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| Revision Log | |
| 20 October 2000 | page first published |
1,670 hits since 20 Oct 2000
©1994-2024 Bill Armintrout
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Once the putty had hardened, I began to work it with a very sharp modelling knife. First, I trimmed the edges of the carapace to give a clean, sharp rim. Then I kind of 'whittled away,' slowly reducing the bulk of the carapace until it looked more like armour plating rather than a blob of play-dough.
This technique involves taking tiny shavings off the putty to produce the rounded shapes. However, as you work you create a kind of facetted appearance. This can actually work as a texture in its own right, but for this model I wanted a hard smooth finish. Turning the blade on its edge, I scraped the edges of the facets until the surface was smooth. I also used fine abrasive paper to round off certain areas.
Leaving the putty to harden over night was a good thing because it needs to be properly hardened for this technique. Obviously most people work with Greenstuff (that's the modelling putty) while it is still soft and malleable. However, learning to work with it once it has set is very useful, and will provide you with a whole range of new finishes and applications. You can sand it, carve it, and cut it to get very fine detail and clean, sharp edges. The key is to make sure the putty is properly hard, and to use a very sharp knife. (But remember to take great care, because this is a prime opportunity for the blade to slip and injure you!) It also helps to work in a room that isn't too warm, as the putty will soften slightly in a warm room. If the putty isn't properly hard, or the knife is a little blunt, then the surface will drag when you scrape the knife across it, leaving a rough surface.
This process is very time consuming and some people might consider it a waste of time, preferring to settle for the finish attained by moulding the putty while it is still wet. For myself, I think that producing distinct textures significantly improves a model, especially when it is a 'naturalistic' creature like the Hydra that does not have armour and clothes to vary the texture.
looks at some new terrain products, which use space age technology!
