Sculpting Advice For A Newbie?

[IrritatorRaji]

I've never sculpted before, but I want to give it a go. I want to try to add feathers to one of my Rex figures (I have a few chinasaur raptors to practice on).

So, um, how do I start? What materials should I use?

[paintingdinos]

I'm far from a pro, but I can give some advice!

For smaller figures or a smaller amount of feathering, I like kneadatite (aka "Green stuff"). Its a 2-part epoxy that's a little bit firmer and tackier than most of the other 2-parts that I've used. This is nice because if you're wanting to make individual feather details, like the ones on the Rex below, its a little easier:




I made each feather separately, then slowly tacked them on. I worked in layers like this, and gave them time to set a bit before working on the next later so they didn't accidentally stick to each other as I was layering.

You can use other 2-parts and get good results. I also have and use Apoxie sculpt, and its fine. Its very easy to smooth out with a bit of water (green stuff doesn't really have this property). I use it more for filling gaps, but it can also be sculpted with:



I've had to rethink the feathers on the top of this one's head. Probably going to go back and do them in green stuff, as the ones I have now are just too brittle. Another plus to the green stuff- its a bit tougher when cured, feels a bit more "plastic-y" if that makes sense.

[Kayakasaurus]

This is all good advice. Two part epoxy is the way to go, the one I use is called Magic Sculpt and it's fairly soft. I have a video about modifying my Battat Pachyrhinosaurus. It's a little slow so feel free to skip through! 

https://youtu.be/4cWaavdHWf4

[Patrx]

I recently picked up a two-part epoxy called "PlasticWeld", with the intention of using it to effect some customizations like these. Has anyone here used this product before? Is it appropriate for this kind of work?

[Justin_]

I recently picked up a two-part epoxy called "PlasticWeld", with the intention of using it to effect some customizations like these. Has anyone here used this product before? Is it appropriate for this kind of work?

That is intended for emergency plumbing repairs and it is going to dry really quickly. Too quick to do any detailed sculpting. It is good for the early stages of a full sculpt like fixing armature wires and a base layer to later add a "skin" in a better material.
In the UK there is Milliput which comes in different grades and colours. It is not a flexible as the Kneadatite Green Stuff. It has more of a fine clay texture where as green stuff is more plastic-y.

[Patrx]

I recently picked up a two-part epoxy called "PlasticWeld", with the intention of using it to effect some customizations like these. Has anyone here used this product before? Is it appropriate for this kind of work?

That is intended for emergency plumbing repairs and it is going to dry really quickly. Too quick to do any detailed sculpting. It is good for the early stages of a full sculpt like fixing armature wires and a base layer to later add a "skin" in a better material.
In the UK there is Milliput which comes in different grades and colours. It is not a flexible as the Kneadatite Green Stuff. It has more of a fine clay texture where as green stuff is more plastic-y.

Aha! Thanks for the heads-up. I'll test out this stuff just to see what it's like, but maybe look into Green Stuff for future use - I think a plastic-y feel is appropriate for modifying PVC figures.

[Archinto]

I use a two part epoxy putty called magic sculpt. You can get it in a few colors. It's really strong when cured. I use it to finish model kits, make sculptures from scratch and more. I've even used it for boat repairs.

Try to find some tools that work well for you to do detail work. Epoxies usually require a silicone or smooth metal tool to work without sticking. Magic sculpt and some other epoxies can be smoothed with water. It takes a while to get used to working the material, so I suggest making a test piece first and practicing some skin and feather techniques.

[IrritatorRaji]

Thanks for all the tips and advice, guys!

I'm still really nervous about using two part epoxys. I don't know if I can work fast enough with it or if it'll even stick the model I want to work on (Invicta T.rex)

I still want to try to sculpt but I'm not really sure if I'm ready yet.

[stargatedalek]

I've used Aves and Milliput, and they're incredibly similar. Milliput is perhaps ever so slightly softer and easier to work with, but it's sold in smaller quantities and is therefore considerably more expensive. I recommend either one. They dry fast, but not so fast you're going to be unable to sculpt with them. Just be sure to sculpt in small patches at a time, and you'll probably find you spend most of your time waiting for it to dry.

I've been considering trying green stuff, is it considerably more durable? That would be the primary appeal for me.

[IrritatorRaji]

yeah, yeah, i know it looks kinda dumb

Really quickly whipped up my kinda, like, "idea" for my Rex custom. Essentially, I want to add feathers but, kinda in the spirit of the old Invicta model, I don't really want them to be smooth, bird-like, and 'accurate'. I kinda want them to be pointy and quill-like. Imagine the shape of a grain of rice, that's kinda the shape I'm going for. Old T.rex restorations had it look more like a monster, less like an animal, I wanna recapture that.

Would 2 part epoxy be good for this or should I try something else? How quickly would I have to work with bits of epoxy this small? Heck, would it actually work better if I stuck actual grains of rice to the model?

[IrritatorRaji]

I've been asking around on different forums and the general consensus is that I should just use real rice. I'm maybe gonna try this tomorrow soooo..... wish me luck? Lets hope I don't set something on fire? Or ruin my figure?

[stargatedalek]

The size shouldn't make much difference for how long you have to work with epoxy. I prefer to work in small patches, limited to what I can complete in under ten minutes, then a few hours later once it's hard enough fingers won't deform it add another patch.

[paintingdinos]

Maybe a silly question, but if you're going to use grains of rice... why not try actual feathers cut to size?

You could sculpt a thin layer of epoxy onto the model first, then (carefully) insert bits of feather. That'd actually look really rad! I guess you'd just want to make sure to prime the model first, before feathering (and use a paint-on primer for the green bits/just paint over them without primer... if you won't be handling much it shouldn't be a huge problem).

[stargatedalek]

You could also try the ends of toothpicks.

[IrritatorRaji]

Maybe a silly question, but if you're going to use grains of rice... why not try actual feathers cut to size?

Because I want to paint it and I'm not sure how to paint feathers in a way that they don't clump together and look all nasty. Besides, I want the Rex to still look a little monstrous, so the sharp, quill-like look of rice seems fitting ^^