Sculpting: Absolute Beginner help

[JL.Alfaro]

Hello Guys,
I would like to give the sculpting a try, I have been itching to do something but I have no idea ( and I mean absolutely NO IDEA) how to start.
I don't know about materials, what clay, what material? is there various types of clay, whats the difference? Do I need a kiln? do I have to "cook" everything I do? How do I keep the squirrels off of it? I saw the "Making tools" thread, but I don't think I am there just yet...so tools? which ones are essential? does garlic really work against vampires? what should I expect on my first try? Any good books out there? mousetraps; how essential are they for sculpting? halp!!

please, just bare with me, what do I need and how do I do it?

I didnt know where to post this so, if its not mods..etc

[fukifino]

When I first got interested in sculpting, I found the articles at Dan Perez's site absolutely fantastic. Definately one of the best sites to get a grasp of what's going on in the beginning. Even then, it just requires that you go out and get some clay and just start! Don't be like me and be afraid to make a bunch of shitty sculpts that you destroy. It takes a while just to figure out how to work with whatever clay you're messing with so just do it!

http://www.danperezstudios.com/workshop.htm

[JL.Alfaro]

thanks man, I will definitely read all that
for a guy with a screen name of fukifino, you knew :P

[acornboy]

Probably the easiest and cheapest way to start is to go buy a pack of Super Sculpey. It's usually around $10.00 for a pound pack and is pretty easy to work with. You bake it in an oven, not a kiln, so nothing needed that you don't already have. I make most of my tools out of dowel rods that I sand and shape the ends of. Hopefully this helps, and please let us know how it goes!

-Sam

[jlamarche]

Here's something I wrote not too long ago that's a high-level overview of different sculpting media. Doesn't go into anything about armatures or anything, but some good info for the newbie.

http://isculpt.org/media/blogs/all/sculpting_media.pdf

There's so much to it, that it's hard to begin. There are some good books and tutorials. Katherine Dewey's book is excellent, the John Brown videos are good, and Philippe Faraut's book and video are good.

Mostly you need to just dive in and start. You will get frustrated at time, but the way you learn this is to do it.

[KoBold]

Need to know what you want to sculpt before an accurate answer can be given?
Concrete birdbaths...
Action figures to be molded/cast and sold by the 1000s...
One offs...
Jewelry...
Marble David...
Concept cars...
All different mediums, techniques and tools.

[JL.Alfaro]

Thank you guys for all the great info, I truly appreciate that :)

KoBold- well What Im trying to sculpt is some figures of dragons, chinese dragons to be exact. Im looking to get really detailed in the scales and facial features. One dragon that I wish to make is actually an Aztec god, feathered serpent Quetzacoatl, so plenty of detail in the feathers too. Im planning on a scale of 12" tall by 24" long or so.

i dont plan on making molds out of them, they are mainly for decoration and my personal enjoyment in the process and hopefully, my growth as an artist as well. I am mainly an illustrator, but I would like to move my skills out of the comfort zone hoping that some sort of illumination occurs along the way.

maybe I'll turn them into Christmas presents if they are good enough! I wouldnt know what else to do with them. I will post my progress as I go, hopefully get more pointers along the way.

one more question- how sturdy, or should I say, how fragile is the clay after it is cooked?

thanks again

[KoBold]

Go to http://theclubhouse1.net/
Sign up with a legitimate e-mail account.
Go to the sculpting forums.
Lots of professional action figure, fantasy figure,... etc sculptors hang out there sharing ALL their secrets.

I did a search on dragons and the 4th thread found is of someone sculpting a Chinese dragon.

The hardness of polymer clay, and other properties, vary on the clay's make and brand, how its worked and how its baked.

Their is a sticky on the sculpting forums about "Moving sculpting tips and tricks to the dedicated forum". Navigate to that forum and check out the thread named:"PROPERLY BAKING SUPER SCULPEY MORE TIPS ADDED 3/29/-07" to learn to bake the clay to its maximum hardness/strength.

You should try out a few different brands/makes of pc as they can vary greatly. As with all art materials, student/hobby quality can lead to frustration and wasted money.

You can go to http://www.glassattic.com/ and overdose on information.