Some more sculpting questions...

[tubachris85x]

Sorry if I am asking too much, but just need some tips :eek

Ive been sculpting a helmet, my first time ever, using plasticine clay. Ive been told that water wont really affect it much, as far as smoothing, but Ive been having minimal results using a sponge and alot of patience. The next thing Ive tried, has been a smooth flat strip of styrene plastic. This only really helps on large areas, but must not have alot of detail.

Im just really stump as to how to get the clay smooth enough. Right now, it's not so much sculpting the details as it is smoothing it out. Ive yet however to try any chemical, such as a citrus cleaner.


My next quesion is getting symetry. lol one thing Ive learned in my life, is that I can get one side of somthing looking really good, but when I have to do the same on the other, I can never get it to look right. Ive been taking measurements and what not to help, but I feel that its just not going to turn out right.

Ive heard somewhere, I cant remember, but for a TK helmet that was made, they sculpted one side, molded it, and was able to cast it, only in reverse, to make the other side of the face?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

-TC

 

[DarkHelmet]

There are all sorts of curved smoothing tools for clay. For plasticine, you can use a citrus solvent (citra solve), isopropyl rubbing alcohol, or natural turpenoid to smooth it out. Don't use a lot as it will gum up. Use a hair drying to soften it up.

A lot of sculptors use mirrors to help with symmetry, but unless you have a computer and a CNC machine, don't expect it to be perfect.

The original Vader mask was full of symmetry flaws, but no one really notices unless you want to pick it apart.

 

[Tim Allen]

There are all sorts of curved smoothing tools for clay. For plasticine, you can use a citrus solvent (citra solve), isopropyl rubbing alcohol, or natural turpenoid to smooth it out. Don't use a lot as it will gum up. Use a hair drying to soften it up.

A lot of sculptors use mirrors to help with symmetry, but unless you have a computer and a CNC machine, don't expect it to be perfect.

The original Vader mask was full of symmetry flaws, but no one really notices unless you want to pick it apart.

As said above use turpentine or something along those lines, I typically use old t-shirts and tear them up into small pieces. Then soak up the shirt and ring it out of the turentine and smooth the clay untill the shirt gets gummy, then ring it out and repeat. To get that glass smooth finish also, as said above, use a hair dryers at a safe distance. I use a very very thin piece of tin metal cut into various shapes, its very bendable so you can change the shape of it as you shave off layers. Typically Ill use a shaving loop tool to get it fairly even, then use the tin sheats to get it as smooth as I can, continue with the turpentine and hair dryer for the glassy smooth finish

 

[Reactor drone]

Those kitchen scouring pad can be good for taking down small bumps on curved or hard to get at places before you smooth the surface.

It is difficult to get really smooth surfaces on plasticene though,even with the harder grades.

 

[fettster]

you need some sculpting rakes, i make my own from curved hack saw blades.

also, wire brushes work well, ( the ones for cleaning tools). my advice would be to powder the sculpt with talc, the go over it with the rakes/brush. the talc will prevent the little balls of clay made by the raking sticking to the sculpt, then give it a good going over with lighter fluid.

as for symmetry, i use photoshop overlays. take a photo of the sculpt head on, load it in photoshop, copy half of it , flip it and impose it over the other side, then make it 50% transparent and you will be able to see the imperfections.

hope that helps

 

[tubachris85x]

Thank you guys for your tips and suggestions! Gonna try a combination of everything, and will report back!