Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Lovejoy on July 18, 2016, 09:41:00 AM
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In our latest Kickstarter project, we had an owlbear miniature. While I was sculpting it, I took photos, so I thought I'd share the sculpting process....
First of all, I made an armature out of 3 pieces of brass rod (.81mm thickness). Using three pieces let me include a wire for the head as well as all 4 limbs. Then I bent the wires to show where the joints would be. Obviously an Owlbear isn't a real animal, so I just decided for myself where the joints would go. Then I posed the armature, into a hunting / stalking pose, and attached it to a sculpting block. This is one I use for bigger sculpts, or anything with 4 limbs. It has several thin sections, to allow it to be used for lots of different sizes and poses.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob1.jpg)
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Next I used some Milliput putty to form a central core to the model.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob2.jpg)
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I wanted the Owlbear to be as close to a real animal as possible, so I began the sculpting by roughing in a basic skeleton.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob3.jpg)
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Then I made a base using a mix of Milliput and Green Stuff; I let it cure, then drilled holes into it and attached the armature.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob4.jpg)
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The next step was adding muscles; I printed pictures of bear musculature, but also prehistoric big cats, and a T-rex... I could see an Owlbear being descended from a dinosaur of some kind, like a Psitaccosaurus maybe.
Then I started adding muscles to the skeleton, paying attention to the pose and the way that affected the muscle's flexion and extension.
I added eyeballs at this point too.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob5.jpg)
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I then added the beak, and let the whole thing cure.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob6.jpg)
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Next it was time to start on the fur / feathers... I added thin strips of putty to the head, and blended them together. Then I textured them to look furry. At this point, the top of the head was a bit too low; I needed to add more mass, but I'd run out of putty. So I just decided to add to it gradually as I did other parts.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob7.jpg)
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While the head was curing, I decided to start on the feet. I added blobs of putty to the front feet toe areas and shaped them. I marked in lines for the toes, then marked in the claws, and generally shaped and tidied them. Then I did the same for the back feet.
After that, I added more putty to work up the back of the feet.
Then I used flattened strips of putty to add scales to the fronts of the feet, and marked them to look like separate scales.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob8.jpg)
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Cracking work :-* :-* :-*
I really love the way you've gone about it as well. How long has it taken so far?
cheers
James
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(Jim, it took about 10 days to complete, but I was doing other stuff at the same time, so it was probably about 5 or 6 full days really.)
I then went back to the fur / feathers. I added fresh putty to the front part of the body, and marked in the rough lines of separation for the fur. I then textured it to look furry.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob9.jpg)
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Then I continued the same way across the rest of the body.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob10.jpg)
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I then started work on the back legs; it was the same procedure as the body, but you can see the texturing process a bit better here. I mark in the lines of separation for the fur, then I use the blunt end of my sculpting tool to roughly mark each tuft of fur. Finally I work each one with the sharp end of the tool, gradually turning them into 'V' shaped marks. You just need to keep gradually refining them until it looks right...
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob11.jpg)
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I then began on the front arms / wings... and ran into a problem. Partway through, I realised that although the pattern of feathers I was using worked on that leg, once I turned to the other side, the leg position would make those feathers unworkable. So I stopped, let it cure, then cut it away...
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob12.jpg)
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I decided to do the other side first, as any feather arrangement that fitted OK there would also work on the opposite leg.
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob13.jpg)
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Then I turned it around, and did the other leg, for the second time...
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob14.jpg)
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Throughout this process, I had also added more putty to the top of the head to bulk it out. But this meant I'd lost the little Eagle-owl style tufts, so I added a couple of small bits of putty and shaped them. And that was the Owlbear completed!
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/ob15.jpg)
(http://oathsworn.net/stuff/monster1-owlbear.jpg)
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Great tutorial and of course great owlbear :o
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Cracking tutorial! :o it's amazing the level you go to to sculpt the beastie. Doing the skeleton, then the muscle, before a final layer of feathers! Your eyes must be crossed sculpting ALL those feathers!
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Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it... :D
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Wow! Amazing! :o :-*
So much respect for your skill and ability. Truly amazing.
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OUTSTANDING!
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Well, didn't that turn out bloody great 8) 8) 8)
cheers
James
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The thing that amazes me is that you're basically sculpting the same creature three times over - for the skeleton, the musculature and finally for the fur/feathering. Wow! Great work!
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Very impressive work! :o
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That ain't no Owlbear.
This is an owlbear!
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg91/ikhemm/Owlbear_zpsskfcf50z.jpeg) (http://s246.photobucket.com/user/ikhemm/media/Owlbear_zpsskfcf50z.jpeg.html)
All jokes aside, it a very nice sculpt. I looks very menacing and a tough opponent.