Hello everyone.
Well, like probably many of you, I stumbled upon theRPF while browsing one day and I have been crazy hooked ever since.
My main area of interest for content is Star Wars, but I do love most sci-fi.
This is my first post to theRPF, so I figured I'd start out with a doozie: Han In Carbonite.
A couple things you should know:
1) I have only ever sculpted once before, and that was about 20 years ago, so this is mostly a practice right for now to see if I can actually handle this new-to-me medium. I do have plenty of experience in other forms of visual art, like drawing, but this is working in a brand new way that is for the most part fairly alien to me. If it's anything like painting, this post could end up in the disaster archives... speaking of which, maybe one of those should be started (for posterity, for the tears, and for the laughs). Regardless, I will probably retread much ground that is newb stuff for all you pros, but hopefully my bumpy ride will help inform other newbs.
2) I originally wanted to "simply" create an HIC with prefabbed parts. I know there are usually a few different options floating around the junkyard or in the Runs category where I could pick up Han, side panels, perhaps even a chassis. Once enough time had passed though, I decided, at least for the front, a real challenge would be to attempt a new sculpt.
3) I'm not yet decided on whether to sculpt the carbonite overflow spill patterns. Seems daunting. Plus, I am not sure I can find an image of the screen-used HIC that is hi-res enough to give me the info I need.
4) I really don't know what I'm doing with this.
Anyway, my first step was to get a model, preferably in 3D, and I found this cast of Han's face from HauntedStudios.com. They claim it is pulled from a mold taken from the original screen-used prop. Okay, which one, Empire or Jedi? In my research I have also read that there are even touring HIC's, so this may not be the most accurate model from which to begin.
Oh well, gotta start somewhere. Here is the Han Solo face from carbonite freezing:
Looks pretty good. Harrison Ford apparently has a small face/head.
HauntedStudios informs you once you receive the cast, that the cast is resin, but then they also spray the outside with a few layers of some sort of clear coat. This makes it difficult to view super delicate details like pores (if there are any).
However, overall, I am impressed with the cast.
Next, I researched the best type of clay to use. I read about a lot of different clays and preferences as well as advantages and disadvantages of each type. I settled on one of two types: water-based WED clay and oil-based Chavant NSP Medium. Based on the total amount of time I setting aside to this project, I wanted something that could take possible long periods of waiting around, and yet would hold detail well, be somewhat easy to handle and manipulate, and would not collapse under its own weight too much.
Here is what I ended up ordering:
Here are the cheapo tools I ordered from China for $1.50. The quality of the tools is apparent also, especially that one with the wires coming out the ends. And by "quality" I mean "complete lack of quality".
This first sculpt will not be a final piece, but is more about getting me back in the swing of exercising dormant parts of my brain, and seeing how well I can handle this type of clay and/or sculpting at all.
I figured at first I would start with something simple and go against everything I've ever heard about scuplting and start focusing in on one area:
Again, this is only going to be a test run, testing my own skills, and not testing the final piece.
At first I did not like using the NSP because it is very hard at room temperature.
Also, wooden tools tend to hold onto the NSP leaving crumbs and sometimes even pulling away areas that I don't want pulled away. Fortunately, I ended up not using the tools very often and have found, at least at this stage, that using my fingers and pressure tends to push the NSP where I need it to go. This is definitely a patient or persistent person's medium.
Also, I really need to get one of those clay cutting wires.
Here I am still building up the face.
I have read that first, it is smartest (for proportion's sake) to get the basic general shape of the head before doing what I am doing. I certainly can see the benefit of doing that and will do so on the final real piece.
And of course, always comparing back to my model for reference:
Well, that's it for now. I think on this practice sculpt, I will go up to the hair (from the nose) and just work on the side of the face (on our left), to further try out sculpting/blending techniques.
Thanks for checking this out.
Well, like probably many of you, I stumbled upon theRPF while browsing one day and I have been crazy hooked ever since.
My main area of interest for content is Star Wars, but I do love most sci-fi.
This is my first post to theRPF, so I figured I'd start out with a doozie: Han In Carbonite.
A couple things you should know:
1) I have only ever sculpted once before, and that was about 20 years ago, so this is mostly a practice right for now to see if I can actually handle this new-to-me medium. I do have plenty of experience in other forms of visual art, like drawing, but this is working in a brand new way that is for the most part fairly alien to me. If it's anything like painting, this post could end up in the disaster archives... speaking of which, maybe one of those should be started (for posterity, for the tears, and for the laughs). Regardless, I will probably retread much ground that is newb stuff for all you pros, but hopefully my bumpy ride will help inform other newbs.
2) I originally wanted to "simply" create an HIC with prefabbed parts. I know there are usually a few different options floating around the junkyard or in the Runs category where I could pick up Han, side panels, perhaps even a chassis. Once enough time had passed though, I decided, at least for the front, a real challenge would be to attempt a new sculpt.
3) I'm not yet decided on whether to sculpt the carbonite overflow spill patterns. Seems daunting. Plus, I am not sure I can find an image of the screen-used HIC that is hi-res enough to give me the info I need.
4) I really don't know what I'm doing with this.
Anyway, my first step was to get a model, preferably in 3D, and I found this cast of Han's face from HauntedStudios.com. They claim it is pulled from a mold taken from the original screen-used prop. Okay, which one, Empire or Jedi? In my research I have also read that there are even touring HIC's, so this may not be the most accurate model from which to begin.
Oh well, gotta start somewhere. Here is the Han Solo face from carbonite freezing:
Looks pretty good. Harrison Ford apparently has a small face/head.
HauntedStudios informs you once you receive the cast, that the cast is resin, but then they also spray the outside with a few layers of some sort of clear coat. This makes it difficult to view super delicate details like pores (if there are any).
However, overall, I am impressed with the cast.
Next, I researched the best type of clay to use. I read about a lot of different clays and preferences as well as advantages and disadvantages of each type. I settled on one of two types: water-based WED clay and oil-based Chavant NSP Medium. Based on the total amount of time I setting aside to this project, I wanted something that could take possible long periods of waiting around, and yet would hold detail well, be somewhat easy to handle and manipulate, and would not collapse under its own weight too much.
Here is what I ended up ordering:
Here are the cheapo tools I ordered from China for $1.50. The quality of the tools is apparent also, especially that one with the wires coming out the ends. And by "quality" I mean "complete lack of quality".
This first sculpt will not be a final piece, but is more about getting me back in the swing of exercising dormant parts of my brain, and seeing how well I can handle this type of clay and/or sculpting at all.
I figured at first I would start with something simple and go against everything I've ever heard about scuplting and start focusing in on one area:
Again, this is only going to be a test run, testing my own skills, and not testing the final piece.
At first I did not like using the NSP because it is very hard at room temperature.
Also, wooden tools tend to hold onto the NSP leaving crumbs and sometimes even pulling away areas that I don't want pulled away. Fortunately, I ended up not using the tools very often and have found, at least at this stage, that using my fingers and pressure tends to push the NSP where I need it to go. This is definitely a patient or persistent person's medium.
Also, I really need to get one of those clay cutting wires.
Here I am still building up the face.
I have read that first, it is smartest (for proportion's sake) to get the basic general shape of the head before doing what I am doing. I certainly can see the benefit of doing that and will do so on the final real piece.
And of course, always comparing back to my model for reference:
Well, that's it for now. I think on this practice sculpt, I will go up to the hair (from the nose) and just work on the side of the face (on our left), to further try out sculpting/blending techniques.
Thanks for checking this out.
