Mouse Tried Sculpting

[Paradoxical Mouse 7758]

It's supposed to be a sci-fi barrel...this is my first time sculpting anything, so guidance for next time would be appreciated. I used a WizKids keg as a barrel size and shape reference...then the rest was head imagery...

Edited January 8 by Paradoxical Mouse
Mouse can't spell.

[Clearman 6577]

First off, it looks like a barrel, so kudos.  My skill is limited to rocks and small mushrooms...

 

Second, I'm excited to see my Secret Sophie to you still on your desk!  :-)  

[Glitterwolf 109653]

Very nice!

I couldn't do that.

I belong in the rocks and mushroom departement as well

[kitchen_wolf 4358]

Preface - I'm not tearing into you.  I just have limited language available when I'm doing explanations.  See signature.

 

I can definitely see what you were going for, but not how you got there.  Here's how I'd try:

 

armature - the most vital word in additive sculpting.  If you're not casting, anything that will hold its shape during curing will do.  I'd cheat and use some sort of existing cylinder.  A bead might do, or a short length of rod or tubing.  One important thing I learned from polyclay  - if you're putting more than 1/4" of material on there, you need more armature.

 

cap - looks like you used multiple snakes.  That could be made to work, but I'd probably do it as one piece and use different sized tubes to stamp in the rings.  Let someone else do your precision machining for you.  Alternately I'd stack circles on top of one another, like a step pyramid of pancakes.

 

barrel hoops - The biggest path to improvement here would be to take advantage of the self-curing nature of epoxy.  Do your barrel sides and leave it alone for a few hours.  Then go back and do the hoops without fear of mucking up the smooth putty underneath (or sticking your thumb in the cap - done that sort of thing more than once).  If they were conventional barrel hoops, I'd use a knife (ubiquitous #11 blade) to cut straight sides and the side of a doll needle to smooth out the top (roll it along there).  Alternately, you could use something other than green stuff and simply cut and sand away what you don't want after it's cured, or a combination thereof.

 

[Paradoxical Mouse 7758]

36 minutes ago, kitchen_wolf said:

Preface - I'm not tearing into you.  I just have limited language available when I'm doing explanations.  See signature.

 

I can definitely see what you were going for, but not how you got there.  Here's how I'd try:

 

armature - the most vital word in additive sculpting.  If you're not casting, anything that will hold its shape during curing will do.  I'd cheat and use some sort of existing cylinder.  A bead might do, or a short length of rod or tubing.  One important thing I learned from polyclay  - if you're putting more than 1/4" of material on there, you need more armature.

 

cap - looks like you used multiple snakes.  That could be made to work, but I'd probably do it as one piece and use different sized tubes to stamp in the rings.  Let someone else do your precision machining for you.  Alternately I'd stack circles on top of one another, like a step pyramid of pancakes.

 

barrel hoops - The biggest path to improvement here would be to take advantage of the self-curing nature of epoxy.  Do your barrel sides and leave it alone for a few hours.  Then go back and do the hoops without fear of mucking up the smooth putty underneath (or sticking your thumb in the cap - done that sort of thing more than once).  If they were conventional barrel hoops, I'd use a knife (ubiquitous #11 blade) to cut straight sides and the side of a doll needle to smooth out the top (roll it along there).  Alternately, you could use something other than green stuff and simply cut and sand away what you don't want after it's cured, or a combination thereof.

 

Thank you! This was exactly what I was looking for. I'm not sure what to use for an armature, or where to get tubes. I guess I did get impatient on it - I should have let it cure a bit. I think the next one I do I'll document step by step on how I get there, so if I do things silly I can be told. I need lots of sci-fi crates and barrels (starting Starfinder, and the PCs had trouble identifying cover), and they are (relatively) simple shapes, so I thought that would be a good place to start. 

 

Would you have recommendations on where to look for different sizes of tubing, to get me started? What would make a good armature for a crate or shipping unit (smaller, box-like size (0.5x0.5x0.5 in) and large (1.5x1.5x1.5 in) )? 

[rfusca 1958]

31 minutes ago, Paradoxical Mouse said:

Thank you! This was exactly what I was looking for. I'm not sure what to use for an armature, or where to get tubes. I guess I did get impatient on it - I should have let it cure a bit. I think the next one I do I'll document step by step on how I get there, so if I do things silly I can be told. I need lots of sci-fi crates and barrels (starting Starfinder, and the PCs had trouble identifying cover), and they are (relatively) simple shapes, so I thought that would be a good place to start. 

 

Would you have recommendations on where to look for different sizes of tubing, to get me started? What would make a good armature for a crate or shipping unit (smaller, box-like size (0.5x0.5x0.5 in) and large (1.5x1.5x1.5 in) )? 

You could coil wire easy enough probably, but the greenstuff isn't too difficult to work there tbh.  Try letting it cure a bit more before you try to afix it to the barrel. For barrels and crates, I'd get square and round rods of balsa from hobby lobby and just coat them with greenstuff to modify them.  

I highly recommend going through @TaleSpinner's BMPC tutorial just because it gives you a good sense of how to work with GS.  Waiting on it to slightly cure, or building in steps is just part of the process and will make your life much easier.

Edited January 8 by rfusca

[Clearman 6577]

14 minutes ago, rfusca said:

I'd get square and round rods of balsa from hobby lobby

 

Hobby Lobby also carries small diameter brass tube if you need something considerably more rigid.

 

14 minutes ago, rfusca said:

BMPC

 

BMPC?  I'm not familiar with what this stands for.

[rfusca 1958]

3 minutes ago, Clearman said:

 

Hobby Lobby also carries small diameter brass tube if you need something considerably more rigid.

 

 

BMPC?  I'm not familiar with what this stands for.

I just finished it here and it really helped me figure out how to work with greenstuff. 

 

Edited January 8 by rfusca

[Paradoxical Mouse 7758]

Just now, rfusca said:

 

It's a good tutorial - I just would rather learn on inorganic shapes. To me, it is easier to go from inorganic to organic rather than the opposite. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[rfusca 1958]

Also, super jealous of being part of Starfinder.  I'd love to get a group together for that.

[Paradoxical Mouse 7758]

1 minute ago, rfusca said:

Also, super jealous of being part of Starfinder.  I'd love to get a group together for that.

*OFF TOPIC*

I'm a DM so I pushed my group to try for my birthday! It's a lot of fun, but it is a very different system from both Pathfinder and 5e. So it is a bit slow going to start. 

 

My biggest problem at the moment is getting the terrain necessary; I'm finding that cover is a lot more common in Starfinder (reasonably so), and a lot more important. 

[rfusca 1958]

5 minutes ago, Paradoxical Mouse said:

*OFF TOPIC*

I'm a DM so I pushed my group to try for my birthday! It's a lot of fun, but it is a very different system from both Pathfinder and 5e. So it is a bit slow going to start. 

 

My biggest problem at the moment is getting the terrain necessary; I'm finding that cover is a lot more common in Starfinder (reasonably so), and a lot more important. 

I can see that, but terrain should be pretty fun to make!

[Clearman 6577]

Lot of good Bones crates and what not.  Hirst Arts also makes molds for crates and barrels.

 

I like the sculpting approach better though.

 

[Paradoxical Mouse 7758]

Just now, Clearman said:

Lot of good Bones crates and what not.  Hirst Arts also makes molds for crates and barrels.

 

I like the sculpting approach better though.

 

I figure I want to learn sculpting anyway, and I want the more trim, modern looking crates. The Bones crates are great for use in Fantasy, but they don't really capture the space-age feel well.

[rfusca 1958]

mini market has good sci fi terrain too.Including crates

Edited January 8 by rfusca