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Post by DnDPaladin on Mar 25, 2015 5:57:06 GMT
stick to itself, unless its underwater right ?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2015 9:36:04 GMT
Within reason, yes. I tend to just grab whatever two part epoxy putty is available and cost effective, so lately I have been using mainly grey stuff, not green stuff. I do like the smoother consistency of the green stuff, you can get a very fine, sleek finish with some smoothing, and that is most certainly easier to do using water and a smooth, curved tool. Sharper lines, edges and such as easier to create when the putty is a little more set, but feeling when that is, is something only practice can teach you. Remember, green stuff is easy to trim and cut with a crafting blade after it has set, so you can even turn a blob into a fine detail shape if you are good with a knife.
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Post by curufin on Mar 25, 2015 12:03:06 GMT
Thanks everyone for the encouragement! I really appreciate the comments and advice.
I have been mixing the green stuff 50:50. Basically, I just cut a piece off a strip. Although, now that I look at it closer... It looks like the actual strip is more of a 40% blue, 60% yellow. If you guys do different mix rates, what do you do with the left overs? Is it just wasted? After I mix it together, I let it sit for about 20-30min before I work with it.
I started using water (room temp) on my fingers and tools. It helped a little. I then started wetting the green stuff itself. That helped a little more. I just started using petroleum jelly (that's what a lot of tutorials said to use), it doesn't seem to stay on the tools very long. The green stuff still sticks to my tools. And if I get too much on the green stuff, it doesn't allow more green stuff to stick to it.
I have having lots of trouble supporting the work without deforming the backside. Since most of the things I am working on will have visible fronts and backs, getting both sides looking good is a real nightmare. It is really quite difficult to work on things this small.
The sculpey that I am using is Sculpey III, whatever that means. Im actually not sure what the difference is between Sculpey I/II/III and Super Sculpey.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2015 12:45:22 GMT
I've found gray to be more firm than the beige. As far as sculpting miniatures goes I see people make the armature, sort of wrap a small layer of green stuff around the armature in the section you're working on (legs/torso/head/arms), then grab a proportional piece and spread it on top of the green stuff. Then work that section into the way you want and move onto the next the same way. The green stuff acts like a super glue I suppose to the gray stuff. this may help -massive voodoo sculpting tutorial
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Post by michka on Mar 25, 2015 12:54:43 GMT
If you're using the tape style green stuff, you don't have to worry about the mix. I use the kind that comes in a tube, and while it's cheaper by bulk, I never get the same mix, so I might go back to using the tape. The 40% blue/60% yellow sounds like a good mix to me.
I use water on my metal tools (and the chunk of pavement I use for texture), but I also have a set of Clay Shapers from a company called Colour Shaper. (They say Royal Sovereign Ltd UK on the side of the handle if that helps.) They cost around $18 US on Amazon for a set of five tools. These are the Size 0 Black Tip Extra Firm version that I learned about from James Van Schaik's blog "From the Knife's Edge". The remarkable thing about these things is they DO NOT stick to green stuff. These are used primarily for smoothing out the surface of the green stuff, removing finger prints and such. They are expensive, but they are also remarkable.
From what little I've watched on YouTube, Super Sculpey and Super Sculpey Firm are the most resilient of the polymer clays. I think the Sculpey III is more colorful stuff, for making multi-colored projects. I might be wrong about this. I found my favorite and haven't gotten around to experimenting yet. I did use Fimo Classic, both the white and the black. I haven't tried them in a while, but I do remember I didn't like the black Fimo because it got all over your hands and stained everything I touched. I plan to give the white Fimo Classic.
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Post by stroezie on Mar 26, 2015 8:36:06 GMT
If you're having trouble with the greenstuff sticking to your tools use nose oil. I kid you not, just rub the tool gently on your nose a few times. You'd be surprised how many sculpters do this, its like licking your brush when painting minis :-))
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Post by curufin on Mar 26, 2015 11:55:37 GMT
Damn it, noctuary! Now you know I'm going to have to try sculpting a mini way before I'm ready. Sometimes you have to run before you can walk. I think I'll have to find one of those nifty proportion carts. Thanks for the link! michka, I have that very same Colour Shaper set....only mine is just firm, not extra firm. I Just ordered a set of #2 in extra firm from a different company. I think having a range of sizes could be useful. Leave it to me to buy the colorful Sculpey in only white and black. I think I will need to pick up some of the Super or Super Firm Sculpey. The regular stuff is so soft, it is hard to work with. I usually ruin what I have done when I try to peel it off the parchment paper. Though...as I type this, why the hell didn't I just put the parchment paper with the sculpted piece on it in the oven?!? Why don't we have an idiot emoji? :Sigh: stroezie, I will give the nose oil thing a try. Great idea!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 12:36:47 GMT
That's exactly what I did haha. The mutant mini was a first for me and I'd give it a B for a first try. I did not have green stuff so it was extremely difficult for my to keep the clay on the armature as I applied light force with my toothpick scultping tool. Yes I made that mini with just a toothpick. Please tell me if the green stuff makes a difference when you give it a shot!
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Post by michka on Mar 26, 2015 12:43:32 GMT
Quick Note: When I sculpt flat with Super Sculpey, I leave it on Tin-Foil. That way I know it won't have problems in the oven. Also, I've seen people work the flesh colored Super Sculpey with Super Sculpey Firm to get the best of both worlds. It's firmer then the flesh, yet not brittle like the firm. If I ever find the box of firm I bought months ago I'll give it a try.
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Post by curufin on Mar 26, 2015 18:15:50 GMT
Well, I peeled away from work early so I could pick up some Super Sculpey Firm and some Premo Sculpey (supposed to be much more durable when baked). That's cool right? As long as it is for crafting? And HL is 30% off all clay right now. It's a very good time to pick some up.
I think I will try the mix and match to "get the best of both worlds". I may even start a mini tonight.
As far as the green stuff is concerned, I think I need to learn to work in small layers. And not try to sculpt everything in one go. Thanks again for all the help!
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Post by DnDPaladin on Mar 26, 2015 22:42:25 GMT
nose oil... now i can't stop thinking of artist picking their nose with their stuff ! thanks for the picture, ewwww gross !!!
as for the have to run before you walk... sorry but isn't that just saying "i dont care for basics let's shortcut directly to the stuff" shortcuts are rarely good.
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Post by curufin on Mar 28, 2015 9:50:40 GMT
No, I don't think so. It's not really a shortcut, it's more letting inspiration drive you. It's an experiment. It's testing the waters. It's about saying "screw it, I'm going to give it a try". Turn it to 11. Give it hell. What do I have to be afraid of? That I will fail and I wont be able to do it? That the people here will laugh at me for not succeeding? No. This community, this craft, is one of those rare occasions in life where there is absolutely no penalty for failure. So why not bite off more than you can chew? How will you know what you are capable of if you aren't constantly testing your limits? And if I do fail, so what. I gave it try. And I tend to learn more from failures than I do from successes. My dad always says "It's better to aim for the moon and miss, than aim for a pile of crap and make it."
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renel
Paint Manipulator
Posts: 113
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Post by renel on Mar 28, 2015 14:28:14 GMT
Kev, you never cease to amaze me with your talent. GREAT wardrobe! Keep em' comin'.
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Post by DnDPaladin on Mar 28, 2015 22:10:59 GMT
curufin, you dont understand what i mean there... the walk cycle is in the run cycle. so basically by learning how to run first, you are trying to learn two things at the same time. its much better to learn one and then do the other. its like trying to seal your figurines before you even paint them. or better yet, painting your figurines without any base coat which in turn your first paint becmoes the base coat. you jumped above a step just like you climbing the stairs two steps at a time instead of one.
yes it is possible... but its never ideal.
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Post by curufin on Apr 9, 2015 12:52:39 GMT
While work has been kicking my but for the last two weeks, I have not been completely idle. I redid some books (this time is a much more acceptable scale) with some book ends, a couple pair of boots, a skull cap, a wizard's staff, a bear skin rug, a bolt of cloth, two coils of rope (one with a noose), two different styles of brooms, and two straw filled practice dummies (one for melee and one for archery). I'm still struggling with the green stuff, but I am also still enjoying it. If I could get the DeLorean up to 88mph, I'd go tell my 10 year old self to start sculpting. That way I might have the hang of it now...
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Post by belatucadras on Apr 9, 2015 13:05:35 GMT
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that you can boil Super Sculpey to harden it. There are a few action figure customizing sites that turned me on to this.
This can allow you to sculpt minis in Sculpey and heat it several times throughout the sculpting process to set your work. If you don't like waiting for the chromatic stuff to harden, this might be a viable alternative for you.
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Post by michka on Apr 9, 2015 15:57:24 GMT
The boots are great. The new books as terrific. The bolt of clothe is genius. But those practice dummies... A brilliant idea that you nailed on the head! Fantastic!!!
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Post by DnDPaladin on Apr 9, 2015 20:01:27 GMT
nice sculpting. those thing looks amasing !
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Post by curufin on Apr 10, 2015 12:02:28 GMT
Thanks! I really appreciate all the encouragement. Michka, one of the things I love about sculpting is now I can make all the things that I wished the miniature companies would have made. The practice dummies is something you see in movies quite often (Robin Hood: Prince of thieves [archery] and Game of Thrones S01E01 [melee]). It just makes sense to me. Plus, I appear to be making a bizarre or market with all the goods and items I'm making...so when I make the bower stand and the sword merchant's stand I can use the dummies (try it before you buy it sort of thing). Of course, for the market I will need a vendor. I feel like he is a portly fellow in his late 40's, hose, boots, tunic, belt, a fur trimmed cloak....and he will need a hat. Not sure what kind of hat....but possibly one with a feather.... I started watching Tom Mason's tutorials on sculpting a mini.... so I'm jumping off the bridge and the merchant is first! The armature. Layer of green stuff skin. This was MUCH harder to do than the tutorial would have you believe. Layer of super sculpey firm skin. I will be (re)defining muscle groups next.
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Post by michka on Apr 10, 2015 14:23:17 GMT
You're one step ahead of me on making a Tom Mason figure. I got one armature skinned in green stuff, and stopped there. I'm still trying to figure out how you bake the clay without screwing up the green stuff. Does green stuff survive the temperatures needed to bake the clay? I don't know yet. My only complaint about Tom Mason's tutorials is he makes us wait for weeks to learn the next step.
I also can't use the green stuff skinned armature either. I was supposed to add the clay layer before the green stuff dried. Didn't figure that out in time. Now I have to start over with one of the other armatures I made.
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