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Originally Posted by iceprince_x
can be sold in bulk.
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And apoxie sculpt can't...?
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Magic sculpt is nice...in its place. I think that the epoxies are great if you sculpt at a certain speed... if you move a bit differently though it poses a unique quandry...
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Miniature sculptors (for gaming, display, etc.) have been using epoxy putty or epoxy 'clay' since forever, without too many problems. Here's a short list for starters, to show a little of what's done with the stuff:
http://www.thunderboltmountain.com/
http://www.hasslefreeminiatures.co.uk/
http://www.red-box-games.com/shop/index.php
http://www.reapermini.com/Greens
http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=33652
http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=29061
(Lookit that Punisher. Less than 3 inches tall and sculpted out of stuff developed for plumbers
)
I can see why, with the virtually unlimited work time of polymer clay, a window of one or two hours might seem strange or counterproductive. But the thing is to come at epoxy (magic sculp, apoxie sculpt, kneadatite, etc. etc.) from a different perspective.
From what I've seen (not as much as others here, but using
Troyboy's Sal Buscema Hulk as an example), the usual method with clay sculptures is to bulk up and roughly shape the major masses fairly quickly, then to refine them. To 'whittle them down', so to speak. Not so easy in two hours.
You bulk up miniature sculpts, and there's often a little after-cure scraping and carving too, but there's more emphasis on building up individual layers and parts. (Examples
here and
here) This is probably because of the short work window, but it's not exactly seen as a disadvantage. Not a lot, anyway. You don't have to fight the clock that hard, and rush through as much of the complete sculpture as you can in two hours. You simply mix a little putty, as much as you think you'll use in that time, according to your skill (more well-practised sculptors will obviously use more putty, and quicker). Then mix some more. Mixed too much? Stick the leftovers in a bit of film or a spare container and stick it in the freezer. It'll slow the chemical reaction so that the putty remains workable for the next day or two.
Other advantages from a mini-sculptor's point of view: the cured putty offers a solid base to add the next parts or details onto. No need to worry about accidentally mucking up previous work (more of a concern when your sculptures are just over an inch tall). Of course you can bake early stages of a polymer clay sculpt, but - no need to bake putty! (Or to rebake it. I hear there's sometimes problems with that.) Just let it cure.
Again, basic chemistry 101: freezing slows the reaction, heating speeds it up. Mini sculptors speed up the cure with a number of (relatively gentle) heat sources, from simply lowering a desk lamp over the sculpture, to constructing makeshift 'putty ovens' from light fittings and coffee cans. With the right heat, putty can cure to a hard, safe-to-handle state in 15-20 minutes. Putty that's already been worked for a while, a little sooner.
Lastly, gradually-curing putty can help the sculpting process. A lot of sculptors stick the freshly-mixed putty on while it's at it's softest and stickiest, then work it finer as it cures and firms up. The firmer it is, the heavier the touch you can use, and less you have to worry about slips or twitches mucking up miniscule details - again, especially on a 3cm-tall sculpture. I know I like this aspect. In fact, I'd agree with MadMaestro on that point: magic sculp and apoxie sculpt are among the softest sculpting putties, and ideally need to firm up a little before attempting small, fragile details. But with some of the longest working times of sculpting putties (about 3 hours, give or take, in my experience) it barely matters.
But it's all relative. I'd say the better medium depends a lot on what you've learned on and you're used to. (And the better your general skill, the less that matters)
Now me, I
am coming at it from a different perspective, as an amateur miniature sculptor used to putty. Mini sculptors have been experimenting more with polymer clay in the last few years, with pretty good results, and I've recently tried it a few times myself. The main problem that some have found is the same as freshly-mixed magic sculp: the softness and translucency of some brands and colours don't lend themselves well to tiny sculptures. Firmer brands are more popular.
This guy's getting some of us excited about cernit. (That's a wine cork it's perched on)
Another problem I'm having is the stuff isn't firming up the longer I work with it! The indefinite work time's a good thing but still, as mentioned, I'm paranoid about messing up older work. It's something I still have to get used to.
Perhaps the better medium's also partly dependent on the size of the sculpture. With a bare minimum of experience, I'd
guess polymer clay would be more forgiving for the larger figures dealt with here. Larger pieces of clay would be firmer than tiny scraps, for one. And you have more time to push the larger amounts about. The smaller you go, the firmer, self-hardening stuff would have it's advantages for finicky, closely-packed details. And it might be a little difficult to speed-cure a 12" sculpture under a desk lamp.
Sorry that turned out as much of a lecture as it did. Hopefully it's a little helpful.
verjoyed:
