Vampire Spawn greens

[dks]

Here are some in-progress shots of the two Vampire Spawn that I finished last month. I didn't take step-by-step WIPs, but I hope these images help you (anyone) by showing the intermediate steps, especially how slender the structure is before I add a final surface of skin or clothing. On these two, I sculpted the faces quite early, in order to have a basis for comparison when I added the torso and limbs. On previous figures, I have sculpted the face near the end, but for some reason I was messing up the bodies on these two without having a face a relate the bodies to.

 

Note that I changed the female's hairline a little in the final step, since it looked too low (and therefore brutish and mannish) when I first added the hair.

 

Also, you don't see my first attempt at the male's hands, which I tried to do without the brass wires. They looked like baseball mitts.

 

Eventually I'll shoot a full step-by-step WIP -- maybe the figure that I just started, though I forgot to shoot the wire armature before adding the first skin of putty. I might just make a new armature and shoot it as a proxy.

 

Derek

 

[Simon Vaillancourt]

Here are some in-progress shots of the two Vampire Spawn that I finished last month. I didn't take step-by-step WIPs, but I hope these images help you (anyone) by showing the intermediate steps, especially how slender the structure is before I add a final surface of skin or clothing. On these two, I sculpted the faces quite early, in order to have a basis for comparison when I added the torso and limbs. On previous figures, I have sculpted the face near the end, but for some reason I was messing up the bodies on these two without having a face a relate the bodies to.

 

Note that I changed the female's hairline a little in the final step, since it looked too low (and therefore brutish and mannish) when I first added the hair.

 

Also, you don't see my first attempt at the male's hands, which I tried to do without the brass wires. They looked like baseball mitts.

 

Eventually I'll shoot a full step-by-step WIP -- maybe the figure that I just started, though I forgot to shoot the wire armature before adding the first skin of putty. I might just make a new armature and shoot it as a proxy.

 

Derek

 

Nice thanks !

 

 

-----

Derek can you film or take pictures of how you make faces. I know it wont help me so much but seing you work will help me see what you are thinking while doing it. oh and can you show a light and a hard struck difference ?

[Simon Vaillancourt]

I canged the leg of my Dwarf when I saw your pictures ! I planned to dress them but they were to big.

Now I need to redefine the chest muscle and the abs. Making a face for him with stuff growing on the chin and head... yeah stuff ... wont say !

 

LOL

[dks]

Derek can you film or take pictures of how you make faces. I know it wont help me so much but seing you work will help me see what you are thinking while doing it. oh and can you show a light and a hard struck difference ?

 

Sorry, but I don't have any way to film myself sculpting.

My worktable is not very convenient for taking photos, but I'll see whether I can get any useful shots during the next face that I sculpt.

 

I don't understand what you mean by "show a light and hard struck difference". Could you please rephrase or elaborate?

 

Derek

[Simon Vaillancourt]

It's cool for the video ! Pictures are hard to do I know but if you got a freezer and a lightbox then you are ready for WIP pictures ! I just thought of that you set everything in the lightbox with an other miniature and you start sculpting the face. 1st step then in the freezer, photo and then 2nd step... if that make sense then I'm happy.

 

For the hard and soft stroke this will help :)

Re: Sculpting Sharp Edges

 

 

You can sculpt sharp edges in greenstuff, it just takes a little more

patience. The thing you have to understand about greenstuff is that

it mellows as it cures. What do I mean by mellow? You sculpt a nice

sharp edge and by the time it cures it's a blob again. The edge

softens or mellows. So here's a couple tricks for you to combat

mellowing...

 

1. This trick is worth your price of admission today. If you ask

most professional sculptors how long they let their putty setup

before they start to sculpt, they will usually tell you they start

sculpting right away. However, if you watch them sculpt, what they

usually forget to mention is that they are working on three or four

figures at a time. They add the freshly mixed putty to one figure,

shape it just a little, set it aside and move on to the next one.

Once they've made all the rounds they go back to the first figure and

start to work on it after 10 or 15 minutes has elapsed. Now this is

not always true in every case, but it is a good rule of thumb. Your

working time for greenstuff is usually about an hour before it

becomes too hard to work anymore, give or take, and that is dependent

upon ambient temperature and relative humidity. If you let the putty

setup for about 15 to 20 minutes before you start sculpting your

masterpiece, the putty will have setup enough to allow for easier

sculpting and sharper edges.

 

2. The thicker your layer of putty, the SOFTER your final edge will

be. The thinner your layer of putty, the SHARPER your final edge

will be. More putty = more mellowing. Less putty = less mellowing.

Get it? Got it? Good!

 

3. If there's one word I would use to help you on your path to

sculpting nirvana it would be smooth. Putty doesn't like to be moved

around a lot. If you use a heavy hand on it, mash it around, and

generally mistreat it, the putty will behave accordingly and you will

wind up with a sculpture that looks like a chewed piece of

bubblegum. Instead, you have use a feather light touch and gently

coax the putty into shape. Pretend you are a great Jedi Master and

you are using only the power of your mind to sculpt with. That's how

lightly you want to touch the putty. I don't care if it takes you a

million strokes to get the shape you want. If that's what it takes,

DO IT!! You'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

 

4. Go with the flow Joe! The next most important thing is to keep

the putty flowing all in one direction. When you put a wad of putty

on your figure don't just start shoving it around like a younger

sibling! Instead start coaxing (see above) the putty in one

direction. Either start from one side and work across to the other

or start in the center and work your way out. It doesn't really

matter which way you go, as long as you keep going in the same

direction. You can go over what you've already sculpted, just keep

it flowing the same way. Think of it like wood grain except you

create the direction of the grain. Once you've created that grain

don't go against it. In doing so your putty will get lumpy, which in

turn ruins all chances of a sharp edge.

 

5. Work it baby! Work it! As you progress you'll need to work the

same area over and over until it's just about cured. This is the

secret to getting super smooth finishes and super sharp edges. Using

all the previous tips, just keep working that face or torso or arm or

leg or whatever over and over until the putty starts to set up.

Remember you've already let the putty sit for about 20 minutes. Work

it for another 20 or 30 and you'll be on your way to sharp edged

shiny town!

 

Hope that helps :-D

 

Gene

[haldir]

those are really 2 nice figure, Derek. Nice work on them.

 

(first one with the armature sticking out for the fingers, reminds me of Freddy K, ha ha)

[Bodhi]

those are really 2 nice figure, Derek. Nice work on them.

 

(first one with the armature sticking out for the fingers, reminds me of Freddy K, ha ha)

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to post WIP steps. An incredible help for all of us who are trying to learn. The leaping pose is brilliant!

Been trying to make one for a while now but never was happy about the posing of the feet. Now I know just how to go about it. Thanks!

 

(hope it's not IP theft to nick a pose... )

[dks]

Thanks for the kind words, haldir and Bodhi. It's amazing how different a figure looks (or what associations come up) when its wires are still showing, when it don't have clothes or hair yet, etc. The face of my latest figure, for example, reminds me of a famous actress, but we'll see whether that's still the case after I add the hair.

 

As for the pose, Bodhi, just put your figure's _right_ foot in front and it will be totally different.

I think I could have made the feet connect to the base more gracefully... so there's something to work on, the next time.

 

Derek

[Bodhi]

Thanks for the kind words, haldir and Bodhi. It's amazing how different a figure looks (or what associations come up) when its wires are still showing, when it don't have clothes or hair yet, etc. The face of my latest figure, for example, reminds me of a famous actress, but we'll see whether that's still the case after I add the hair.

 

As for the pose, Bodhi, just put your figure's _right_ foot in front and it will be totally different.

I think I could have made the feet connect to the base more gracefully... so there's something to work on, the next time.

 

Derek

 

That's OK. So far I have her resting on the tips of her left arms fingers only with the other arm raised for striking. Midpoint of a charging jump from above against a much larger adversary. But your figure helped greatly with the posing of the armature anyway.