Home Forums General General An attempt at 15mm sculpting

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  • #65347
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    So….  I am having a go at a simple 15mm sculpt for my fantasy range.
    Is there any interest in me WIP’ing it?

    Certainly not as a master class or even a how to, but more of a ‘OMG this is all very scary and exciting and scary at the same time’, sort of topic!
    It will almost certainly end with a ‘blimey that was a lot of learning and hard work for a meh figure’, but at least it may have some entertainment value?

    #65348
    Avatar photoVictoria Dickson
    Participant

    Please please please. 🙂

    #65349
    Avatar photoGeneral Slade
    Participant

    I’m definitely interested in seeing how it is done.

    #65350
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    I’m definitely interested in seeing how it is done.

    noooo, I have no idea how it is done!!  😀
    But I can share how I did it (badly and wrongly!)

    If nothing else it may just go to show how tricky it is and why sculptors are special.

    #65352
    Avatar photoGeneral Slade
    Participant

    Fair enough.  I’m interested to see how it is done badly and wrongly (and I’ll still be impressed that you are doing it at all).  I had one attempt at sculpting a figure when I was a kid.  I melted down some old figures to make a block of metal and then I hacked away at that for a while.  It wasn’t a great success.

    #65353
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    ha ha, I have done a few 6mm but mistakes were made and lessons learned.

    One thing I have accepted is that my style, if I have any, is making the sculpts detail subtle and slight.

    This worked badly on 6mm, as by the time the original had been through two moulds, what was very fine detail on the master, was on a cast figure almost invisible.
    15mm will hopefully stop this from happening and being about three times the size these days, be much less fiddly…

     

     

    #65357
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    Yes please.

    I have sculpted a few 28mm figures – some absolutely ‘orrible even by my standards and a few – well okay for what I was aiming for.

    I have done a 15mm figure – I am amazed anyone can get detail on these without them turning into 30mm!

    So I am very keen to see how it can be done (badly and wrongly or not!) by someone else.

    Thanks!

    #65360
    Avatar photokyoteblue
    Participant

    Yes, please.

    #65361
    Avatar photoIvan Sorensen
    Participant

    Another interested party for sure

    #65362
    Avatar photoGone Fishing
    Participant

    You’re being very coy, AB.  Count me as another that would love to see it.

    #65363
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    So when I started Angel Barracks I got others to sculpt my people and I did the buildings and a few vehicles myself.
    I did a few 6mm people and they made it into production but for the most part my sculpting method created details that did not translate well into a finished cast model, so others do my 6mm people for me.

    I recently got into 15mm and again do the buildings myself and have got a few greens done by sculptor types.
    But the cost difference is notable and I have to pay the rent so need a cheaper solution.

    So, I am going to teach myself to sculpt.
    Many years back I had a go at my first 6mm, and made a n00b mistake.
    I tried to make the figure in one sitting rather than in stages.

    Having said that I concluded that somewhere inside of my headbox is a modicum of talent that with a lot of practice could one day turn into a marketable skill.

    Here is Badlands Bob, my first ever sculpt; in 6mm:

    Now, proper sculptors make armatures and all that but I want to see if I can work the material in a way that is pleasing, so rather than make dollies I purchased some from Alternative Armies.

    Here is the one I selected to try on:

    So I superglued it to the holding device and started applying green stuff, completely forgetting my need to stick the arms on first!!
    Once this first rough layer is done I will go back and insert some jewellery wire into the dolly for the arms.

    I am understanding that you work in layers so I mixed up some GS and rolled it into thinish strips and applied them over the model, a bit like draping a cloth.
    Then after a while as it starts to be less sticky and more workable pushed it around into a rough shape to what we have here, blending the separate cloth draped bits into one bigger piece.

    I have a rough idea what I want it to look like and am doing it all from my head.
    I am sure I would be better if I looked at robes to see how they actually hang off people, but for now I am just experimenting with using GS.

    So that is where I am at the moment, more tomorrow once it has gone hard a bit.

     

     

    #65372
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    quickly added some rough arms, may add a bit more GS around them before bed…

     

    #65378
    Avatar photoVictoria Dickson
    Participant

    Those Alternative Armies dollies look useful, I feel an order coming on. 🙂

    #65433
    Avatar photoRob young
    Participant

    I have a great deal of respect for people who can sculpt – I restrict myself to conversions!

    Rob Young

    #65437
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    So last night after sticking the arms on I added some rough bulk to them and started on the head:

    #65438
    Avatar photoVictoria Dickson
    Participant

    What tools are you using?

    #65439
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    There is a home made one, one is a craft knife with the blade removed and a sewing needle inserted..

    #65441
    Avatar photoVictoria Dickson
    Participant

    Thanks. 🙂

    You’re getting me inspired to try making a realistic figure for a change.

    #65468
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    Your 6mm figure seems to have more detail than my 15mm figure so I’m going to go and hide.

    Enjoying watching your 15mm fig take shape.

    #65469
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Did a bit more, as with my painting it looks better actual size rather than zoomed in!!

     

     

     

    #65473
    Avatar photoDarkest Star Games
    Participant

    That is looking very good!

    If you are thinking of production, make sure the facial features are a bit exaggerated or as you’ve discovered they’ll vanish when molded.  I’ve seen more than a few figures like that, even scifi ones from PF (he uses very shallow detail that looks great in greens, then disappears when cast).

     

    Is that fir trim going down the front?  Whatever it is it looks very good.

    "I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

    #66144
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Bit of work, maybe after 5 or so sculpts I can knock one out that is ok to cast

     

    #66176
    Avatar photoIvan Sorensen
    Participant

    Getting a bit of star wars vibe from that guy 🙂

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