Sculpting - What a joyful PAIN
Tewligan
First Post
So far, so good, D'karr. A couple things I might contribute, based on your notes:
1) If you have to step away from your sculpting to change diapers (urgh...) or whatever, put the unused putty in the freezer. The cold will help keep it from curing any further until you take it out.
2) Conversely, you can speed up the curing process with heat. When I want a part to hurry up and harden, I stick it into a primitive E-Z Bake oven I made for this purpose. It's just a short length of metal duct used in air-conditioning and such, topped off with one of those kind of shallow conical metal lighting fixtures with the clamp that you see in workshops. (The clamp isn't necessary, by the way - take that off.) The light fixture has a 20 watt (I think...) appliance bulb in it. The end result looks a little bit like a shiny metal hut. Put the figure inside, and cook it in there for 20-30 minutes. When it comes out, it should be cured and ready for your next stage. I'll double check when I get home about the wattage. Does my explanation make sense? If not, I'll see if I can get up a photo or two to clarify. Oh, and I recommend putting the whole thing on top of a ceramic tile - it can get pretty hot in there, and I'd hate to be responsible for damage to your kitchen table or something...
Anyway, good stuff. I look forward to seeing the girallon in his full, four-armed glory!
1) If you have to step away from your sculpting to change diapers (urgh...) or whatever, put the unused putty in the freezer. The cold will help keep it from curing any further until you take it out.
2) Conversely, you can speed up the curing process with heat. When I want a part to hurry up and harden, I stick it into a primitive E-Z Bake oven I made for this purpose. It's just a short length of metal duct used in air-conditioning and such, topped off with one of those kind of shallow conical metal lighting fixtures with the clamp that you see in workshops. (The clamp isn't necessary, by the way - take that off.) The light fixture has a 20 watt (I think...) appliance bulb in it. The end result looks a little bit like a shiny metal hut. Put the figure inside, and cook it in there for 20-30 minutes. When it comes out, it should be cured and ready for your next stage. I'll double check when I get home about the wattage. Does my explanation make sense? If not, I'll see if I can get up a photo or two to clarify. Oh, and I recommend putting the whole thing on top of a ceramic tile - it can get pretty hot in there, and I'd hate to be responsible for damage to your kitchen table or something...
Anyway, good stuff. I look forward to seeing the girallon in his full, four-armed glory!
D'karr
Adventurer
Hey Tewligan, thanks for the info. I hadn't thought about the freezer as a way of slowing the curing. I'll have to do that.
Yeah, I know exactly what you are talking about for the improvised "Easy Bake Oven". I have one of these for working with "Sculpey". Though right now the kneadtite is hardening almost faster than I can work it. That is one of the reasons I work on really small areas at a time.
I'm working on the arms right now. The right arm is almost done all the way to the wrist. I haven't started on the left. I'm working on Play-doh to practice how I'm going to sculpt the claws. I want to leave the claws open to give the mini a more menacing look. No luck yet. Hands are a little more difficult.
Thanks again for the words of encouragement and the good tips.
Yeah, I know exactly what you are talking about for the improvised "Easy Bake Oven". I have one of these for working with "Sculpey". Though right now the kneadtite is hardening almost faster than I can work it. That is one of the reasons I work on really small areas at a time.
I'm working on the arms right now. The right arm is almost done all the way to the wrist. I haven't started on the left. I'm working on Play-doh to practice how I'm going to sculpt the claws. I want to leave the claws open to give the mini a more menacing look. No luck yet. Hands are a little more difficult.
Thanks again for the words of encouragement and the good tips.
Is that for the Heart of Nightfang Spire module?
D'Karr,
You're a patient and smokin good sculptor! The whole sawing and pinning thing is way out of control! I was just wondering if you were making him for the same module which I had to custom make all this junk for. I sold them to another DM to use but I saved the group photograph. I wish you could see the Girallons a little closer, there are several poses and different ape figures to represent different shapes and sizes in the pack.
I hope you post a photo when its done and painted! Thanks.
D'Karr,
You're a patient and smokin good sculptor! The whole sawing and pinning thing is way out of control! I was just wondering if you were making him for the same module which I had to custom make all this junk for. I sold them to another DM to use but I saved the group photograph. I wish you could see the Girallons a little closer, there are several poses and different ape figures to represent different shapes and sizes in the pack.
I hope you post a photo when its done and painted! Thanks.
D'karr
Adventurer
Actually Muxelnux, I'm using them for an adventure I created for the campaign but not a published module. I'm planing on creating 4 of them.
Thanks for the encouraging comments.
That picture looks awesome. I really wish I could see the individual minis from up close I count at least 5 creatures that look to be girallons and at least two others that look like Flesh golems with 4 arms. That is a huge amount of minis. And if you created each arm from scratch a heck of a lot of work.
Fantastic work. The Fire Elemental is very cool not only the sculpt but the paint job too. The creature that looks like a phaerimm is great. Wait that's one of those psionic flying cows. What the heck is the name for them?
Did you make these for "Heart of Nightfang Spire"? Man, those look truly fantastic!! Great Job!!
[Edit] A Mooncalf. That's what they are. Did you make that from scratch?! Wow, congrats.
Thanks for the encouraging comments.
That picture looks awesome. I really wish I could see the individual minis from up close I count at least 5 creatures that look to be girallons and at least two others that look like Flesh golems with 4 arms. That is a huge amount of minis. And if you created each arm from scratch a heck of a lot of work.
Fantastic work. The Fire Elemental is very cool not only the sculpt but the paint job too. The creature that looks like a phaerimm is great. Wait that's one of those psionic flying cows. What the heck is the name for them?
Did you make these for "Heart of Nightfang Spire"? Man, those look truly fantastic!! Great Job!!
[Edit] A Mooncalf. That's what they are. Did you make that from scratch?! Wow, congrats.
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Too Many Custom Jobs!
D'karr,
I work too much so I prefer to spend my time on miniatures and conversions instead of all the adventure planning and creation that I did as a teen. So I buy the modules, but it's fun to drop a custom figure on the table with a group of experienced players like mine once in awhile.
Currently I'm working on all the monsters for Lord of the Iron Fortress, and it seems like the higher the adventure level the more that the figures become a problem to get. So much Sculpey and wire (paperclips) have been used in making all the crazy figures. The mooncalf was a 'scratchbuilt' on a ball of foil with sculpey on wire armatures. You're the stud using the real 'green stuff' like the pros. Someday I'll use that to make what everyone wants..., the Tarrasque!
D'karr,
I work too much so I prefer to spend my time on miniatures and conversions instead of all the adventure planning and creation that I did as a teen. So I buy the modules, but it's fun to drop a custom figure on the table with a group of experienced players like mine once in awhile.
Currently I'm working on all the monsters for Lord of the Iron Fortress, and it seems like the higher the adventure level the more that the figures become a problem to get. So much Sculpey and wire (paperclips) have been used in making all the crazy figures. The mooncalf was a 'scratchbuilt' on a ball of foil with sculpey on wire armatures. You're the stud using the real 'green stuff' like the pros. Someday I'll use that to make what everyone wants..., the Tarrasque!
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