"Is Sculpting Of Helmets Really THAT Challenging?" Topic

Or am I just not cut out to even try?

I have made about a dozen examples for Scifi and Fantasy and, believe me, none are even picture-worthy. So, I keep chucking them.

What is it about sculpting a helmet (any helmet)? Has anyone else found making sculps of helmets to be exceptionally challenging?

Thanks.

CC

What materials are you using?
I find one of the hard epoxy puttys is easier to use ( Milliput or Magic Sculp for instance).
The trick is to get it to roughly the right shape, then sand it to the final shape

Richard,

I've been using GreenStuff, in some cases over plastic pin heads of various sizes.

Sanding might be what I need to do. I guess I keep trying to get it all right from the putty sculpting itself.

Thanks.

CC

sand the hair off and the head down a little before you pop the hat/helmet on. Same goes for sculpting armour. This way you get a much more realistic look.

Helmets are not particularly difficult. They just have their own points of attention which are the same as with armour: symmetry, smoothnes and sharp edges. Making them can be done in any type of putty. And both with or without sanding.

(pressed submit too quick again :/)

Can you make a series of pics of how you make a helmet? Then we can see where to give comments.

Minimaker,

This helmet type is one I've tried over and over again, with very little real success:

picture

I'll try and make another attempt on a few of them this weekend, and take pictures of each step.

CC

Helmets and hats are difficult at first. The shape of the hat or helmet is only part of it. The said item must also look right on the figure. It has to fit the figure. We've all tried on hats that just don't look right on us but look good on someone else. Then sometimes the hat or helmet has to be positioned on our heads in a cool or fashionable way. Alot of attitude can be conveyed in how a hat is worn. For instance the way a Marine DI wears that smokey hat, badass. Practice makes perfect.
Todd

Hmm, it reminds me a little of a flattened German WW1 helmet. :)

I'd start doing the cloth/chainmail first. That shoudl give you some more feeling of what size it should be to look good on the finished figure. Then I'd do the dome part , the front rim (sculpt the general shape, let it cure and use a knife/file to finish it), then the rest. At the end you can add rivets etc.

I know that as soon as I started using clayshapers getting a nice smooth helmet shape with green stuff became much easier

Big Miller Bro,

"Clayshapers"?

CC

link Rubber tiped sculpting tools.

Big Miller Bro & Minimaker,

That is interesting. I have been using pencil erasers for a long time.

CC

yeah I started with shaped erasers and poo poo'd the clayshapers but after getting them I had to admit they are slighlty different as they tend to have a little more 'flex' in them :D

I have to try them then. Thanks.

CC

For me they are pretty much my main sculpting tools (alongside a steel putty pusher I made). Mostly the tapered, angled and straight ended ones in size 0 and size 2.

me too- when I started I spent hours learning how to smooth with the old wax 5. What used to take 30 mins is done in 2 mins now lol. I use the clayshaper to form the masses of putty (if a 3mm ball can b called a mass lol) then my hard tools for getting the detail tighter.

I think that my eyes must be failing. After months of several attempts, I'm still not getting it quite right:

TMP link

CC

Something else that I should have mentioned…

If you are going to do the whole "Original" yourself.

You will want to start with something as symetrical as possible, even if it is not quite the right shape.

Also… QUIT using green stuff.

Switch to a mix ot 1 part milliput or (whatsits name… Something that cures to a MUCH harder consistency that green stuff??? Can't remember the name)… well.. 1 part that, and 1 part green stuff.

The other "Stuff" I am talking about (such as milliput) can be watered down… Literally… This will allow a much smoother surface (but it will be more brittle). which is why you will want to mix it with green stuff (after you have it to the consistency that you want it)…

You will want to find yourself an "Original" of some sort that is a sort of oval/round (like the top of a head), and make a stamp of that. You will LOVE how handy it comes in later for doing other things (I won't go into them now, but a collection of symetrical stamps is a MUST HAVE for any sculptor)…

Then, you can stamp out a few of those, wait for them to "set", and then go about doing your shaping and contouring on them (or with them – with them meaning attaching new putty directly to them, on them meaning to put the new material OVER them)… Then, you will have a new helmet that looks symetrical and is easy to see any flaws or mis-alignments…

I am about to begin a similar process myself with some conversions and molds for some variant poses for the LotR miniature line (I am doing shields for the Haradrim, Putting helmets on many of them, and chainmail on all kinds of things… OH! And, I am doing a different style of helmet for each City of Gondor and Arnor… which will require just this proceedure). If you manage to get the Orc-Helmets finished… when I am done with the Gondorian's and Armorians I will trade you some heads or helmets (I am also doing new bodies for Heavy Haradrim, Haradrim cavalry/Ghulams, and Lighter Gondorian/Armorian Infantry, that don't have all of that plate – only chain or leather. The "Heavy" troops in all of the plate will just be the Househld troops of whatever city it is)…

I need to go to bed now… My cat is trying to pee in the bed anyway…