Stabliofarmer Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Thought I'd start a topic on this, if nothing more than to see for myself if I can progress any with this new form of modelling I'm trying to pick up. With modelling livestock farms animals are an important part of all the scenes and although there is a good range of animals available, particularly vintage, I'd like to be able to look at one of my dios and go 'yeah I made everything there'. So I've started to learn how to sculpt. My first experiments I've shown on here already, they use Milliput which is a great material to work with. But recently reading through the font of knowledge that is David Neats website I discovered his article on Super Sculpy, and having had a play I have to say I'm very impressed by it. First of I tried the common method of using a wire armature and building flesh onto that. This is what I'd done in the past with millitput. I found this difficult and the results always appear more cartoon like than figurine's. Then reading more on David Neats article I saw how he builds up half a figure of a paper template, bakes the clay, then sculps the other half. So I gave this a try, using photos off the internet or my own drawings scaled down and I am relatively pleased with the results so far. Still lots of room for improvement but the Sculpy is proving great to use. First was a Herdwick Ram And second a Swaledale ewe, I've tackled Swaldales before, using a Britain's sheep and I think I've captured far more of the raggedy feel of a swaledale this time around. Would really appreciate any comments, particularly on points to improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 25, 2018 Author Share Posted October 25, 2018 David Neats useful page https://davidneat.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/model-making-basics-modelling-and-shaping/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret90 Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Great work James you've really got the shape which is the hardest bit. Never really tried it before but I imagine it must be quite fiddly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 they do look impressive james, will keep an eye on this topic,i have pondered cutting and altering some figures, and also trying my own, but always thought it looked to hard , maybe i was pondering using the wrong materials ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mb86 Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Very good James. Their tails are perhaps a little too pronounced, you should be barely able to tell where the tail head is on wooly hill breeds. Your swaley yow could do with thinner and perhaps slightly longer legs ( although I don't know if thats possible) and narrower muzzle. Herdwicks are a small sheep, noticeably smaller than the swaley. I hope you don't think this is nit picking they are looking very promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_emmons Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Looks good James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 Cheers folks 9 hours ago, mb86 said: I hope you don't think this is nit picking they are looking very promising. Not at all Martin this is exactly the sort of things I want to know. Looking at photos I think I've got the body to heigh/large on the Swaledale meaning there isn't as much leg as there should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mb86 Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 No problem. It's hard to tell the size in a photo without something to compare them to. Looking forward to seeing how these progress. Will you cast a few or are you only building a couple of each? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 Yes, the plan is to have a full range of figures/animals in production, if I can get them to a standard I'm happy with. Hence working completey from scratch rather than using a Britians base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeere6910 Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 These are brilliant James, you've got further than I did trying to resculpt Britain's cows. Can't wait to see more results of this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 Thanks Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 Getting to grips with Super Sculpet now, and how to build up in layers, baking in-between each layer. Tried some figures dressed for winter this time and have to say I'm quite pleased with the outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret90 Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 They look great James, they have so much more character than the plastic Britains ones . Something I've always found is there isn't any decent people but now AT collections seem to have some good ones and HLT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 Thank you, AT figures are very impressive but abit too much money for me, particularly when I'd only have one or two scenes to use them in. This way I can taylor figures to scenes I want. And more importantly I can get modern farm dressed people, Britain's figures are all dressed for the 70's they didn't get round to making the Schofel wearing farm owner, or a hoodie wearing contractor driver, which is something I'd like to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret90 Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 Yes, there too much money for me as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 To quote the fast show 'This week I have mostly been making SHEEP' Four new Swaledales, two standing one grazing and one lambing. Happier with these than the last. I've been sculpting the head and legs from a solid hardened block of clay, rather than while soft and I've found it easier. And a Texel and a north england mule, both requiring abit more paint, pleased with the Texel, less so with the mule, just abit too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
844john Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 you seem to be getting the hang of sculpting James, ....size wise, mules are a fairly big sheep (or can be) so i think they look ok in that respect, the face and legs are white patterned with brown rather than being a solid black though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 Cheers John, yes haven't finished with the painting of the Mule or the Texel. I think the main issue with size was the bulk of it, even though I've modelled them as ready to lamb I doubt a mule would reach such a wide and heavy fleece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
844john Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 You do see some mules that are very heavy skinned James, they're a bit like people really, some are hippies and others are bald! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret90 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Looking exellent James, really good texture on them as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Looking good mate, nice to see different ones getting done, although i cant help thinking that after uni stuff then drinking you should really be doing them ford cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 Cheers guys, bit more work then I'll have a go at casting them. The D series is halfway through having the moulds made, got the wheels CADed up ready to be printed over the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted May 11, 2019 Author Share Posted May 11, 2019 Three lambs made last night, two are Britain's ones beefed up with Milliput to be Swaldales, the third is from Super Sculpy and is meant to be a newborn. Also got the first moulds made, along with some more D series moulds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted May 12, 2019 Author Share Posted May 12, 2019 Really enjoy doing ones like this, Britain's shepherd bought forward a fair few decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted July 5, 2019 Author Share Posted July 5, 2019 Crashed my bike on the way into work on Wednesday deeply grazing my right hand, right along where it rubs against material when cutting with a craft knife, so that's me off the models for a week or so till the scabs firm up. In the meantime I've been able to get abit of sculpting done. Reading up I came across the book, Suspended Animation: Unauthorised History of Herald and Britain's Plastic Figures, an expensive book, but one I plan to buy, in the meantime a look into the author, Peter Cole unearthed the website http://www.replastic.com/ . This is his current company and the website has some excellent insights into figure production. Armed with the new knowledge that the master patterns for Britain's figures etc were sculpted from wax I thought I'd better have a go. This is the result, wire armature, britains tractor driver head (with a slightly more modern short back and sides hair cut), super sculpy 'skeleton' to bulk him out and firm him up, and a Scopas Modelling Wax skin. A really nice medium to work with, doesn't have the bounce back of clay so sharp edges such as on the pants or around the mocassins were possible. So here he is, a new shearing figure. Not to happy with the arms, I made the sculpy to thick so couldn't thin the wax round the fore arm down enough. Hopefully the appearance will be vastly improved when painted. Accompanying sheep to follow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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