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rgyoung — Dragon WIP
Published: 2009-02-18 07:08:34 +0000 UTC; Views: 3107; Favourites: 31; Downloads: 32
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Description
Just some shots of a sculpture I'm currently working on. Just finished the armature today and am trying something new with this piece.I used some square aluminum tubes (one size fits inside the other) on each of the joints, neck and tail so that I can remove each piece to work on detail more easily. This would also be extremely useful for mold-making if this piece were to be kitted. It's going to be a one-of-a-kind for a longtime friend of mine, so I won't be making any molds, but I can definitely see how useful the process would be for that. I got the idea from a John Brown sculpture DVD from Gnomon, and it's a time-consuming, but fairly easy process.
The base is something I sculpted last week, for this project.
More WIP shots to come as I begin adding clay!
Aluminum wire, aluminum tubing, steel wire plumber's epoxy, and apoxie clay. About 13.5" tall.
Base is sculpey firm with a foil core.
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Comments: 16
Thanks for posting such detailed WiP pics! It really helps with ideas for my own sculpting endeavors - a good armature is not to be taken for granted! I lost one of my favorite sculptures that way TT^TT
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Looking great so far! The joints idea is really good. Last time I tried sculpting I had a lot of trouble getting to some areas because of hands and feet getting in the way so I ended up lifting it in the air and smudging it with my fingers
Your sculptures own.
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I'm very excited to see what it look like when done. be watching for it!
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I plan on updating periodically with more WIP photos, so keep an eye on my scraps if you're curious to see how it's progressing.
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Wow, that's pretty cool... I kinda like it just the way it is XP
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Glad you like how it looks now--but I hope it's going to look much better with some clay on it!
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Square tubing?.....hmmm....interesting..
How do you keep the sections from detaching
while you're working?
Is it a tight fit and friction that keeps it secure?
Im gonna have to look into that process.
It sounds fascinating....and it's the first I've
heard of such a technique.
thanks for sharing..
take care..drive safely
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It's a tight enough fit that friction does keep it secure, for the most part. Also, once I've layered some clay over the joints, there really shouldn't be any wobbling or wiggling. If I want to remove a joint, I will have to cut down to it with some fishing line or a blade, but I'm going to do that before I begin adding detail so that none will be lost in the cutting. I've also got a bolt in the torso (that's what the big blob of plumber's putty behind the front legs is hiding), that will allow me to mount the piece on a threaded rod while I'm sculpting. That will mean that the legs won't really be weight bearing until after the piece is all baked, so I won't have to worry about the tubing slipping. Just before baking, I'm planning on super gluing the joints together. That and the curing process of the sculpey should ensure permanent stability in the joints.
It's the first time I've done this, but it probably won't be the last. If you'd like, I can take a quick closeup of one of the joints so you can see how they work. I don't remember the exact dimensions of the tubing I bought, but most hardware stores have a wide array. A hacksaw or a dremel tool with a sanding disc attachment comes in handy to cut the tubing. Aluminum is what I used, but you can get the same thing in brass as well.
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oh yeah sure I would love to see a closeup
of one of the joints.
Im surprised that I haven't heard of this
process until today. I wonder if Im alone,
cause it's much more intuitive and practical
than cutting through wires.
Im very excited to see the completion of this
piece and to see how beneficial it is to work
in this method.....I can only imagine that
it'll make things easier.
thanks again for the insightful reply.
take care..drive safely
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Ask and you shall receive: [link]
It's cool that you're interested. I haven't seen a ton of people using it, but there are a few folks at the Clubhouse forum that use the method when they're creating pieces for garage kits.
Hope you find the photos useful. Let me know if you have any questions about making these, and happy sculpting.
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oh I see....
so the joint is actually just a small connection
like an actual joint...haha
I thought it might have been larger, or more
elaborate for some reason.
Now if only I can find some reason to apply
it into my own work...haha
I've gotta so confortable with my own methods
that it's often difficult to change, even if
it's for the better.
thanks for the uploading my request.
take care...drive safely
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I definitely hear you about being comfortable with current methods!
The only thing that made me decide to do something different for this piece was realizing that a lot of the detail I wanted to include on this piece (scales on the legs, chest and belly) would be incredibly frustrating, if not impossible to sculpt if I couldn't reach certain places with my tools. Since this is for a friend who has been incredibly supportive of my artwork since I was about 10 or 11, I really want to go crazy with the detailing. I'm just about ready to start adding clay to the armature and should have another WIP photo posted soon. Wish me luck!
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ahh so it's a gift for someone...
..yeah I've always found sculpting gifts
for people to have an added pressure..
...it's no wonder you're going through
all this trouble.
Yes, good luck....but I doubt you'll need it...haha
You're more than capable..
take care...drive safely
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Im very excited to see the results of this one!!!!!!!
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I'm excited to be sculpting it!
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