Getting into Sculpting

[Paul Hicks]

I prefer a lighter shade of Green Stuff. I normally smooth out green buy using a round part of a tool and using this to roll it flat on the figure.

[Golan2072]

I've received my first set of sculpting putty and sculpting tools yesterday:


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[mondria]

smoothing putty I use my wet fingers the use tools to make the folds make sure that the tools are smooth and clean, every spot on your tools will also come in your sculpt.

@ golan
from your tools I use 3 and 5 the most going from left to right, the last one I have never used, wen you get more in to sculpting its a idea to get rubber tipped tools the firm ones, they are great to get nice folds, the spoon part of #5 is also very useful for that

[Golan2072]

Thanks for the tip!

[6milPhil]

May I recommend Walshes for a range of tools?

They're very helpful in the old fashioned way, and have branches in SE London and central-ish Brimingham if you fancy a gander, which is often the best way with tools as it's difficult to ask for neat things which you don't know exist...

http://www.hswalsh.com/

[Golan2072]

Thanks for the link.

[blackstone]

I use cooking/olive oil to smooth putty. Also you should definately try a clay shaper.. very useful. I find a 50/50 milliput/greenstuff mix is the best to sculpt with

[rob_alderman]

Gah! I hate the 2 tube green stuff! You always end up mixing more than you need!

Otherwise cool!

Also, use saliva, don't be a wuss! 

[Connectamabob]

Gah! I hate the 2 tube green stuff! You always end up mixing more than you need!

I just pinch off little bits with my fingertips 'till I've gotten the right amount I need. I can get very precise amounts that way (I like to use a gram scale to determine proportions).

These days I like a 50/50 mix of Aves and GS. I love clay shapers too, but I use the soft ones way more than the hard ones. I've found the flexibility allows them to follow contours and create flowing organic shapes and folds very easily, and also gives them a wider range of finesse. The soft ones are "analog control", while the hard ones are "digital control" (like metal and wood tools), if that makes any sense. I usually only end up using the hard ones during the very last leg of the curing process, where the putty's too firm for anything less.

Everyone has their own favorite putty mixes and tools to suit their own personal body of techniques. What works for you may end up being miles apart from what I or any one else may recommend, so IMO the best advice is really just to dig in and start hacking things out for yourself. You'll figure out how to use what mostly through experience.

[Delaney]

You can sandwich the green stuff between bakers paper (greaseproof paper) - it tends to stick inside those tubes and its annoying.  I make little strips.  Avoid the double strip packs as there is always crusty little bits where the two putties meet- very annoying.

Try adding a small amount of super sculpey to your green stuff to begin with- about 1:6 sculpey to green.  This takes off a little of the stickiness, makes it easier to blend into existing surfaces and you can get a slightly sharper edge.  Downside, too much and it goes spongy.  It vulcanises fine too.  Great for cloth.  Dont use this for chainmail or fur though, you need that memory to get a good loop going.