Deciding on my next sculpture

[modelnut]

Skinned and sanded. One came out perfect --- the one I thought would be the most work to finish. The other has divots that need filling.

 

[modelnut]

Can you tell the difference? The divots are filled now. I'm going to give the putty a good hour to cure before re-sanding.

 

[DWhatley]

That is just plaster of paris that is sanded? What give it the purple and green colors? I assume the divots were air pockets.

 

[modelnut]

This should explain things.

The outer layer is Apoxie Sculpt, a two-part epoxy putty. The blue is the painter's tape. The white center is the plaster of Paris.

The first step was to make the cones out of paper. I reinforced that with the painter's tape because paper just isn't water proof. I filled the cones with the water and plaster mixture and set it aside to dry for 24 hours. I needed a strong base to lay the putty on. Once the plaster hardened I sprayed primer on the cones because the putty needed the primer to be able to stick to the cones. The putty is grey. Sanding the putty lightens the color a bit so the divots stand out as a darker grey. The divots are there only because I didn't put enough putty in those places. It's hard to tell when the putty is wet. That's why the model builder's mantra is "putty-sand-and-repeat."

The green highlights are just camera artifacts I think. The purple spots are the dark grey divots.

 

[modelnut]

Here are the shells ready to receive their occupants. And here is a 35th scale diver to give them scale. You can see that one is a bit bigger than the other. (Oh well. I tried.) The upper shell will hold an animal much like the one that faced Nigel Marven. The lower one will have a more nautiloid face inside.

The dark grey spots here just show where I filled in the divots with another contour putty. They don't show at all after I sprayed a primer coat on them. Now I need to make some arms after I have studied the two styles just a bit more. For that I need to get some screen captures from "Prehistoric Predators of the Past." I figure by Wednesday morning I can get the critters at least 80% sculpted. Maybe by this weekend or next Wednesday they will be ready to paint.

- Leelan

 

[DWhatley]

Thank Leelan,
I am enjoying watching you go through both the physical process of sculpting as well as seeing (and thinking about) how you determine the soft parts. Many years ago, I enjoyed working with ceramics but hated the firing and changes that took place at that stage. This looks like a lot more fun!

 

[modelnut]

Yeah. A lot of people swear by Sculpey or Super Sculpey for their sculptures. I haven't had any luck with it though. The baking is too finicky. My sculpts using Sculpey have cracked more often than they didn't. So I gave up on it. Apoxie Sculpt dries hard in 8 hours. That is not too long to wait. It's pliable for twenty minutes or so. After that it gets hard to work with. It will start to crack and crumble if you try to bend it after a half hour. Like anything else you have to learn as you use it.

- Leelan

 

[modelnut]

Choosing heads and measuring arms.

 

[modelnut]

Chosen. Arms almost done. Working on beaks as well.

 

[modelnut]

Lots of little arms for the nautiloid version of Cameroceras.

Bigger arms for the Nigel Marven version.

And two cephalopod mouths complete with beaks. Now I have to wait eight hours for this to set hard.

 

[DWhatley]

LOL, looks like a plate of worms

I assume from the name that this is an epoxy based clay. What do you use to clean your fingers after working with it? I occasionally use an epoxy based putty to "glue" octorial in the tank and have never found a good hand cleaner (it is a two part clay that you have to mix with your fingers).

 

[modelnut]

http://www.avesstudio.com/index.php...ion=com_virtuemart&Itemid=7&vmcchk=1&Itemid=7

I use Aves Apoxie Sculpt. It is a two-part epoxy putty. But I have never needed anything besides soap and water --- and a kitchen scrubber sometimes --- to clean my hands afterward. I don't usually mix more than a blob the size of my big toe because you can't un-mix the putty and I don't want to waste more than I have to. It is cheap but not that cheap.

As far as I know its not toxic like some two-part putties. It can possible discolor jewelry I have heard. So I take off my rings if I think things might get messy. One of the best things about it is that you can smooth it with water. So if I see any fingerprints when I get near the end of my sculpting I take a soft brush and dip it in water and wipe the fingerprints away.

I've used this stuff for years and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to sculpt. It is not good as an adhesive though. It will not stick to itself unless you give the cured part a coating of primer spray paint. In fact I prime everything I want it to stick to before I start mixing.

This beast is at least 75% Apoxie Sculpt:

It was sculpted over a foam core to save money and weight.

- Leelan

 

[modelnut]

Is there some sort of psychological condition about starting things and not finishing?

My last post was in April. It is now November. I've scaled the beast up to 1/24th. That would make the sculpture 30% bigger. I've finished the additional length of the cone. And I am sculpting the head. It might be ready for paint in a day or so.