Sculpting on a flat surface

[Djonma]

I\'m not sure how to explain what I think I need to do, so I\'ll just go for it, and see if people understand!

I want to sculpt something that will sit on a flat surface on a land raider. It\'s going to be a Mark of Tzeentch (slightly more elaborate than simple outline), to go on the bit where I\'ve removed the Imperial Eagle.

However, I want to build the base of it, which will mostly be just the external shape, and then when that\'s cured, add bits to it and sculpt a bit, so it gets the detail I want.

Now, in store, and I\'m sure somewhere here (but I just got my pc back after a couple of months without and so can\'t find my way through my favourites!), I\'ve seen staff members sculpting flat things like banners and reliefs on blisters.

Now, I could do that, lay it all down on a blister. My main question is; how the heck do I get it off the blister and on to the landraider after it\'s all cured properly?

I guess it\'d be like rolling a ball of green stuff / milliput mix (I\'ve decided to start using a mix), then squishing it flat, and cutting out the base shape. Then leaving that shape on the blister, and building up the mark as I need it to be until it\'s ready.
It\'s after that that I\'m confused about!

Thanks!

Nicola

 

[freakinacage]

try talc on the blister, it will stop it sticking

 

[QuietiManes]

Or you could do it on wax paper or plastic wrap (on something flat), they\'ll just peel off afterwards. Tin foil or paper is another option, paper just rubs off if you wet it, if it sticks and wont peel off. Tin foil tends to be problematic with the sticking, mostly due to its tendance to tear, leaving little bits with no edges to grab to pull off. But anywhooo...g\'luck

 

[mickc22]

put some cling film down first, and sculpt it on top of that

 

[Djonma]

Fab, I just bought a huge roll of cling film!
For the kitchen of course, but in this house, anything can end up being used in a gaming way

Nicola

 

[SJB]

If you sculpt it straight on to the blister plastic you can just peel it off once it\'s cured. Greenstuff will stick to plastic enough to stay put but it can be pulled away fairly easily.

 

[freakinacage]

coupled with the fact that blister packs have just enough flex in them, which helps with the peeling off

 

[Djonma]

It\'s going to be a mix of greenstuff and milliput terracotta though, which is why I was really unsure about straight onto blister.

Nicola

 

[Shawn R. L.]

If it\'s not too thin, put your putty on a plastic or metal surface - vinyl is really good. Not much sticks well to it. When the piece is cured, if it\'s thick, you can just take a palette knife and just CAREFULLY pry it off. If your piece is thin, wait till it\'s almost cured and pry it off. Then put it on a flat surface to cure totally.

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by Djonma
It\'s going to be a mix of greenstuff and milliput terracotta though, which is why I was really unsure about straight onto blister.

Nicola

that should make it nice and hard and all the better for prying off, just peel back the blister

 

[Djonma]

Dim question... what\'s a palette knife?
I only have the stupid knife end of the crafting tool GW sell so far.
Trip to B&Q this week will result in a proper stanley knife I think.
Is that the kind of thing I need?
I have some wax sculpting tools for the sculpting / modelling, a ton of files (though they always wander...) and a new treat to myself, an almost dremel with a whole ton of extra attachments.
That\'s been a lot of fun to play with!
Though I don\'t know what all the attachments do yet, I\'m just hoping the drill works into metal properly (it\'s not a proper dremel as they\'re really expensive, but a cheaper mini rotary drill). I really want to have a go at magnetising things.

Hopefully I\'ll come up with a sketch of the tzeentch mark tomorrow and then maybe even start it tomorrow. All depends on how my hand is really, though I can sketch with my right hand, but I don\'t want to try to do any sculpting with only one hand available, bit hard to hold things.
I don\'t even have a vice or anything...

Nicola

 

[mickc22]

Hi Nicola,
this is a Palette knife, although it seems they are called a painting knife these days
http://www.greatart.co.uk/JAXPAINTINGKNIVES-palette-knives.htm

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by mickc22
Hi Nicola,
this is a Palette knife, although it seems they are called a painting knife these days
http://www.greatart.co.uk/JAXPAINTINGKNIVES-palette-knives.htm

kids nowadays eh mick?

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by mickc22
put some cling film down first, and sculpt it on top of that

Winner! This is the simplest way of doing it in my experience.

Any kind of sheet plastic will probably do actually - I\'ve used plastic shopping bags, small bags from computer equipment, acetate - long as it\'s bendy enough to peel from the cured putty without stressing the sculpt too much. But Cling Film is great because it\'s so ultra-thin and flexible.

Einion

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Djonma
Now, in store, and I\'m sure somewhere here (but I just got my pc back after a couple of months without and so can\'t find my way through my favourites!), I\'ve seen staff members sculpting flat things like banners and reliefs on blisters.

Now, I could do that, lay it all down on a blister. My main question is; how the heck do I get it off the blister and on to the landraider after it\'s all cured properly?

Forgot to mention, if you want to sculpt on a blister like this nearly any putty will get slightly more flexible when heated with a hairdryer - should pop right off the surface with only a little gentle coaxing.

You can remove putty from glass jars and 35mm film canisters using a quick heating too, if you find a need to use either as a former (making shields for example).

Einion

 

[donga666]

Originally posted by Einion

You can remove putty from glass jars and 35mm film canisters using a quick heating too, if you find a need to use either as a former (making shields for example).

What a good idea!!! I never thought about that.

I\'m off to find some jars and stuff with the correct curve now

 

[Djonma]

Unfortunately I don\'t own a hair dryer.
Wonder if I could pick a really cheap one up.


Nicola

 

[Shawn R. L.]

You can get hair dryers cheap at thrift stores.

Hot water should also do the trick.

 

[Djonma]

We don\'t have thrift stores over here.
However, a quick glance at the argos website shows they do a cheapie for £3.89. That\'ll do

Nicola

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by Djonma
We don\'t have thrift stores over here.
However, a quick glance at the argos website shows they do a cheapie for £3.89. That\'ll do

Nicola

yeah we do, although they are rare. a cheap 2nd hand job would work