First Time Sculpting: Koi Fish

[Aleio]

Hi, I'm new here, and new to sculpting. I've been wanting to try sculpting for some time now, and finally got started. What I have so far is nothing fancy, and I envy the skills of the sculptors here.

I started it off with an aluminum foil core, and began applying the clay. I'm using Premo Sculpey. I'm using turquoise clay since it will be the base color of the fish when I paint it later.
I currently have a piece of brass wire holding it up, since I don't have a base at the moment. I have to say I thought sculpting a fish would be fairly simple, but now I really think a quadruped would be less problematic when it comes to supporting itself. >_< I'm better at drawing than I am at sculpting, but I hope I can change that.
I'm using alcohol to smooth things out, though it's only 70%. I heard that 90% works better.
Well, here are the pics. First one is a drawing I'm basing this sculpture on.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/7746/refpic.jpg (http://img264.imageshack.us/i/refpic.jpg/) http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/refpic.jpg/1/w600.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img264/refpic.jpg/1/)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3306/side1o.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/i/side1o.jpg/) http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/side1o.jpg/1/w700.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img515/side1o.jpg/1/)

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/9025/side2q.jpg (http://img705.imageshack.us/i/side2q.jpg/) http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/side2q.jpg/1/w741.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img705/side2q.jpg/1/)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4172/sideangle.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/i/sideangle.jpg/) http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/sideangle.jpg/1/w700.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img98/sideangle.jpg/1/)

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/752/topsider.jpg (http://img264.imageshack.us/i/topsider.jpg/) http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/topsider.jpg/1/w617.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img264/topsider.jpg/1/)

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/3889/backangle.jpg (http://img705.imageshack.us/i/backangle.jpg/) http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/backangle.jpg/1/w597.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img705/backangle.jpg/1/)

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/975/frontangle.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/i/frontangle.jpg/) http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/frontangle.jpg/1/w513.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img97/frontangle.jpg/1/)

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6708/facefo.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/i/facefo.jpg/) http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/facefo.jpg/1/w522.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img97/facefo.jpg/1/)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8439/face2x.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/i/face2x.jpg/) http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/face2x.jpg/1/w534.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img98/face2x.jpg/1/)

Let me know how I'm doing, and any tips or advice would be appreciated. Thanks. ~Angela

[Aleio]

Alright, I went ahead and made a foil base for the fish. I covered it with clay, but I don't really know how to finish the underside of the base or to just leave it as is. I'll probably end up painting the base a different color, so the fish will stand out more.

I used gold clay to accent the fins and head of the fish. I've been using 91% alcohol since yesterday, so blending is happening now. I would blend the gold clay into the fins more, but I think they're too delicate.

I know this thing is kind of a mess, but I'm learning. :rolleyes:

Here's the latest. ~Angela
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9940/1011994.jpg (http://img43.imageshack.us/i/1011994.jpg/)

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/6928/1011995.jpg (http://img707.imageshack.us/i/1011995.jpg/)

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/8091/1011996.jpg (http://img707.imageshack.us/i/1011996.jpg/)

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/7871/1011997.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/i/1011997.jpg/)

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

How would you want the base to be finished? Do you want it flat? Rough?

[Aleio]

Probably flat would be better.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Then I'd suggest (and I'm just makin' shit up) that you affix it to a board and model it so it sits flat against the board. Baking the sculpey's not hot enough to burn wood (270°F), so you'll get that flat bottom once you pop it off the board.

[Mah ' Crub]

HI, welcome the the forum. I really like the bold and stylistic scales an fins on your fish. It is strong and prominent. Looks good! In the last couple of pics, I can't see the tail fin. I hope you will make that stand out!
I also think that you need to raise the fish off the base a few more inches, to give the illusion that he is swimming over the bottom, not lying on it.
You could make some seaweed, or rocks to support him.
Just a thought.
Mah ' Crub

[Aleio]

Mah'Crub, thanks. :) I like the scales too. I actually used the cap of a pen as a cookiecutter in a thin sheet of clay to make them. As for raising the fish off the base, I decided not to, since the tail is blended into the base, so raising it would probably damage it. I am however making stylized waves or water ripples around the fish. It will almost look as if the fish is breaking the surface when I'm finished.
I'm thinking of keeping the water squiggles gold as they are, and just darken the base. The fish might get an extra hint of color later on. I will get a wood base next time I head to the micheal's store near me. Glad the wood won't start a fire when I bake.

Here's the latest pics. I had to re-sculpt one fin since I accidentally detached it. Some of the squiggles are covering that area a little.
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/2971/1011998.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/i/1011998.jpg/)

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/9915/1011999.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/i/1011999.jpg/)

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/5999/1012000.jpg (http://img30.imageshack.us/i/1012000.jpg/)

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3884/1012001.jpg (http://img695.imageshack.us/i/1012001.jpg/)

[Aleio]

Added more squiggles in gold clay. I intertwined them with the larger ones I did before and now they seem to give a fuller feel to the stylized water. I still need to finish off the base, but that will come later. ~Angela

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/1897/1012002.jpg (http://img508.imageshack.us/i/1012002.jpg/)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9755/1012003.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/1012003.jpg/)
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/5438/1012004.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/i/1012004.jpg/)
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6914/1012005.jpg (http://img508.imageshack.us/i/1012005.jpg/)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/1/1012006.jpg (http://img524.imageshack.us/i/1012006.jpg/)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/9855/1012007.jpg (http://img524.imageshack.us/i/1012007.jpg/)
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4866/1012008n.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/i/1012008n.jpg/)
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8784/1012009.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/i/1012009.jpg/)

[Aleio]

Finished my sculpt. I managed to get the look of the fish to my liking and went ahead and baked it. I thought the thing completely sucked, but after I painted it, it looked a lot better. I used acrylics and some iridescent paints for the fish's finish. I did a lot of dry brushing to catch the detail I wanted. I was a bit surprised at how cute the fish's face turned out. Hope you guys like him. Hopefully I can make some more detailed sculpts soon. :) ~Angela

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8739/1012012.jpg (http://img37.imageshack.us/i/1012012.jpg/)

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/4132/1012011.jpg (http://img37.imageshack.us/i/1012011.jpg/)

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7849/1012013y.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/1012013y.jpg/)

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4121/1012015.jpg (http://img651.imageshack.us/i/1012015.jpg/)

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/812/1012016v.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/1012016v.jpg/)

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2321/1012014o.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/i/1012014o.jpg/)

[agrmrs]

very nice work :D....... r u using polymer clay if so which brand ?......thanx :)

[Aleio]

Thanx. :) I'm using Premo! Sculpey. It's firm but pliable.

[Mah ' Crub]

Your paint job really help to bring him to life, and yes, he has a very cute face!
Not to shabby for a first time. Nice job.

Mah ' Crub