"Had a go at sculpting, dont laugh! " Topic

It's supposed to be a 6mm viking but it looks like a fat dwarf… Any advice about sculpting in general would be great!

link

I'd say this is a pretty big success.

Don't think of him as a failed viking or a fat dwarf. You've just created a Super Dungeon Explore Travel Edition Dwarven Warrior!

I know you probably weren't going for "adorable" when you set out, but just think how surprised your opponent will be when a baseload of these little fellers clobber their grim looking troopers.

Actually I rather like him :)

Still better than anything I could ever cobble together

Nice work

Excellent first mini. I wonder what you could do in 32mm.

15mm gnome warrior?

it is not a failure – it is an attempt – and those who have never tried can shut up.

(and yes I would keep it to remind you in a few years how much better you have become with practice and experience.)

I find that my painting has steadily gotten worse… so I am kind of glad that I have little of my original figures to remind me how "good" I was.

(my good was pretty dire… my current stuff looks like a four year old painted it with a toothbrush and finger paints)

I put everything that is going to be seen through a figure painting service …

and 6mm – that is impressive for a first try – I would do 15mm or even 28mm for a few times -

Cheers guys! I've never tried green stuff before, could one of you guys perhaps tell me how I make it a smoother finish?

It may not be great but it is 1000% better than anything I could do. Skill comes with experience, so keep at it.

What little bit I've done with conversions – I make sure my sculpting tool is good and wet with water and then run the flat blade portion over it, that usually seems to give it a smoother finish

Post-It notes were a failed attempt at a superglue. I've tried to sculpt various features on figures and it is very difficult. My attempts stick out rather obviously. Don't stop, keep at it and you'll improve.

And the little fellow has character.

Jeff

I've got a friend who is teaching himself to sculpt and I have to say that I have nothing but admiration for folks like him and you! I'm a fair hand with a pencil and pen & ink, but all my attempt at sculpting have been miserable, incomplete failures!

Keep at it! You're off to a great start!

Shawn.

Great first time!

If this is your first attempt, I can't wait to see what you come up with as you progress!

Great first sculpt. Just as a suggestion, Maybe buy some 6 mm samples and try to duplicate. By attempting to match the figs proportions your skill should improve. Only thing I might try to do is flatten the rim on the shield a bit. Otherwise…make more and then paint em up!

Yeah, I'd be pretty happy if this were my first attempt, especially in 6mm.
Now make another one.

I like it! You actually sculpted a figure… that's something to be proud of… & it has plenty of character. The best I've been able to do is re-sculpt the bottom of fatigues on GW IG.

Not bad at all. Keep us informed of your progress.

Dave

You are an inspiration.

There isn't a sculptor alive that's ever totally happy with any of their work, you learn and progress through identifying what is you want to improve next time. I've been sculpting professionally full time for well over a decade now, and I'm still never happy. The day I am totally happy with any of my sculpts will be the day I quit as if I can't see anything to improve there's no point carrying on.

You should however be pleased with that as a first attempt, not only as it is a good first attempt in such a small size, but also be pleased that you did make a first attempt, many just talk about it but never actually try.

I've messed around with greenstuff a bit and it's certainly not easy, especially in the really small scales like 6mm. I'm quite impressed by what you achieved already!

As another reply above suggests, making sure the tool is damp helps get a smooth finish.

Also, I've found that it is easier to 'polish' the finish when the greenstuff is partly cured. Basically, after it is mixed it's workable for an hour (aprox). For the first ten minutes it's really sticky, then twenty to thirty minutes when it is medium consistency, then twenty minutes when it is pretty hard to work with and doesn't stick easily. The last 30 minutes is when it's easiest to smooth down the finish, in my experience.

There's another thing I found helps, too, for getting crisper detail – sculpting in layers. Basically, sculpt the basic form (a 'dolly') and let it cure. Then put on a layer of details and let them cure. Then do some more details and let them cure, until you're done. And with each layer smooth things if that's the finish you're going for. It's probably tempting with tiny figs to try and do the whole thing in one go, it's what I tried! I learned the hard way that trying to sculpt everything in one sitting is much harder because I was wrecking details I'd completed. Better to have a bunch on the go at once so you can work on the next one while the putty is curing. Patience is key!

And practice! Keep on with it!

Thanks guys for the votes of confidence!I've put him in the fridge (much to my wife's confusion) cause I heard that was supposed to help the curing process.

Actually, that leads me to a question: how long should green stuff be cured for? Another thing, if I want to eventually get something casted up, I've heard shrinking is likely, so with that in mind should I be sculpting larger than 6mm to end up with an actually 6mm figure?

Cheers again for the kind remarks! :-)

Putting him in the fridge will slow down the curing process – heat speeds it up, cold slows it down.

Starting sculpting at 6mm is a difficult thing to do; you may find it easier to try a 15mm or 28mm. It'll give you a bit more freedom to play with the putty.

I'd seriously recommend joining the Yahoo group 1ListSculpting
It's not very active these days, but the FAQ .pdf in the Files section has a wealth of knowledge – tools, putties, techniques, it's all there.
As for curing time, 3 hours should see Green Stuff set, but it fully cures after about 24 hours.

cheers
Michael

Heat speeds it up? Oh right, I thought that would melt it! Right, I'll be removing him from the fridge then, haha!

I say that's pretty awesome for a 6mm figure! An awesome first attempt.

I started to learn how to sculpt about a year and a bit ago with no prior experience. You just gotta keep at it. The more you practice the better you will become :)

Well done, sir! Keep practicing and learning!

Be careful with heat though – the putty will soften a touch when warmed, and unsupported parts (ie bits with no armature in them) can sag. Also, too much heat can blister and burn the putty.

No-one ever got better without practice. A fine first effort and now you can begin to hone your obvious talent.

Yes, adorable. I need 20 for my D&D game.

Brilliant…much better than I could do

I am now waiting for the rest of the Noggin the Nog range to appear

I looked at it and said "It's definitely a dark age figure" so you must have done something right. I'd say it is a very good first attempt. I think you could do well at this.

"It's supposed to be a 6mm viking but it looks like a fat dwarf"

Neither, actually. It is a copy of one of the Lewis chessmen. link

I once heard that a gentleman who is now sculpting professionally started out by buying Reaper's Werner Klocke figures and doing his best to copy them, learning in the process. Certainly a case of learning from one of the best!

Anyway, you're off to a good start.

Grelber

There's a saying when you run a marathon. You may finish last but you are still ahead of all those who didn't run.