Sculptalong…putting my feelers out…
Hey,
I’ve had an idea and I’d love to know what you think…One of the things I’d wanted to do when I set this blog up is to run a ’sculptalong’ event. It’s where we journey through the process of sculpting, from start to finish, doing a little bit each day, or week or whatever, and picking up the skills and techniques required along the way. So, to give an example, an early post would be ‘making the armature’, where I would demonstrate through pictures and text, just how to make an armature. You would then give it a shot, and I would be on hand via email, pm, carrier pigeon or face to face meeting to help you out when you needed it. That’s what makes this better than learning to sculpt from a book or dvd, however good they are, because we can discuss your, my and each others progress along the way, support an encourage each other, and produce something unique and wonderful at the end of it.
The way I see it at the minute would be as a weekly thing, so that it isn’t a drain on your time particularly (maybe an hour a week or something if you’re going to do it properly). This is good because you can fit it around different things, and so that if you choose to practice something a few times, then you can do that just fine. Trust me, it’s a freeing thing to know that the next conversion you do could be absolutely anything, because if you don’t have the pieces, you can just sculpt them yourself.
What do you think? Would you be interested in doing something like that? Maybe you’ve never picked up putty before in your life, that’s fine, I’ll make sure you’re set with tools and materials well in advance of the starting date, along with a bunch of information that it’s good to have, like an understanding of different putty and tool types and their uses. I will make sure that it is possible to go along with this with as little money spent as possible, by looting tools, materials and equipment from around the house wherever possible. Maybe you’ve done this a fair amount, well then isn’t it nice to swap techniques, hints and tips? I bet you’ve got some great ones to share, and I’d sure love to learn some of them from you.
If we go ahead with this, then I will be careful to write each stage as something that can be followed either to the letter, where you produce the same mini as I do (in this case, the ‘Mad Hatter’ from my forthcoming range ‘Malice in Wonderland’), and also so that you can use the general principles in your different mini.
Never done a full sculpt before? Well it’s not as scary as you think, and I really would like to break down some of the preconceptions about the ‘arcane art of miniature sculpting’, this isn’t some sort of super complex skilful alchemy, this is just like painting, in that it’s a bunch of tricks and techniques to get the best effect possible.I could also offer some sort of prize for each of the people who finish their sculpt as a result of the sculptalong. Not sure what though, maybe a web badge, some miniatures or a voucher or something J I’ll have a look at that properly later. In the mean time, any takers?
James
ps. I can have it set up so that any participants can have their pictures uploaded for critique by the other participants if desired, and I can set it so that you recieve notifications of each post either in your email inbox, on facebook, on twitter or whatever is most convenient to you. Hope that helps! Go on, you know you want to really 
Edit: I now have the preparation posts up, you can find them here:
What’s going to happen when and which putty to use
[New Post] Sculptalong…putting my feelers out… – via @twitoaster http://griffinguides.com/sculptalong-put…
via Twitoaster
Awesome idea! I would love to doe this. Can your first post be a list of materials we’ll need so we have a week or so to assemble the necessary tools, wires, putty, etc? Thanks.
That’s exactly what I intend to do… I’ll write it tonight for y’all
Cybersquig´s last blog ..Sculptalong…putting my feelers out…
Love to join I have sculpting tools and some gs but not the procreate
I also have pre done armatures from ming hua in 28mm size but they look so small
You’re most welcome! I’ve had a look at your site, it’ll be a pleasure to have you on board. Thanks for the reminder of the armature/dolly thing – I’ll cover the pros and cons of each in one of my ‘preparation’ posts.
[...] so excited! this is the first Sculpt along post (if you don’t know what I’m writing about, click here). I know, I know, many of you aren’t even close to ready to sculpt, but what we can do here [...]
Hey I’m game! I have just decided to put some effort into learning to sculpt – bought a lot of stuff like tools, putties, Fimo, etc…so i’m ready to go! AND EAGER!!!
awesome Dims, that’s great! consider yourself signed up
This is a great idea count me in.
I would like to sign up as well, this sounds neat.
Hi James. A Sculpt along! Sounds like fun! I’ve done about 5 sculpts now (http://www.displacedminiatures.com/Swordlord/gallery/1019/) but all quite amateur. I basically find lack of time and inspiration as biggest obstacles to doing more sculpting. I find painting figures easier when I actually have some free time – but hopefully christmas will mean I have some time to do this.
Great Eric, you’re on board. Welcome!
No problem Brian, its good to have you on board.
Love the Boghead Justin, great fun, and nice posing! I’m only really after an hour a week or so with this, so it’s not the biggest investment of your time. Plus having others around doing the same thing should help with the motivation thing. As for the inspiration, well if you like you can simply follow my ‘mad hatter’ project from start to finish, so you don’t have to ‘get your concept’ in quite the same way. It’d be great to have you on side for this, you’ve obviously already got a fair bit of skill!
I think this is a fantastic idea. I’d love to join in, I’ve never done anything more than fill gaps with fur etc so I’d certainly be up for doing more, cheers.
Great stuff, you’re in!
I have been thinking about trying my hand a sculpting for a little while now. Something like this is exactly what I needed.
Thanks!
Fantastic, welcome aboard Jim!
James
I’d love to get in on this as well. Sounds like fun can I play to ?
I would love to be involved. I have done mostly conversions and a few from-scratch sculpts. Follows is a page that shows my current skill level, limited though it is: http://www.how-to-paint-miniatures.com/article-conversion-greenstuff-dragonborn.html
It would be great to get some real-world advice from a pro. Count me in! Take care, Cybersquig.
‘Course you can Joey, a pleasure to have you around
This sounds like a fun learning experiance, I’m game to give it a try. I have sculpted before commercally for reaper, but all on the computer, I have always wanted to improve my hand skills.
awesome stuff, happy to have you in the game. Man, I’d love the opportunity to work sculpting on a computer. Still, till then we’ve got our putty right? pleasure to have you on board.
I am game!! Please drop me an email, looking forward to starting!
great! happy to have you in
Sorry Steve, your comment got caught in my spam filter. probably due to your email address! consider yourself in, although I presume you and Cajur are the same person?
if so, sorry for the need to sign up twice.
I saw a link on TMP and thought this sounded like a fantastic idea. May I join?
I would love to do this. I am always looking for ways to become a better sculpter
Welcome Don, you’re in!
and therefore it would be a pleasure to have you on board Tyler, looking foward to seeing what you come up with!
@Tyler – had a look at your blog…you don’t seem any stranger to greenstuff with your demon prince, nice!
@Don – had a look at fictionalminiatures.com, I LOVE the sock puppet concept! so much fun! That little wizard is awesome too. Are you going to run this project in 15mm, or are you going to branch out to another scale do you think?
I found your blog via and would love to join in if you have room for more?
@don LOVE the Groo minis. I tripped across Groo #1 yesterday while looking for my figure drawing books (for reference in anatomically accurate sculpting). A friend of mine owns Dark Horse Games, who put out a line of licensed Groo minis. I have a few of the old Groo minis he had laying around when they stopped producing them. Fun stuff. Again, great stuff, ya’ mendicant, you!
(Groo reference)
yeah, im up for that too
welcome Pangloss
I’ll add you to the list!
Count me in. I’m wondering would grey-stuff work for this project? What is the diffrence between grey-stuff, and green-stuff?
@Drusher, you’re welcome
, it’s great to have some SI members around. I’m sorry, your post got caught in my spam filter, however you’re most welcome, I’ll add you to the list. Great to have you in the team! Are you going to the SI/PB/WAMP meet up in feburary? if so, feel free to introduce yourself then, that’d be grand!
James
I’d love to join in. I have been assembling the materials and tools over the last month to start my adventure in miniature sculpting. I have both epoxy sculpt(grey stuff) and green stuff to see which I like better. I still need to pick up a few things from your list so far.
I have never sculpted before, but do publish my own range of 30mm scale paper miniatures, and would to make some of them 3D!I also want to try centrifugal resin casting as well, but that’s a different adventure.
I’m still a bit unsure how to share images and what have you, but I like the idea of working on something with other newcomers to the craft.
James Hartman
One Monk Miniatures
onemonk.com
I’d like to join in too, please. Sounds lke a great adventure!
@Keeper, you’re most welcome to join in
I’ll add your name to the participants list when I get a second. Pop onto Coolminiornot.com forum, and introduce yourself in the Sculptalong section if you haven’t already (o: