C'est La Vie

16th January 2012

Question with 1 note

pencilsaresharp asked: Hey, what do you use to make your figures? They're really detailed. Do you paint a coat on top before you put the colors andaretheyacrylic? HOW SMALL IS YOUR SMALLEST BRUSH AGHHHHHH. Sorry. and thank you :) IF YOU WERE WONDERING IM MAKING A SCULPTURE TOOakdjaksdjka sorry.

Hello, I use polymer clay. The ones I use mostly are Kato Polyclay and Premo. Sometimes I like to mix the two together. I’d buy the 1lb blocks of clay, one black and white and mix them together to get a gray shade. I do this so I can see details better.

The process I go though in sculpting is that I do it parts at a time. Though the clay has some stiffness, I don’t sculpt it all at once then bake the clay. Like a head for example, I’ll sculpt the basic shape and facial features then bake it to cure then I’ll sculpt the hair on and bake again. I have a mini craft oven that I use to cure the clay. You can find those at craft stores like Michael’s or online. If you’ve been following my posts on the Morgana sculpture, pretty much each picture has been taken after I cured the clay.

I don’t put anything on before I paint the colors. Just a varnish/sealer after the paint has been applied. I prefer a matte sealer. Some like to use glossy but I only like to use glossy where it needs to be shiny and yes, the paints I use are acrylic paints. If anything, I’ll wash the figure with mild soap and a toothbrush before I paint it. There might be dust and stuff on it from when I do some sanding.

As for the type of acrylic paint, I mostly use the ones you find at hobby stores. I use paints like Vallejo, Tamiya and Model Master. The ones you can find at craft stores like Michaels are ok for big projects but since I mostly work small, I’ll use hobby paints. It’s mostly the consistency of the paints though I have used craft paints on small projects before. Like everything, it’s just knowing how your tools and materials work more-so than knowing the materials themselves. Manipulate what you have to work with to your advantage. It may take a lot of trial and error but don’t get discouraged.

My smallest brush used to be a 18/0 round brush but I didn’t take care of it too well =P. At the moment I’ve been using custom brushes that I’ve modified from older ones.

Hope this wasn’t too long winded haha. Eventually I’ll get to posting FAQs about this stuff. Have fun with your projects! ^_^