ACHILLES - 1/5 Scale portrait (POST #754)

[fastfeet]

Outstanding Work Sir! I have been watching your post's for a long time now and just had to tell you after seeing all your work ...I have started to give sculpting a shot.....so far I'm haveing alot of fun trying to mold a dragon from a painting by Boris....I will post pictures as I go from start to finish....Again Thank you for taking the time to show and explain all your Fantastic Art work...after all if it was'nt for your posts here....I would have never gave this a chance......your fan......Lou

[tysiony]

amazing as usual - i love the aged look to the stonework and gargoyle

[troyboy]

Thanks guys! Your feedback is always appreciated.

Originally Posted by fastfeet

Outstanding Work Sir! I have been watching your post's for a long time now and just
had to tell you after seeing all your work ...I have started to give sculpting a shot.....so far I'm haveing
alot of fun trying to mold a dragon from a painting by Boris....I will post pictures as I go from start to
finish....Again Thank you for taking the time to show and explain all your Fantastic Art work...after all
if it was'nt for your posts here....I would have never gave this a chance......your fan......Lou

Wow, thanks so much Lou, that really means alot. The only reason I've posted so many little tips and
techniques in this thread was in the hope that it would help some up and coming sculptors, and it appears
to have worked. Really looking forward to seeing your work.

[malekthemasher]

Holy Cow thats amazing! What kind of clay do you use or is it plasticine? Good job on the anatomy. I was wondering if you would take a look at my sculpture that i posted up. Here's the link: Weightlifter Thanks, I look forward to your critiques.

[troyboy]

Hey everybody! Well, I finally wrapped 'ol Sam up and I'm getting
ready to pour the molds now. In the pics, you'll see on the sides
of the feet and on the back of the arms, little blobs of wax I used
to hold the piece together for the photos.

My focus this year is to actually FINISH a lot of previous and new
sculpts and so far, I'm doing pretty good. Let's hope it lasts. Anyway,
I hope you all dig him and I'll post new pics as soon as I've got one
of the copies painted. Thanks!

[Monkeywiz]

Looking forward to seeing him painted, and likewise for Bats. On that subject, any chance you can show us the Batman in pieces so we can see where you've made your cuts/joins? I'm (very slowly in fits and starts) working on a character with 6 legs and a tail and the seam choices you've made would be of great interest.

[troyboy]

I don't have pics of the wax Batman in pieces, but I do have pics of the original sculpey
version broken up (which is essentially the same as the wax breakdown) and pics of Sam
the Eagle broken up as well. I'll try and get those posted sometime tomorrow.

[dark_wraith]

Troy your stuff is always amazing. I love it even more since you started working with wax. I always learn something when I look at your work, can't wait until you post some tutorials. As always, please keep on posting.

[tysiony]

The feather detail on Sam is amazing, how on earth did you do the base, and get it so smooth?

[troyboy]

dark_wraith - Thanks a lot. I really enjoyed your latest "Orc Pirate" and I'm looking
forward to seeing a lot more work from you. As far as tutorials go, my goal is to put something
substantial together this year. I've already started so there's a good chance it'll ACTUALLY get done.

tysiony - Thanks Sarah! Your latest work is just brilliant and I can't wait to see what
else you comeup with this year. I'm doing a lot more work with wax now and you can get
the surface of it as smooth as glass. It takes quite a bit more time to work with that Super
Sculpey (which is still my favorite medium), but the detail work and finished
appearance of wax is just unbelievable. The wax I'm using is called TMS wax and you
can get some by pm'ing ToxicPapa over at The Clubhouse. Because of his work schedule,
it takes a little while for him to get back with you, but he eventually will. Let me know if
you need any other help.

[tysiony]

troyboy - thanks again for the kind words - i'm thinking of using wax, but was a bit confused about the process,and what wax to experiment with here in the uk, until last week when by chance i met another modelmaker in the business centre building i'm based in, (It's a small world, lol)and he showed me what he used.
http://www.tiranti.co.uk/indexhome.asp
is the stuff he uses , but he casts with it ,do you - or anyone else know if this is the right stuff to use for a beginner or should i just order some of Toxicpapa's when i have some cash?
Cheers Sarah

[cH_aos]

A+
5*'s
100%

[IKARUS]

A big question Troyboy if you please!

How did you transfered the original to wax?(bat-man or the eagle)

What kind of wax do you use? I can only find dental technician wax but cant find a good color that helps me.Could you give me some details of the one you use or where i might purchase it online?

Thanks you for your time!
You do totaly beautifull job!!!

[troyboy]

First of all, please keep in mind that I am a rank-amateur when it comes to wax. I just started
getting serious with it a few months ago and I have ALOT to learn. That being said, I'll help
in whatever way I'm able to.

Here's what I know and have heard:

ToxicPapa's TMS wax - Great, hard wax for carving and detailing. Doesn't get soft in your hand
(from the heat). Most commonly used as a casting wax, meaning you sculpt your piece in another
material, such as Super Sculpey, make a mold of that sculpt and pour hot wax into the mold for
a wax copy. Then you work on the wax copy for extreme detailing and a more polished finish.
You can only get this wax by sending a pm to ToxicPapa (Ralph) in the sculpting forum over
at www.theclubhouse1.net

Azbro wax - (go to sculpt.com Online Catalog Waxes Wax index Azbro Wax
I've never used this wax personally, but I know alot of the sculptors that are light-years beyond
me use it quite a bit and apparently really like it. I believe it's similar to ToxicPapa's TMS wax.

Castilene - (go to sculpt.com Online Catalog Waxes Castilene
This one is tricky. It used to be, like, the "King of All Waxes" among a lot of sculptors but supposedly,
the lady who used to make it, sold the company/recipe(??) and it's never been the same. I've
never used it myself, so this is just what I've heard. The biggest advantage of Castilene is the fact
that it's kind of a cross between the fast-buildup properties of Sculpey, with the detailing and
finishing abilities of a tox wax. Again though, I've heard a lot of good and bad things about it's
current incarnation.

Willow Waxes - http://www.willowproducts.com This is a brand new line of waxes being produced
by a fellow named Gary. I haven't used them yet, but I'm getting ready to place an order for
some of the "Water" and have heard some pretty good things about it so far. You can see mini
movies for all of his waxes showing the properties & uses for each.

There are a TON of other waxes out there, but these are a few of the ones I'm relatively familiar
with or have heard a lot of discussion about. Keep in mind that, (1) Wax takes longer to work
with than something like Super Sculpey. You don't really sculpt with wax. It's more of an adding
on and then scraping and carving type medium, and (2) You need different tools and gadgets to
work with wax, most noteably, an alcohol torch, sanding pads (lots), steel tools and a wax pen
which range in price from about $100 (USD) to almost $300 (USD).

Hope this helps everybody a bit and good luck!

[tysiony]

thanks for explaining that it's much clearer in my mind now

[EdgePang]

you have quite a collection of great work. i'm amazed by it all. thanks for all the great info and tips. i'm looking forward to seeing what else you comeup with.

[Sirio_Brozzi]

Awesome body of work as a whole, that last one has a ton of personality to him. What a fun idea.

[Greyguy]

Awesome work your doing !!!!!
Greyguy

[cityrose]

DAMN. Thanks for referring me to your thread, Troyboy. I'm very, very impressed! I love how you are able to create so many awesome sculpts, all completely different in subject matter. You've got a great imagination (and mental reference library, obviously)

Just a passing thought; sculptures around here (home) fetch a lot of money, but sculptures on copyrighted characters (like Batman, yay!) tend to be more popular. I presume I'd have to go through all the usual steps before I'm allowed to create (with the purpose of selling, of course) any copyrighted characters? Or is there some cool loophole in the sculpting industry that I don't know about?

I apologize if you've wrote it elsewhere and I've just missed it, but you can paint the wax, right? A model shop where I live suggested casting in resin, but I think I like the idea of the wax still being workable after casting. But still, I'd like to be able to paint my sculptures.

Third question; could I borrow your brain for a little while? If I'm able to create sculptures half as cool as yours, I'll be able to pay off my car

[Siberia]

What i would like to ask is how u stand the armature on the wooden base...
If there is a pic of the bottom of the armature i would appreciate..
thanx in advance

[TheAtomicMoose]

Howdy matey. First off I just wanted to say that you totally rock at this and your sculputres are soooo utterly awesome. Secondly, I would definitely like to try this stuff out. I remember when I was like ten-ish I sculpted with Fimo or something like that, but I'd like to get something a little better. What kind of basic tools, clay, and other supplies do you reccomend for getting started with sculpting?

[Jammerstein Echo]

Troy,

I'm repeating what a lot of people have said already. Your work is excellent.
And I'm inspired to go get some sculpey myself.

My favorite figure has to be Sam. But they're all full of life.

j.

[troyboy]

Okay, before I get to my latest sculpt, I thought it only right to answer some of these
questions that I've neglected for so long. My apologies to the people who asked them. I'm
sure you got tired of waiting around for my lazy @$$.

Originally Posted by cityrose

I presume I'd have to go through all the usual steps before I'm allowed to create
(with the purpose of selling, of course) any copyrighted characters? Or is there some cool loophole in
the sculpting industry that I don't know about?

As far as create a sculpt based on copywritten characters, no, there's no loophole getting
around using someone else's creation in your work for profit. There's been ALOT of back and
forth debate on this topic, especially over at statueforum.com, but I still think it comes
down to using something that doesn't belong to you for your own benefit. Okay, now that
I've said that, let me play the hypocrite. It's kind of an unwritten word in the garage kit
industry that if you keep a kit run to 50 kits or less, the big boys (Marvel, DC, etc.) kind
of turn a blind eye. From what I've heard, it's only when you start going beyond that number
that they begin to get pissed. It all really depends on the company or estate that owns the
character or likeness. I've heard that the lawyers for Star Wars are ever vigilant and have
zero tolerance for unlicensed reproduction. Now if you're doing a sculpt for a portfolio piece
only, you're in the clear. Nobody's gonna issue you a "cease & desist" unless you're possibly
portraying their characters in a very unflattering light. Hopefully this helps answer your
question (to the best of my knowledge at least). This is one of those topics that can go on
and on and on and on.........so I'll go ahead and end it there.

Originally Posted by cityrose

I apologize if you've wrote it elsewhere and I've just missed it, but you can paint
the wax, right? A model shop where I live suggested casting in resin, but I think I like the idea of the
wax still being workable after casting. But still, I'd like to be able to paint my sculptures.

You might be able to paint your wax copy, I'm not really sure. It kind of defeats one of
the purposes of wax though, since it's intended to be reused over and over again. If you do
paint it, lemme know how it goes, I'd definitely like to see the results.

Originally Posted by Siberia

What i would like to ask is how u stand the armature on the wooden base...

Here's chart by Wayne "The Dane" Hansen ( http://www.figuresculpture.net/ )
that shows how I've done the majority of my sculpts so far. I use #3, "Classic Foot Support".

Originally Posted by TheAtomicMoose

What kind of basic tools, clay, and other supplies do you reccomend for getting started
with sculpting?

Clay - Super Sculpey Firm (the grey stuff)
Tools - I've got a million tools and I use about 10. It's all about experimenting and
seeing what feels right to you. I buy alot of tools and I make a lot of tools. I know guys that
use crochet knitting needles. Just start picking stuff up from the art store and look online
for art supplies and special effects companies that have cool looking tools.

There's so much more to get, it's hard to list it all here. I've actually been working on a book
for several months now that will hopefully be alot more help to you. It covers all the basics
you're asking about. I'll let everybody know as soon as it's ready.

Okay, I think that answers all the Q&A I can handle for today. My fingers are sore.

Even though I haven't posted in awhile, I've been VERY hard at work and I should be posting
a WHOLE lot of stuff I've been working on in the next few months. In the meantime, here's
a recent commission I just finished. Sorry my fellow fan-boys (and girls), neither one of these
guys is a mutant or super villain (at least as far as I'm aware).

The sculpt is going to be a cake topper commissioned by the son of Art (the guy with the
mustache). Art and Abdul (the bald one) are best friends since childhood and they celebrate
their birthdays on the same day, April 12th. This one coming up is their 60th B-Day so Art's son
wanted to do something special for them. I got specific instructions and photos on the clothes
he wanted them to wear, but as is often the case, these are the only head-shots I received.
They're both getting a copy of this and they'll have cigars in their mouths on the final topper.

They're done in Ralph's TMS wax and they're completely built up from a skeletal armature,
drip by drip, glob by glob. I wanted to see how long it would take instead of doing a rough sculpey
first and then pouring a wax copy. Needless to say, I won't be doing it this way again. I'll post
photos of the final painted pieces as soon as they're done. Thanks for lookin'.

[Garyo]

I can add to the wax knowledge....

Cityrose- You should definately not paint wax. Wax is great at carving and allowing you to get a super smooth surface, but it's also brittle and affected by heat. So you could probably prime and paint something in a Azbro or castaline style wax, as both have a non-wax ingredient that would give paint the tooth it needs to stick, but it would very quickly flake off from the heating and cooling that the wax would exprience from handling. Not to mention what would happen if it took a knock, can you say instant 3-d puzzle... Most other "sculpting" waxes probably wouldn't take paint at all since wax resists anything other than wax sticking to it. Make a mold and cast one in Resin (or hydrocal if you want cheap) and one in wax that way you can paint one and still have one workable if you wanted to do some variations on the figure.

Hope that helps and now back to Troyboy's great sculpts....

Garyo

[troyboy]

Thanks Garyo! I appreciate the add-on.

[Shadowwing]

You are excellent, man. You are very good at capturing likeness of other people in clay.

[MAB]

Hi Troy Optimal job..... like always.

MAB

[troyboy]

Originally Posted by MAB

Hi Troy Optimal job..... like always.

MAB

Coming from you MAB, I take that as high praise. Thanks so much!

(Big thanks to you as well Shadowwing)

[cateaic]

Hey its really cool to see that your keeping up this thread with some kickass art! It amazes me how much expression and detail you worked into those last two characters faces. That armature chart looks awesome...Im going to check that out in more detail!
So I was looking around at the Clubhouse trying to find some info on sculpting & smoothing wrinkles but their search is messed up (it goes into DEBUG mode?) Do you have any resources for some techniques on wrinkles?

I do have a theory of mixing Turpenoid + Water and applying it with a soft paintbrush for smoothing but I havent had the chance to experiment. Thanks!

[Blackaciddevil]

Wow your work is amazing. It is realy... good. I've done some sculptures in wax too and its a realy fun material to work in. I just wondering what kind of wax your working in (got a link or something)? I guess someone already asked that but It is a little to much text for me to search throu.