Sculpters are a bunch of liars!

[Mosch]

I HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SCULPT ANYTHING IN FIMO AND THAT ANYONE WHO CLAIMS OTHERWISE HAS IN FACT SCULPTED IN SOME OTHER MATERIAL.

*starts sobbing*

No, really. How do people do it? I have been trying for several days now to make an armature and I keep on failing. I have sculpted in Green Stuff and Miliputt before, and I have also tried Super Sculpey whch Cheryll gave me - all very usable, just not Fimo, which happens to be a) cheap and b) actually available. I use the standard variant; I have used soft, but not for such a delicate task like sculpting a 28mm mini. That stupid putty will stick to my tools, my fingers, but not to my wire, it will rip open somewhere when I try to smooth it and is generally as useful as an enraged mountain goat wearing a neon green party hat with the word \"Doodles\" printed all over it. How am I supposed to sculpt Fimo? Does anyone have any pointers? Or a small stuffed animal I could beat the stuffing out of because I am beginning to feel like the aforementioned mountain goat?

 

[Dragonsreach]

I\'ve only had one experience of trying to scuplt with Fimo and didn\'t find it a problem. (The results were awful though, something to do with lack of talent!)

The book I was using as a guide line recommended starting with a simplictic aramture of rolled up tinfoil on which to build up the shape with Fimo.
I used a few tools, as was suggested, A cut down size 10 knitting needle, and rubber tipped sculpting tools.
But the primary thing was to work larger than you are used to working in order to make things easier for yourself. Start big and then scale down as you get better.

 

[raphaelT]

All you have to do is to put a little green stuff in your armature an then when it is not hardened you put your fimo, wait 2h for the green stuff is hardened, and then you can sculpt far more easily.
This is the secret ;-) (well, and a bit of practice).
Raphael

 

[Ritual]

@raphael
So, you\'re saying cover armature with a bit of green stuff. Put fimo over the green stuff and then let the green stuff cure? Does that mean that the green stuff holds the fimo in place so that it doesn\'t get torn off from the armature when you sculpt it later on?

Welcome to the forums, BTW!

 

[StarFyre]

Well...

the great sculpting tutorial at conceptart.org states with any clay that requires baking, take your armature, then wrap some smaller wire on the main armature to give texture.

My engine for instance uses Apoxysculpt which is very sticky and hardens on it\'s own so no texture needed.

Using Fimo, sculpey, etc you should have some form of texture for it to \'grab\'

Sanjay

 

[raphaelT]

for ritual:
Yes, thats what I mean.
thank you for the happy welcome (even if I am not going to be often on this forum, I am french and to follow an English discussion takes time to me, but if I can sometimes render service, I would do it with pleasure).
I think that this question deserved an answer, this easy way changes the life of the new sculptor.

Raphael

 

[Mosch]

Raphael, a big thanks goes out to you. I took the green stuff idea and modified it by letting the GS cure completely and then taking my approach of testing varnish: Jab at it with a knife. that created an uneven surface that was gripped nicely by the Fimo! That was one useful first post there

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Mosch
I HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SCULPT ANYTHING IN FIMO AND THAT ANYONE WHO CLAIMS OTHERWISE HAS IN FACT SCULPTED IN SOME OTHER MATERIAL.

*starts sobbing*

lol

I feel your pain dude! Bloody hate the stuff myself (Super Sculpey too) but I\'m trying to get used to them by using blends with MagicSculp to ease myself into their weird handling characteristics.

Einion

 

[Shawn R. L.]

I have sculpted with FIMO alot and have had some great results. It is it\'s own thing though. It is something you have to work at and try, fail, try, succeed. With FIMO temperature is a huge factor. When it gets warm it gets sticky. When it\'s cold it is hard. Both can work to your advantage you just have to use it and see how it works. One trick to keeping tools from sticking is to wet the tip often. Wire armatures dont work. It will simply spin or the wire will work around and loosen it self. Wood makes a good base. Dont use styrene. The uncooked FIMO will melt it.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Also............FIMO is useless for trying to do perfectly flat surfaces and once it is baked it\'s not real easy to work.

 

[Mosch]

Orginal gepostet von Shawn R. L.
I have sculpted with FIMO alot and have had some great results. It is it\'s own thing though. It is something you have to work at and try, fail, try, succeed. With FIMO temperature is a huge factor. When it gets warm it gets sticky. When it\'s cold it is hard. Both can work to your advantage you just have to use it and see how it works. One trick to keeping tools from sticking is to wet the tip often. Wire armatures dont work. It will simply spin or the wire will work around and loosen it self. Wood makes a good base. Dont use styrene. The uncooked FIMO will melt it.

Temperature, that might be it. Seeing as I paint and sculpt in the basement, it\'s pretty cold down there, so it doesn\'t stick that well... makes sense.... somewhat.
To grease up my tools, I use the side of my nose (you may now turn away in disbelief). I don\'t do that with my knife, though
For the armature, I have now used a very thin layer of GS and cut a lot of little groves into the surface which seems to work.

By the way: Grerat stuff you have done there, Shawn!