\" staff sculptor \" can you make a decent living? And how do you do it?
- Thread starter SIGIL
- Start date
SJB
New member
Well, I wasn\'t saying that there are no advantages to working in polymer clays like FIMO. But I still say there\'s nothing in a Rackham figure that cannot be done in green.
Sharp edges in green can easily be achieved after curing using a scalpel and the whole adding folds and so forth can be solved with foreward planning.
And the \'draping\' that Rackham do with fabrics (as I understand it), I have done with epoxies, including green. Not as easy I grant you of course.
I guess neither of us are exactly wrong in this. Depending on material, you just take a different route to the same result.
But, if you are trying to break into the industry as a sculptor I\'d really not recommend sculpting in Polymer Clay. Most companies only work with full heat vulcanised moulds. I think finding work doing our scales in Polymers will be more of an uphill struggle.
Steve B
Sharp edges in green can easily be achieved after curing using a scalpel and the whole adding folds and so forth can be solved with foreward planning.
And the \'draping\' that Rackham do with fabrics (as I understand it), I have done with epoxies, including green. Not as easy I grant you of course.
I guess neither of us are exactly wrong in this. Depending on material, you just take a different route to the same result.
But, if you are trying to break into the industry as a sculptor I\'d really not recommend sculpting in Polymer Clay. Most companies only work with full heat vulcanised moulds. I think finding work doing our scales in Polymers will be more of an uphill struggle.
Steve B
kittykat23uk
New member
Thats a really good point actually. I think I work better with Sculpey because you can work it a lot longer and change things without worrying that it\'ll harden. It also holds its shape really nicely. If I get the armature right next time then I might not have the same issues over cracking that I had with the above piece. However, I\'d like learn how to use GS better as well. But at the moment I spend so much time working and painting that I don\'t really do much sculpting. Maybe if I get painter burn out then I\'ll move to sculpting for a while but thats not very likely atm.
yeah i see your point steve, just responding to sigil saying that he wanted to work for rackham.
green is still the industry standard, but fror a company to use \"low temp\" all they have to do is ask thier supplier for a different rubber, there is no other tooling involved.
anyway besides that i still use green for about 99% of my work
hugs
seth
green is still the industry standard, but fror a company to use \"low temp\" all they have to do is ask thier supplier for a different rubber, there is no other tooling involved.
anyway besides that i still use green for about 99% of my work
hugs
seth
QuietiManes
New member
Just a note on polymer clays.
I\'ve used them a fair bit, not for anything of 28mm scale though. Anyway it took me a while to figure this out so I thought I\'d pass it on. Sculpey is much easier to find around here than Fimo. And Fimo costs more than Sculpey III which comes in a tonne of colours, so I bought a bunch of it, sadly. I\'d highly recomend if you do buy some, go for the more expensive Super Sculpey (there are different types of Sculpey) or Fimo. The Sculpey III is made to be more \"user friendly\", it\'s easier to condition and as a result is softer once ready for use. So soft that fingerprints are left in the clay at the slightest touch, you can combat this by cooling the clay in the fridge/freezer, but this is a real pain since it takes all of 3 seconds to heat up again in small pieces.
If you have a pasta roller the extra ease in conditioning the clay is a moot point. I highly recomend one if you\'re going to be using a polymer clay and can find/afford one. Also if you\'re doing 28mm figs, you\'d probably be mixing very small portions so it wouldn\'t make as much difference.
Anyway, I just really appreciate the more expensive stuff and figured I\'d share my input. The cheaper stuff is really just too soft, I couldn\'t imagine trying to do a cape or face in it, it\'d be like working with mud.
I\'ve used them a fair bit, not for anything of 28mm scale though. Anyway it took me a while to figure this out so I thought I\'d pass it on. Sculpey is much easier to find around here than Fimo. And Fimo costs more than Sculpey III which comes in a tonne of colours, so I bought a bunch of it, sadly. I\'d highly recomend if you do buy some, go for the more expensive Super Sculpey (there are different types of Sculpey) or Fimo. The Sculpey III is made to be more \"user friendly\", it\'s easier to condition and as a result is softer once ready for use. So soft that fingerprints are left in the clay at the slightest touch, you can combat this by cooling the clay in the fridge/freezer, but this is a real pain since it takes all of 3 seconds to heat up again in small pieces.
If you have a pasta roller the extra ease in conditioning the clay is a moot point. I highly recomend one if you\'re going to be using a polymer clay and can find/afford one. Also if you\'re doing 28mm figs, you\'d probably be mixing very small portions so it wouldn\'t make as much difference.
Anyway, I just really appreciate the more expensive stuff and figured I\'d share my input. The cheaper stuff is really just too soft, I couldn\'t imagine trying to do a cape or face in it, it\'d be like working with mud.
Cerridwyn1st
New member
Originally posted by waxfive
if you work for rackham then you do have to move to france, montreuil sous bois in paris to be exact.
and that ladies and gentlemen is why i\'m still in blighty and had to turn rackham down. so you wont see any rackham figures by me
hugs
seth
p.s. i will try to get scans done of an example of a fimo figure up soon
OMG, you have to move to PARIS?
Where do I sign up? Cerridwyn1st
New member
Suggestion from Dominic
Got an email back from Dominic Heutelbeck after I mentioned the thread on this board. He suggested joining the 1ListSculpting mailinglist on yahoogroups.
I think someone else mentioned this group earlier in the thread.
Hope this helps, SIGIL. Good luck!
Got an email back from Dominic Heutelbeck after I mentioned the thread on this board. He suggested joining the 1ListSculpting mailinglist on yahoogroups.
I think someone else mentioned this group earlier in the thread.
Hope this helps, SIGIL. Good luck!
Impernouncable
New member
Regarding dynamic drapery and epoxy putty.
Have you guys seen Werner Klockes recent greens? He\'s been using bent and folded brass sheet to define the basic shape of his more fanciful draperies. I thought it was quite innovative.
Have you guys seen Werner Klockes recent greens? He\'s been using bent and folded brass sheet to define the basic shape of his more fanciful draperies. I thought it was quite innovative.
Cerridwyn1st
New member
Drapery, ETC.
Where would you go to see this? Is it on the Reaper site? Werner does a lot of stuff for them.
Where would you go to see this? Is it on the Reaper site? Werner does a lot of stuff for them.
Wow this thread has evolved so much more than I had hoped. Many thanks guys, I REALLY appreciate all the great advice.
A move to Paris huh? You would not be able to disclose a wage figure would you Waxfive?
I attempted working with my sculpey a bit more last night.................. I am hooked on GS.
It does everything I want it to do so well that working with the sculpey just felt pointless. Oh well to each their own I suppose.So does Rackham ever contract free lancers?
And thanks for the syggestions everyone. I am trying to follow all the advice and read all the reference provided, but the minis require so much time, and I just cannot tear my slef away sometimes.
Dynamic drapery in green stuff...
Flamer Sister
and
Sister Superior
If you caught the rotating bikers I posted in flash on another tread you can see it in 28mm too. You can do dynamic folds in any media with practice. If you want dynamic folds that are beyond belief track down Da Vinci\'s drapery studies that he did as a young art student. They are stunning!
Flamer Sister
and
Sister Superior
If you caught the rotating bikers I posted in flash on another tread you can see it in 28mm too. You can do dynamic folds in any media with practice. If you want dynamic folds that are beyond belief track down Da Vinci\'s drapery studies that he did as a young art student. They are stunning!
Impernouncable
New member
Yes. I would provide a more specific link, but the Reaper site is down at this time.
another trick for flyaway drapery is to smooth green through aluminium mesh and let it dry. it makes a thin yet quite ridgid base for things.
unfortunatly rackham dont freelance, this is because they require being able to have an imput on the sculpt right from the start (another reason why they use a material that does\'nt dry)
as for how much do they pay, well any sculptor will tell you that it\'s never enough
the best reference that i have for drapery is burne hogarths dynamic drapery, its a follow on from dynamic anatomy which is a must for anyone who needs anatomy reference.
unfortunatly rackham dont freelance, this is because they require being able to have an imput on the sculpt right from the start (another reason why they use a material that does\'nt dry)
as for how much do they pay, well any sculptor will tell you that it\'s never enough
the best reference that i have for drapery is burne hogarths dynamic drapery, its a follow on from dynamic anatomy which is a must for anyone who needs anatomy reference.
Wages and medium
I have been studying how much money one can get out of this jobs (painting and sculpting ) for some time now...
You can make a fair living $$$ but only if you rank among the best.... wich is really hard with painting, but easier with sculpting, since there aren\'t a lot of sculptors out there...
Anyhow expect 10 to 20$ per hour maximum... for painting most of the \"nice\" minis will go for a mere 5$/hour
Hence you\'ll earn between 1500 to 3000$ a month... if you are good to excellent...
Then it will depend on your country taxes and IRS... : in France you\'ll give away 30 to 50% of this money to the government : RIP OFF
Maybe the most famous artists will get more (I think that some Golden Demon pro painters earn up to 5000$ a month)but it\'s a matter of talent, fame and luck... not easy to get such a package
For sculpey or fimo, I tried them : they suck IMHO : to soft, you can crush your work anytime
... with some practice and bulleyes you\'ll have wonderfull and fine result with Greenstuff...
As said above, do not hesitate to mix metal foil, wire or other minis elements (blades, heads) you will save a lot of time and effort....
I have been studying how much money one can get out of this jobs (painting and sculpting ) for some time now...
You can make a fair living $$$ but only if you rank among the best.... wich is really hard with painting, but easier with sculpting, since there aren\'t a lot of sculptors out there...
Anyhow expect 10 to 20$ per hour maximum... for painting most of the \"nice\" minis will go for a mere 5$/hour
Hence you\'ll earn between 1500 to 3000$ a month... if you are good to excellent...
Then it will depend on your country taxes and IRS... : in France you\'ll give away 30 to 50% of this money to the government : RIP OFF
Maybe the most famous artists will get more (I think that some Golden Demon pro painters earn up to 5000$ a month)but it\'s a matter of talent, fame and luck... not easy to get such a package
For sculpey or fimo, I tried them : they suck IMHO : to soft, you can crush your work anytime
... with some practice and bulleyes you\'ll have wonderfull and fine result with Greenstuff...
As said above, do not hesitate to mix metal foil, wire or other minis elements (blades, heads) you will save a lot of time and effort....
