TMNT Build/ Questions

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 12, 2014

• #1

To get myself motivated I thought I'd start a build thread.

I want to sculpt the mask first but have a few questions. Due to price, I'd like to use WED clay but not sure on how much to use. I'm in Sydney, Australia so shipping is expensive. Does anyone know where I could source it out locally? I've seen that 30 pounds would be enough but then I've been told 50 pounds+ is needed. As a major novice in sculpting, I have no idea! This is all new for me! I am so eager to start this!

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 17, 2014

• #2

So I went ahead and used some clay I had and built up a foam head to my head's measurements.



Also I have ordered some WED clay Hopefully that gets here soon! Any tips for when I start to build the shape up?

 

clonesix

Master Member

• Aug 18, 2014

• #3

WED clay is regular water clay, with mineral oil added to slow the drying process. Your regular water clay will work fine, as long as you wrap it in a garbage bag when not sculpting on it. If well sealed, and kept wet, you should be able to sculpt onto it for a year+. yes, that is the plain white clay that you made ash trys out of in preschool. If you purchase it from an art store, it will cost 2x as much as a wholesaler, but still cheaper than having it shipped.

I have a local mineral supply company that sells your basic white clay for $12/50 lbs. quite a deal.

Look up mineral supply. They will deal with gypsum, ceramics, and clay.

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 24, 2014

• #4

clonesix said:

WED clay is regular water clay, with mineral oil added to slow the drying process. Your regular water clay will work fine, as long as you wrap it in a garbage bag when not sculpting on it. If well sealed, and kept wet, you should be able to sculpt onto it for a year+. yes, that is the plain white clay that you made ash trys out of in preschool. If you purchase it from an art store, it will cost 2x as much as a wholesaler, but still cheaper than having it shipped.

I have a local mineral supply company that sells your basic white clay for $12/50 lbs. quite a deal.

Look up mineral supply. They will deal with gypsum, ceramics, and clay.

Click to expand...

I already purchased my clay before seeing this Thanks for the info though

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 25, 2014

• #5

Okay, so I got my clay today and started to work with it. From looking at these photos I've realised that the bandana is a bit thick and too angled. Also I need to build up the back and shape the mouth a bit better. Any critique or help would be greatly appreciated!

Also, what eyes should I be buying/using? I'm totally in the dark about how to place them in the mask.

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 25, 2014

• #6

Sorry for the double post!

Here it is now with the mouth built up and the bandana slimmed down. To me I think it's ready for smoothing but want to see if anyone has anything to say about doing more to it Would love any feedback at all!

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 26, 2014

• #7

Small update!

Fixed a couple of things. Slimmed down the bandana some more. Still need to decide what I'm doing for the mouth :/

Also sourced out all my molding/casting materials today and will have them on order soon. Have decided to go with a latex mould with a plaster mother mould

Here's hoping someone has something to say, anything!

 

batfan10

Sr Member

• Aug 27, 2014

• #8

Looking pretty good! When I did mine I would take a photo and over lap a screen shot to make sure I have shapes and angles right

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 27, 2014

• #9

batfan10 said:

Looking pretty good! When I did mine I would take a photo and over lap a screen shot to make sure I have shapes and angles right

Click to expand...

Thanks! Will try that out asap

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 27, 2014

• #10

I've done a bit more, but not picture worthy. I live in Aus so here the new movie hasn't come out yet. It comes out September 11th. I'd love to have this done in time for that. So that gives me 2 weeks to mould, cast and paint this!

I would love to texture this, but not sure if I'd have enough time to buy a stamp so does anyone know any easy ways to texture this without a stamp?

 

JPH

Sr Member

• Aug 27, 2014

• #11

just my 2 cents,

why not sculpt the head, but use real fabric for a bandana/mask later?

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 27, 2014

• #12

JPH said:

just my 2 cents,

why not sculpt the head, but use real fabric for a bandana/mask later?

Click to expand...

The orginial movie sculpts had the bandana sculpted on there and then after it was casted the fabric would be put over it so it gave it the raised/eyebrows look

 

Dericrw

Well-Known Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Aug 27, 2014

• #13

Keep it up man! I would keep reworking the angles and shape of the head. Not sure what look your going for though? For such a simple shape it can be hard to get it right. Simplicity isn't easy.

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 27, 2014

• #14

Dericrw said:

Keep it up man! I would keep reworking the angles and shape of the head. Not sure what look your going for though? For such a simple shape it can be hard to get it right. Simplicity isn't easy.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I recently read through your whole thread and the turtles look amazing!

I'm not really going for a specific turtle, more like all four into one kinda thing. I took inspiration off of Sync's TMNT sculpt

 

B

BoltFX

Active Member

• Aug 28, 2014

• #15

Good start. What I would do in between each session is take photos and then in Photoshop move around aspects to figure out where I was wrong. My current 2014 Leo sculpt is the same way.

Keep it up. Right now I can definitely tell you need to bring the eyes out more toward the mouth. Too far back right now. Have fun!

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Aug 29, 2014

• #16

Sync said:

Good start. What I would do in between each session is take photos and then in Photoshop move around aspects to figure out where I was wrong. My current 2014 Leo sculpt is the same way.

Keep it up. Right now I can definitely tell you need to bring the eyes out more toward the mouth. Too far back right now. Have fun!

Click to expand...

I have took your advice on board and took the bandana down! It looks a whole lot better I think! Also re-worked the mouth

I played around on photoshop a bit and even coloured it in to see which colour bandana fits the best. I think so far Donatello suits this guy the best so far





Hopefully someone can help me with this but I'm not sure how to mold this? I was thinking just latex mold it in a two part mold with a plaster shell? In other TMNT builds like Sync's, I think they've used something called a stone mold? I have to do more research on it but would like to know if anyone would advise one or the other. Thanks!

 

Last edited: Aug 29, 2014

JWMines

Active Member

• Sep 1, 2014

• #17

Okay, more progress!

I've brang the bandana in on both sides and added eyes (ping pong balls). Thanks for the idea batfan One has an iris just to get the feel. Also added 'eyelids'. I think when I cast it I'll cut the eyes out and fit some others that I'll be getting soon hopefully!





I love the look it's taking on but I'm still open for critique

I found this pattern in the arm supports in my desk chair. So I'm going to just layer a couple of layers of latex on and then pull of to make a latex texture stamp, fingers crossed.



(Sorry about bad photo)

 

Dericrw

Well-Known Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Sep 5, 2014

• #18

The texture stamp should work great! nice find

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Sep 6, 2014

• #19

Texture stamp took a bit too long to dry so I used some styrofoam recommended by batfan. It worked great!

This was the sculpt before I started the molding process:

View attachment ImageUploadedByTapatalk1410051508.270752.jpg







As I type this it now has it's third layer of latex on it. Going to do 20 layers before I start a mothermold. Hoping to get most of it knocked over today

 

JWMines

Active Member

• Sep 11, 2014

• #20

Molding finished and it looks like a sucess! Now to try and cast it









Any ideas on how to cast it?

I was thinking pouring the latex in, giving it a full rotation and then pouring the excess out? Then repeat that a few times.