am using simply just don't allow me the freedom to develop my work further. Seeing how others on this forum create incredible sculpts with epoxy putties and thermoplastic clays is astounding (I am humbled by their skills). But sadly it is now for me and I need something that is a little more immediate in the way its cures (also something that can be corrected instantly - if and when needed), I feel that wax may be the solution I desire.

-Rich

 

[Diegoff]

I'm not a big expert, but the wax seems a difficult medim to me. You have to use heat to work with it and sometimes even melt the wax in order to get some details.
I'm tempted to try some polymeric clay. It seems easy to handle, you have all the time that you need to work, etc.

 

[valiant]

Rich - Ive tried using wax, but, as Diegoff says, you need heat. Either you use heated tools (pricey!) or you keep a reservoir of wax in a pot on a low heat next to you. (Its messy too!!)
If you want something more instant and easily corrected/altered, you could try Plasticine (or its many derivatives). You can't really cure it, but you can stick it in the fridge before moulding to make sure it doesnt get marked. It is great for bas-relief, or flat items.
Hope this helps,

Steve

 

[Dan Morton]

For help with other sculpting media, check this site.
http://www.sculpt.com/

All the best,
Dan

 

[Mizog]

Many years ago (yawn!) I used to use a modeling wax called Plastilene (note not Plasticene !) when I worked for a company making look-a-like cast figures, purely because they preferred it for mold making. It comes in various levels of hardness and is great to work with. However, I now prefer polymer clay as I have control as to when I want it to cure !

 

[garyhiggins]

hello rich, I started out using a mixture of modelling wax and beeswax (not plasticiene, that has a tendency to stick to moulding rubber). I used it to model relief figures,and if I ever figure out how to put photos on this thing I,ll show some. Although I now use magic sculpt for my multi part round figures,Istill tend to rate all materials by how they compare to wax. Start with a basic 50/50 mix and modify by adding more or less beeswax. What do you intend to cast your figures in, and how do you want to develop your work,because there are some really interesting ways you can go? Best wishes Garyhiggins

 

[garyhiggins]

PS Any help I can give just get in touch

 

[bed172]

I've done some sculpting with castilene wax. It comes in three hardnesses. I just warm it up in a toaster oven to start with and keep a piece in my hand as I work. It stays soft enough to use easily. I also have a wax pen that I don't use that much. Loop and ribbon tools work well with this medium too.

 

[Rich Sculpts]

hello rich, I started out using a mixture of modelling wax and beeswax (not plasticiene, that has a tendency to stick to moulding rubber). I used it to model relief figures,and if I ever figure out how to put photos on this thing I,ll show some. Although I now use magic sculpt for my multi part round figures,Istill tend to rate all materials by how they compare to wax. Start with a basic 50/50 mix and modify by adding more or less beeswax. What do you intend to cast your figures in, and how do you want to develop your work,because there are some really interesting ways you can go? Best wishes Garyhiggins

Many thanks Gary, that is something that I will try out. For the meantime I have experimented modifying the Sculpy that I have been using up to now with very pleasing results. Found that if I mixed regular Super Sculpy with Sculpy Firm 50/50, it gives me the texture (and colour) that I was after. I also discovered that by adding a small amount of petroleum jelly to that mix that it reduces the amount of drag that I was experiencing when smoothing out. For finer results (because the mix is soft) I put the sculpt in the fridge to firm it up for that I can define crisp detail. This only lasts until it gets back up to room temperature, but having two projects on the go at one time means I am not hanging around to continue working.

Would love to see your relief figures (that is very much my area of interest).

-Rich

 

[Comic-Club]

Hi,
as a newby here on the site here my 2 cents.
Wax seems to be a great sculpting medium,
BUT
I as a producer of Garage Kits do NOT like it so much.
The reason.
I have sculptors working for me around the World (Thanks to internet)
When sculpted in Wax, I never get the original sculpt.
I always get a first cast in a different medium.
Because wax dont will survive the transport.
If to warm, in summer, parts will be melted and I got a piece of wax :-(
In Winter, there are a lot of cracks everywhere.
So the only possibility is that the artist is doing a copy himself, and send the copy to me.
He can reuse the wax for other sculptures.
But for only one copy, he has to make a silicon mold and of course this will be in the fees.

As I told before.
Just my 2 cents

 

[garyhiggins]

Hello Rich, now that you are getting results you are happy with , (IMO) stick with super sculpy and enjoy learning what you can do with it. For instance, you can use vaseline to smooth it out with a brush, you can bake it then by using vaseline as a slip, you can add more then bake then add more and so on.
Regarding relief modelling tecniques, one I used was to sculpt my figure, make the first half of the mould, then melt wax into that half, then i would cut out a piece of plastic card about 2mm thick of the outline of the figure but about 1/4 inch smaller all round, place that outline on the soft wax and fill the angle from the edge of image to the edge of card with wax. Then make the back of the mould. That way you bring the figure away from the background. Just an idea.
Best wishes Gary.

 

[zodiac]

Alec tiranti sold a 'French wax' which is superb to work with, beige coloured hard and soft when required and smooths off perfectly with white spirit or rubbing alcohol. You can get some truly amazing results. It is worth taking the trouble casting from too for masters, by far the best sculpting medium I've ever used. Highly recommended.

 

[socko47]

Rich,
The jewelry and dental lab business use wax to fabricate jewelry and dental inlays and crowns via a lost wax technique. Supply houses for both offer various waxes in various hardness and shapes,especially for jewelry. The different waxes let you carve or polish the surface with different levels of ease. They generally come in different colors to identify the hardness. Technicians do blend waxes together to achieve preferred properties to their personal taste. There are various ways of melting wax to be able to build contours. There are touch burners, that use butane and are portable and light when you touch a pad with the side of your hand while holding the wax spatula over the flame area rather than working over a Bunsen burner or alcohol lamp. There are also small pots that keep a quantity of wax melted to allow pickup with a spatula. Check out jewelry supply catalogs as dental catalogs maybe harder to order from unless your friends with a dental lab or dentist. Maybe checking out a dental lab could be a way to go for help exploring equipment and techniques.

 

[carl reid]

I have sculpted in wax many, many over the years, and still do from time to time.
It takes a while to get used to it, but it is a great medium for large studies. It can only used as a master that is being moulded.
If you keep a block under an angle poise lamp it will keep it soft enough to work. Also hold a piece in the palm of the hand, this also keep a piece workable and ready to use.

If you can get used to using it, its a great medium that hold detail very well. It also enables you to alter a piece if your not totally happy with the posture etc, by bending the armature without cutting the piece up.

Carl