SovereignOne
New Member
Any updates to your work.
Any updates to your work.
... So you have your Facebook linked here. Would it be okay for me to try, and friend request or do you have a Fan page?
Looking pretty amazing so far !
what are you going to use for the tubing on the side ? are you gong to sculpt it in or use actual tubing?
[url]http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/Kryptonian2012/gi-joe-retaliation-cobra-commander-helmet-13_zpszx5l4zyr.jpg[/URL]
...what are you going to use for the tubing on the side ? are you gong to sculpt it in or use actual tubing?
http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums...ion-cobra-commander-helmet-13_zpszx5l4zyr.jpg
There is no real world tubing that I know of for this, so it has to be a sculpted piece. I am planning on making the vents functional though with metal mesh inserts.
This looks amazing! Also if you don't mind me asking, what did you use for the base armature. I'm working on my first helmet and waiting on a life cast and am curious about what methods people use to start their sculpt.
To put it simply, where do you start? What's at the base of the helmet?
i'm very much a detail freak hahaha which is why it takes me forever before I troop a costume with the 501st hahaha .... I was going to ask if you were planning on using the metal mesh, very excited to see that you are going as close to exact as possible ! makes for an even more exciting build.
This looks amazing! Also if you don't mind me asking, what did you use for the base armature. I'm working on my first helmet and waiting on a life cast and am curious about what methods people use to start their sculpt.
To put it simply, where do you start? What's at the base of the helmet?
There is no real world tubing that I know of for this, so it has to be a sculpted piece. I am planning on making the vents functional though with metal mesh inserts.
In the past I've used the foam armatures from Monster Makers, but their armatures are so damn small that my helmets kept coming out undersized. So for this helmet I went in a totally different direction and did a clay pour into an old Rocketeer mold. Once I had the clay built up about 2-3 inches thick I then laid in a few layers of plaster bandages. That gave me a nice hard core that could rest on the steel pipe on the sculpting stand without punching through, and enough clay that I wouldn't run the risk of carving too deep that I ran into the armature.
If you are starting with a life cast though, I would use the two-clay method to insure you get it sized correctly. This means that you first lay down a layer of a contrasting clay over your entire life cast that will act as a visible boundary, warning you not to carve past. For instance, I would lay out a 1/2" thick layer in Kleen Klay over my life cast so that I know I will have room for padding, etc, and to correct for an overly small armature. You then lay out a layer of your working clay (in my case NSP Med) and begin building up your sculpt.
The key is that your two clays need to be starkly different colors. That way, you can tell if you've carved down too far if you hit the clay underneath.
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For the prototype, definitely. Whether or not I include metal mesh with kits will depend on whether or not I can find a reliable supply of it.
Thank you for the great notes! I've been thinking about slush casting a base with clay to get started. Did the plaster bandages render any of the clay unusable? The note on the color change is a great one I'll keep in mind. I currently have 6lbs of NSP Medium and think I'll go grab another (oil based?) clay as well.In the past I've used the foam armatures from Monster Makers, but their armatures are so damn small that my helmets kept coming out undersized. So for this helmet I went in a totally different direction and did a clay pour into an old Rocketeer mold. Once I had the clay built up about 2-3 inches thick I then laid in a few layers of plaster bandages. That gave me a nice hard core that could rest on the steel pipe on the sculpting stand without punching through, and enough clay that I wouldn't run the risk of carving too deep that I ran into the armature.
If you are starting with a life cast though, I would use the two-clay method to insure you get it sized correctly. This means that you first lay down a layer of a contrasting clay over your entire life cast that will act as a visible boundary, warning you not to carve past. For instance, I would lay out a 1/2" thick layer in Kleen Klay over my life cast so that I know I will have room for padding, etc, and to correct for an overly small armature. You then lay out a layer of your working clay (in my case NSP Med) and begin building up your sculpt.
The key is that your two clays need to be starkly different colors. That way, you can tell if you've carved down too far if you hit the clay underneath.
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For the prototype, definitely. Whether or not I include metal mesh with kits will depend on whether or not I can find a reliable supply of it.
Thank you for the great notes! I've been thinking about slush casting a base with clay to get started. Did the plaster bandages render any of the clay unusable? ...
Oh yeah. I won't forget the feeling on my first sculpting day when I microwaved a brick for 3 minutes and accidentally sunk my fingers into the middle where I realized it was basically Lava Cake. Looks like I'll be needing some Spatulas hahaKeep in mind that molten clay is seriously hot and dangerous. In fact too dangerous to slush cast. Best to pour clay into the mold and then use spatulas to splash it up the sides of the mold to build thickness.
And no, nothing really makes oil clays unusable.
Had a chance to work more on this helmet ? I know how much work can interfere with down time relaxation haha
Yes, been working on it steadily. I'm just not big on posting constant picture updates, especially when it is fine tuning subtle details that don't show up well on camera.