I get asked a lot about how many tools for sculpting I would recommend, as with a lot of things in this hobby there is no right or wrong answer just what you yourself find comfortable.
In the above picture you will see I have a Tiranti SG sculpting tool, a couple of different shape scalpels, a compass, and some readily available texture materials.
The Sg does the bulk of the work with shaping detailing, the scalpels are for more detailed details, such as sculpting eyes adding fine lines. The compass is for making round indentations and also useful on some short hair sculpting. The textures are very useful for adding all those extra little details, things like skin detail and membranes.
Another useful piece to have is plastic packaging with interesting shapes, curves are very useful as a former while you sculpt on top ( if your glue has a plastic covering this is a great shape ), also acetate sheets which you can sculpt on top and then bend to the desired shape.
As Greg asked to know more I'm going to post the stages on the plane as I get them done rather than one article as I may forget in the mean time !
STEP 1
First I made a side elevation piece of plasticard, then made a plan at the widest point of the plane and glued it to the elevation at the widest point. you will notice I made a cut out in the bottom for the bottom set of wings to sit in.
STEP 2
Next I cut two pieces of 1 mm thick plasticard for the bottom wings and glued the two pieces together, you could cut a single piece of 2 mm thick instead but I find it a lot easier to use the 1 mm and stick them.
Once dry, they were sanded to shape, rounded off at the front and tapered off at the rear, once this was done they were stuck to the bottom of the former.
Once they had set hard, I mixed up a large lump of Milliput ( remembering to use rubber gloves), this was added to the former making sure to only go as wide as the former and add curves where needed.
Once this is dry I took a sanding wheel on my Dremel and ground off any high spots and continued to work the shapes.
You will notice the areas of green added in and this will be explained in the next instalment, hope you found this informative, until next time have fun !
Cheers Dave
In the above picture you will see I have a Tiranti SG sculpting tool, a couple of different shape scalpels, a compass, and some readily available texture materials.
The Sg does the bulk of the work with shaping detailing, the scalpels are for more detailed details, such as sculpting eyes adding fine lines. The compass is for making round indentations and also useful on some short hair sculpting. The textures are very useful for adding all those extra little details, things like skin detail and membranes.
Another useful piece to have is plastic packaging with interesting shapes, curves are very useful as a former while you sculpt on top ( if your glue has a plastic covering this is a great shape ), also acetate sheets which you can sculpt on top and then bend to the desired shape.
As Greg asked to know more I'm going to post the stages on the plane as I get them done rather than one article as I may forget in the mean time !
STEP 1
First I made a side elevation piece of plasticard, then made a plan at the widest point of the plane and glued it to the elevation at the widest point. you will notice I made a cut out in the bottom for the bottom set of wings to sit in.
STEP 2
Next I cut two pieces of 1 mm thick plasticard for the bottom wings and glued the two pieces together, you could cut a single piece of 2 mm thick instead but I find it a lot easier to use the 1 mm and stick them.
Once dry, they were sanded to shape, rounded off at the front and tapered off at the rear, once this was done they were stuck to the bottom of the former.
Once they had set hard, I mixed up a large lump of Milliput ( remembering to use rubber gloves), this was added to the former making sure to only go as wide as the former and add curves where needed.
Once this is dry I took a sanding wheel on my Dremel and ground off any high spots and continued to work the shapes.
You will notice the areas of green added in and this will be explained in the next instalment, hope you found this informative, until next time have fun !
Cheers Dave
Looking forward to further installments of this aspect of your creative process as they appear.
Will hopefully have another instalment soon
https://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/2016/06/18/thats-all-i-ever-wanted-to-be-a-hero/
Cheers Roger.
Sculpting like painting is a very personal activity and what works for one person won't work for someone else, but we should never stop trying new things, it's how we grow as hobbyists and improve.
Thank's for highlighting your blog will have a read through, and can see you like a variety of tools
I'm going to buy myself one of those clay shaper tools, Roger mentioned, to see if it will help.
Do you use any sort of substance as a lubricating agent? I've been using plain tap water, but this last time it looks to have left a white powdery finish in places on my sculpt. I'm sure I've seen some sculptors using vaseline or lipsil for the purpose.
No rush for a reply - post-Salute will do
I'll keep in mind your offer about the demo. The problem is the distance between us, really. Unless a few of us friendly bloggers came together to show and play for a day, the travelling for you (or me, etc) would make it non-viable in my opinion. Oh, I've been known to spit on the WIP sculpts on occasion - though never in disgust, just to lubricate :) [During my youth, I have thrown a WIP painted figure across the room, however. It was going badly!]
Do like the sound of a bloggers day meet up and workshop