Green stuff? How?

[Lyuun]

I've been painting a few years and have at last made a mini that i am thoroughly satisfied with (a maneater. slightly converted.) i love to make conversions and am currently doing a themed army (Ogre samurais). However, i can't use green stuff. I have tried a couple of times, but i have no idea what i'm doing and i looks consistently horrible.
I really, really want to be able to do green stuff. i have loads of ideas, but no skills to carry them out with.

care to share some tips?
anything. everything. anyone is better than me.

 

[Chrome]

Hey!
While there are loads and loads of things we can tell you about how, where, what tools and everything in between the best way is always to sit down and fail miserably until it gets better. ;D

On a serious note though, there is one thing that you need more than any tool or clay in the world, patience, never rush it, always keep calm, don't do it when you feel less than concentrated etc... Otherwise you will just get frustrated.

Cybersquig has an event going on that in my opinion is totally awesome, check out the sculptalong section here on Cmon and drop him a pm. They do have a head start but I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem. They are trying to sculpt a mini from scratch with him supervising and handing out tips and tricks.
There are people of every skill level in that group and they seem to have a good time.

Best way to learn is to fail and try again, how, why and tools to use are things that come naturally when you begin to get a feel for how it works.

Cheers!

 

[Dedwrekka]

Like learning to draw or paint, the best way to get better is to do it, and do it often.

 

[Einion]

For a start GS might not be the best thing to use. It's a great putty in certain ways but not everyone gets along with it as well as the people who really like it and use it a lot. It does have rather a steep learning curve.

So something else might be better, being both easier to work with and easier to revise after it has hardened if you need to reshape a little. My main recommended alternative would be MagicSculp, but Apoxie Sculpt or ProCreate are also worth trying.

Many links for hands-on tips can be found in the Sticky Thread of much stickyness.

Best way to learn is to fail and try again, how, why and tools to use are things that come naturally when you begin to get a feel for how it works.

Like learning to draw or paint, the best way to get better is to do it, and do it often.

:good:

Einion

 

[Chrome]

For a start GS might not be the best thing to use. It's a great putty in certain ways but not everyone gets along with it as well as the people who really like it and use it a lot. It does have rather a steep learning curve.

Like Einion says, It is definitely not the best to start with.
Sure, it is relatively easy to get a hold of since it is as famous as it is plus that GW stocks it but it is a troublesome putty to work with. I started out with GS (Well, not really, we did use red clay in school. But for 'serious' sculpting I started with GS) and only real reason why I'm still using it is that I'm lazy. I can just go to my local hobby store and get it. Green stuff is far from cheap, no matter what brand you look at though.

You could get yourself some 'normal' clay to practice with, it's a -lot- cheaper than any epoxy putty and if you fail you can always go on a rampage over it for a while and then just start over, without wasting anything since it won't harden.

 

[Lyuun]

ah, i see... i've only tried the stuff that is green, and it's mostly become... well, foul. i'm gonna look into the magic sculpt, spend some pocket money and spend even more time. any recommendations as for a starting project? it's obviously not going to be anything like a human... it'd look wrong so soon as the proportions were even a bit off, and i don't quite feel up to that.

 

[Joek]

I use GS, but I tend to avoid it when I can really. I too struggle with the stuff I'm afraid. However, the very (VERY) valid point folk made about the patience aspect of using it is absolutely right, and a reason why I have trouble with it! No patience at all I'm afraid.

I'm terribly old school when it comes to putties though - I much prefer working with Milliput for my basic needs, and actually a mix of MP and GS works very well too. Milliput gives you much more 'rock-hard' end result, as opposed to that slight rubbery feel you get with GS though, so whilst people can (and do!) sculpt completely in the stuff, it's not as kind to you when dried.

 

[DannyBoy2k]

While I don't sculpt(leave that sort of thing to Chrome and just throw gobs of money at him to get him to make the stuff FOR me...), I would instantly think that his(Chrome's) suggestion is a good one. Buy a pound of sculpters clay, and sculpt your heart out at that. When you have a good basis in stuff that doesn't harden on you, go to something that does. Milliput, GS, MagicSculp, whathaveyou. Just my $0.02

 

[Einion]

any recommendations as for a starting project?

I generally recommend working on conversions before a sculpt - filling gaps to begin with, then adding a new muscle, a belt or a small pack here and there, moving towards a new arm or leg or something like that.

With the rest of the original sculpt right there alongside where you're working as reference it makes it easier to stick to a certain style and keep proportions around where they should be.

In terms of pure sculpting I have always used any extra putty, after I've done whatever I was doing, to make rocks. I know it sounds silly but you can learn a lot sculpting rocks. Then try making some satchels or rucksacks, maybe some practice pieces of hair or fur texture.

While you're doing this kind of thing even if it seems the end result is a bit pointless you're getting experience in how to push putty around - how to shape it in certain ways, when to do certain kinds of things (some things are best done when the putty is fresh, fine detail is best done when it has cured much more - even as much as two hours later) and when to use a lubricant on your tools and which type works best. This is what it's all about when it comes to developing 'a touch' with a putty, much like the difference between hands-on experience painting versus just reading about a method.

Einion

 

[Ghudra]

I generally recommend working on conversions before a sculpt - filling gaps to begin with, then adding a new muscle, a belt or a small pack here and there, moving towards a new arm or leg or something like that.

With the rest of the original sculpt right there alongside where you're working as reference it makes it easier to stick to a certain style and keep proportions around where they should be.

In terms of pure sculpting I have always used any extra putty, after I've done whatever I was doing, to make rocks. I know it sounds silly but you can learn a lot sculpting rocks. Then try making some satchels or rucksacks, maybe some practice pieces of hair or fur texture.

Great advice.

Like several others above, I'd recommend giving Magic-Sculpt a try. You can often find it priced very cheaply at local plastics manufacturers like TAP plastics.

 

[Chrome]

While you're doing this kind of thing even if it seems the end result is a bit pointless you're getting experience in how to push putty around - how to shape it in certain ways, when to do certain kinds of things (some things are best done when the putty is fresh, fine detail is best done when it has cured much more - even as much as two hours later) and when to use a lubricant on your tools and which type works best. This is what it's all about when it comes to developing 'a touch' with a putty, much like the difference between hands-on experience painting versus just reading about a method.

There's exactly how I learned how to do it and how I used to feel about it. Then one day I realised I had become better and then all of a sudden it got just a wee bit more fun.

Start small as Einion stated, it doesn't even have to -be- something as long as you fiddle with the putty, just kneading the stuff in different ways makes you slowly understand more and more about it.

 

[Snotling]

hm, why is Green Stuff so bad to start with? I'm just learning how to scult, too an I allways use GS because.... hm, just the most people do it and it is much cheaper than Brown Stuff or Magic Sculpt.

 

[Einion]

There's exactly how I learned how to do it and how I used to feel about it. Then one day I realised I had become better and then all of a sudden it got just a wee bit more fun.

I suspect it's how a great many miniaturists get started, although the timeframe will vary from years to only months depending on the person.

hm, why is Green Stuff so bad to start with?

It's not bad to start with, it's just not the easiest thing to use.

Many other putties mix more easily, are easier to deal with - less rebound (sometimes none), easier to feather out, much less sticking to tools - and can be more easily sanded and carved if necessary.

...and it is much cheaper than Brown Stuff or Magic Sculpt.

God, no! Obviously it depends on where you buy your putties but MagicSculp can be significantly cheaper, even assuming one buys the Kneadatite in the two rolls (the largest pack commonly available) because you can buy MS in 5lb packs, and even larger.

So 3.5oz for $13 versus 32oz for around $30... unit costs per ounce, 3.7 v. 1 :glasses-nerdy:

Einion

 

[Lyuun]

wow, thanks! i feel encouraged allready! *runs around in circles*
really though. this is great. i'm actually gonna try this stuff, and i'm not giving up on it this time!
@Einion, i can sense you have a quite special bond with your rocks (no kind of pun intended). i admire it, and i will keep it in my mind.

 

[cybersquig]

let me know if you do want in with the sculpt along!

James

 

[bobfinkenaur]

Sculpting Tutorial on YouTube

Here is a link to "How to Sculpt Fantasy Miniatures: Part 1".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-bor7koo_Q

Bob Finkenaur
www.kraftmark.biz

 

[Lyuun]

i just completed seeing all of them, and while yes, i learned a lot, and it was very useful, i didn't care much for his outcome... i especially did not like his painting skills. (and the way he spoke! haha! so distracting...) but even so, i subscribed to his channel. thanks for the link.

that page you have there with the materials and whatnot, do they ship to norway?

 

[mickc22]

If you want something that doesn't go off why not have a plat around with some Polymer clay, the easiest to get hold of at local craft shops seems to be Fimo. Get the Classic to start you off, it's a bit firmer, there are more tips in the Polymer link in my sig