Step-by-Step sculpting a 90mm figure The Ronin First of all, you’ll need to gather some fairly basic tools for the job. You will already have most of these if you’re a keen modeller. Below you will find a photo of the tools that I use to sculpt a figure. Along with these, it would be a good idea to add a few files and perhaps a small motor tool such as a Dremel or Como, for quickly shaping & removing any unwanted cured putty
. The tools in the picture are, from the top :- a No. 4 synthetic filbert, No.2 synthetic filbert, size 0 synthetic round, size 0 soft taper point colour shaper, a couple of swann-morton scalpels, with various blades, these are No.10A & No.15, but use whatever you’re used to. If you like the feel of an X-acto knife, then stick with it. The last few short rods are the most important. They are home-made, with various sharp, rounded, flattened and tapered points which I have made from brazing rod. (* This tip courtesy of Bill Horan. Tooth picks sanded to shape can also be used to great effect. To make them smooth at the tip, just roll them in super glue which seals the grain for a smooth finish.) They have a highly polished finish which resists the build-up of putty and are easy to clean with a little pad of wire wool kept in a small re-sealable zip-lock plastic bag so you don’t get any swarf from the wire wool on your fingers while sculpting. While we’re on the subject, clean hands are essential for work on miniatures, as is a dust & lint free area. Now we have the tools, we need our subject. I have chosen a 90mm figure of a Ronin, a ‘masterless Samurai’. Research is of the utmost importance with any figure and we are spoilt today with all the resources at our disposal. The best sources that I think we have are books, the internet and our friends and fellow modellers. If you research your chosen subject well, then it will be a pleasure to have all the information at your disposal at every step which in turn will allow you to work with more fluidity.
The Mannequin
I like to start with a simple wire mannequin so I can get the pose as near to what I have in mind as I can. For a 90mm figure, cut about 12inches (300mm) of wire and bend in half then twist to make a flexible spine. The left over ends help to form the position of the arms and legs
. Try to find some good wire that won't break easily as you may find you need to bend repeatedly to get the pose just right. Stainless steel or copper wire is preferable. The copper being easier to cut and bend and the stainless offers a more rigid support but is a little more difficult to cut. If you look at the size of the mannequin in the picture you’ll see that he is just a little short of 80mm. As the putty is added, he will soon grow to a respectable 90mm. Remember you are going to add a fair amount of bulk, and the additions to the feet, including footwear, along with the bulk and clothing on the shoulder area will add up to a surprising amount. Now we have something to base our figure on, we can start to add putty. I am using Magic-Sculp, but you should use whatever putty you are accustomed to. I use Magic-Sculp because it suits the way I work. I like to work directly on the soft putty, rather than waiting for it to set-up or cure for a while, which I know is favoured by some sculptors. If this is the way that you find it easiest to work, don’t change just for the sake of it, it’s just the way I am used to working. With Magic-Sculp I am able to apply a little heat to the resin to make it extremely soft before mixing with the hardener. This I find useful as it eases application and helps with fine detailing and the application of soft and subtle folds and creases. Try it and see how you get on with this method to see if it suits you.
Initial pose You should have a clear (or at least a fair) idea of the pose that you want to sculpt your figure in. Using the wire mannequin, get the pose as near as you can to the pose that you want.
You’ll need to bear in mind the natural constraints of the human body regarding the positioning of the limbs and the subtle twisting of shoulders and hips and curvature c urvature of the spine. If you apply the putty to a similar way to the picture then you will have a better idea as to the above mentioned areas. The putty just has to have the approximate width of the shoulders and hips at this stage, nothing too complicated. There are a lot of references available to help you with anatomy and I encourage you to use any that you consider c onsider useful. At this point, you should be c oncerned mainly about the accuracy of your pose. See the picture below for how I have bent the mannequin and applied a little putty to ‘lock-in’ the desired position of the figure. You’ll notice that I have kept the knee and ankle joints free of putty to allow for fine adjustments. Also the majority of the figures spine is left uncovered as I will need to make some further adjustment here. As this figure is destined for production, I will be removing the wire for the arms as I’ll sculpt those separately, but if you are doing a one-off figure, they will be fine were they are.
Basic Fleshing-out Fleshing-out The pose I have chosen for this Ronin is to show him taking a brief pause from a long trek up a slight incline. I thought it would be interesting to have him leaning just a little of his weight on a staff or maybe a weapon of some description with his right arm. His right foot will also be elevated to help with the illusion of the incline. You can see a little progress in the next couple of pictures.
It’s very useful to have some reference pictures available of the intended pose, even if they are rough sketches, they will help to get it right. When you are satisfied with the pose, go ahead and add putty to give form and volume to your figure. You’ll be surprised how its shape changes from a simple idea to a more believable representation of your original vision. Take your time adding putty. Try to get the anatomical shape as correct as you can. Don’t worry if you have to file some of the cured putty away to get the correct volume and shape, this is common practice, just be a little careful not to stress the figure too much, especially if you are using a Dremel with a burr on. Keep it on a slow speed and bring it into contact with the surface gently so as not to damage your work. You can see in the pictures here that I have removed the wire for the arms as I’ll sculpt these separately. I’ve added wire for the neck, so I can add some putty to get the correct size for the head. This will then be cut off from the main body to be worked separately. As mentioned before, if you are sculpting a one-off figure there’s no need to remove the head/neck assembly from the body to sculpt it, unless you prefer to of course.
Adding a basic head You’ll see in the next few pictures that I’ve added a very basic head shape onto the wire I placed for the neck. The addition of the head, even in such a basic form really does help you to get a feeling for the figure and also the overall height of the piece can be checked once more if you are working to a particular scale. Feel free to work on the head and face as much as you feel necessary, and remember that it will be a great deal easier if you have some good quality reference handy. Several pictures of the same persons face taken from different angles would be ideal. For this figure, I will be working on the head separately so I have only applied basic detail to give myself an idea of the attitude the figure will adopt. This will help me with how expressive or emotional the face must be and to decide on how I want to sculpt the hair and how it will fall (if it is long hair) and also the angle of the head gear and how it will effect the viewing of the face on the finished model. To get the basic head,
apply a stub of putty for the neck and smooth it onto the shoulder area, harden it under a lamp for a few minutes until it cures. Then add a ball for the head and work it into a rough skull shape. Work in the eye e ye sockets with a round ended tool and smooth with a moistened size 2 synthetic filbert. As you are working the eye sockets, tease a little putty into the central area of the face to act as a base for the nose. Gently mark in a reference line for the mouth as above. Don’t worry if your face doesn’t turn out well the first time. Just concentrate on getting the basic head shape correct and at the right attitude that you want. You can always leave the front of the face flat and apply more putty later. Have as many tries as it takes to get a good starting point to support your face. Once you have something resembling the picture below right, you can cut or file the cheek-bones, the brow and chin, to any angles that suit your reference material. Remember, we’re still in the early stages, just aim for the basic shape for now.
Detailing the head (Adding the eyes) The first things that I like to add at this stage are the eye-balls. I don’t try to make two equal sized balls of putty and stick them in the eye sockets. Instead, scoop a little putty into the eye socket and shape it into the correct volume of the eye-ball. Do this with both eyes and you should end up with something resembling the picture on the left. Once the eye-balls are in place and you are satisfied with their size and volume, make a final check to be sure that they are the same size. Cure the eye-balls under a lamp for a few minutes so they are set hard, and you can sculpt the eye-lids. I will usually sculpt the top lids first, cure them, and then move on to sculpt the lower lids. The next couple of pictures show them being added. It’s fairly important to cure the putty at each stage. This will allow you more freedom of movement in the eye area
without the risk of spoiling any previously sculpted detail. You’ll notice that the nose area has been trimmed down considerably. This is, at present, no more than a supporting form for the nose to be sculpted onto. When adding the nose, make sure you have good reference and check from all angles that the nose is correct in proportion and volume. Although you can always add to, or take away from the nose, so don’t worry too much.
Detailing the head (Building the nose and mouth) In the next picture you’ll see the nose being built up. Start with the bridge of the nose and smooth your putty into the surrounding area of the face just under the eyes. Move on to carefully sculpt the nostrils and the end of the nose. Carefully checking your reference material at this stage will pay dividends, especially if you are trying to emulate distinct ethnic features. I’ll usually build the nose in two stages. The first will set out the basic shape and size. The second stage will check, and if needed, alter the size then go on to refine the shape according to the references that I’m using.
In the 2 pictures above, you will see that I have completed the first stage of the nose and moved down to sculpt the area under the nose. The lips have been formed and the chin has been strengthened and shaped with new putty to give volume to the face.
Detailing the head (Sculpting those ears) At this stage, I will be adding the ears. Don’t let the ears intimidate you. I know they are a very complicated structure, but if you have clear reference to follow, you will be surprised what you can achieve. To sculpt the ears firmly to the sides of the head, you may find it useful to drill small holes to accept the putty. It’s not strictly needed, but you might find that it helps locate them evenly if you mark them out first. You can see in the following pictures where the holes need to be drilled. Then go ahead and apply a little putty, pushing it into the hole. Take your time and make the correct shape for the outer perimeter of the ear, then carefully add the internal details. Be sure to take your time. When you have one complete, cure it under a lamp so you can work freely on the other. Needless to say, as you are sculpting the second ear, it must line up perfectly with the first. Check their positions from all angles to ensure accuracy.
Detailing the head (Final details) Once both ears have been sculpted, you’ll have a better idea of the way the final face will look. You will then be able to add the final details. In the next 2 pictures you’ll see that I have added some width to the sides of the nose. I’ve also evened out the size of the nostrils, added flesh onto the top eye-lids and strengthened the brow area, making it a little more prominent and added strong cheek bones. All these small but important additions were smoothed gently into the surrounding areas so as not to leave any noticeable lines. I plan to add facial hair a little later and the hair-style, which will be fairly long, will be added after the upper body receives some attention.
Sculpting the feet Moving on down to the feet, I like to do these either before or, in this case just after the head. The reason I do this is because it gives me a feeling of the overall proportion and balance of the figure. The wire that was bent in the direction of the feet was covered with putty and flattened to create a support on which the volume and details of the foot can be sculpted. This flat support is then cured so there is a solid base to sculpt onto. Then you can blend this into the flowing lines of the lower leg. As this figure will be wearing straw sandals (waraji), most of his bare feet will be visible, so it is fairly important to be as accurate as possible. Use good reference here and use it often until you have a good representation of both feet. There are 4 pictures below showing the flat support, the foot from a couple of angles and the basic shape of the lower leg relative to the foot and ankle area.
I hope these pictures help you to understand a little about how to sculpt the feet....
Adding the Sandals (Waraji)
Now we have sculpted the feet, we need to add this figures' footwear, in this case, a pair of sandals called 'waraji'. First the sole of the sandals was sculpted and the outside edge was textured a little to represent the twisted straw like material. Care was taken to follow the very basic shape of these sandals from pictorial reference. Here is an example picture of the sandals.
The waraji depicted in the picture are of a very simple pattern, such as may have been purchased or traded from a roadside seller, or maybe even made as needed. Once the sole was cured under the lamp for a few minutes, the bindings were added, carefully texturing as each piece was attached. The method used here, is to pick up a short, thin length with your tool and lay it onto the foot with a slight rolling motion. Rolling the tool slowly towards the putty, but at the same time moving it gently away from the putty as you make gentle contact with the piece. This will allow you to apply the putty without the tool pulling it off or mis-shaping it. Then smooth on gently with a lightly moistened brush, working into shape, remove any excess and then texture as needed. A few tries at the application of small and delicate pieces of putty will make for good practice. You will soon learn how to pick up very thin pieces, and with some practice you'll be able to place them exactly were you want them. Perseverance is the key, and a little patience.
Sculpting the trousers (Hakama) The Hakama were very large and generously proportioned trousers. The Hakama that my subject wears have been in service for a fair stint, and they have no clear cut creases left in them. They are very well worn, having been walked in for many miles and slept in for many nights. I have sculpted the left leg first and cured it before moving on to the right leg. However...before I sculpted the material of these trousers, I first made the cuffs at the bottom, which for the travelling purposes of our figure, have been hitched up, and tucked under the belt. The belt will be added after, but you get the picture. After the cuffs are cured, you have a guideline of where exactly the cloth of the trousers will be put and a good idea of how it would hang on the figures form. Try to gather all the reference you can to guide you in the way any material
hangs. Bear in mind how long it has been worn and sculpt accordingly. Applying the bulk and adjusting the volume of the putty is done by cutting cutti ng or scooping long fat pieces of putty from my freshly mixed supply on a tile or similar smooth surface. These pieces are about 20mm long and 3mm or 4mm thick, but they vary according to where I want to put them on the legs. As I said, concentrate on the bulk and volume of the garment first. When you have the volume about right, you can then smooth all these pieces together with a moistened brush. You'll notice that as you work through this part of the process, you will be forming creases and folds automatically. Work carefully along with your reference material throughout both these stages (application and smoothing-out) observing carefully where all the folds and creases would naturally occur and you will soon have some very attractive and natural looking folds. It takes practice, and above all, careful observation to make a garment look natural. This kind of garment can be a lot of fun to sculpt but also can take up most of the putty's working time. If you feel that you might be hard pushed to finish a large area such as a whole side of the leg, divide your work and work on only the front side of one leg for example. Dividing your work area helps take the pressure off you to work faster than you are able. If you don't rush your work you will enjoy it much more and also get a far better result..............Below are two pictures of the Hakama from front and rear.
Sculpting the gaiters or leg wraps (Kiahan) Sculpting leg-wraps or gaiters can be approached in a couple of different ways. Because they are effectively short lengths of material secured to the lower legs with simple ties, they lend themselves well to the sculptor who perhaps would prefer to roll out their putty and apply it just like a piece of cloth. Although I applied the putty in the normal way that I have explained before, building the bulk and volume of the piece first, then smoothing and adding the creases and folds. Pay extra attention to any areas that will be pulled in tight to the leg with the ties, and make the most of any edges that could show wear & tear, you could even add some tears or holes in the fabric. After this, the leg wraps were cured and the small ties were added where they would be visible.
Rolling your own (putty, of course) If you want to have a go at rolling out your putty, (a method that's useful for creating flags, banners, cloaks, cuffs, coat-tails and collars and all manner of bits and pieces)
you'll need a perfectly flat, clean surface to work on, (a sheet of plate glass works well) and a smooth roller, (you can use something as simple as a pen or a small bottle). Mix up your putty as normal; lightly dust both the roller and the flat surface with talcum powder. Slightly flatten your putty between fingers and thumb and apply a little talc to both sides. Place the putty onto the glass and gradually roll flat with the roller. Take it easy and be careful to keep the putty dusted lightly with the talc and it will not stick to either the roller or the glass. Try not to impregnate the putty with talc; really you only need the talc on the surface. If the putty absorbs too much talc, it will crack when you attempt to bend and shape it. Having rolled the putty to the desired thickness, leave it to set-up for a while, because handling the putty while it is so thin will be difficult if it is freshly mixed. You'll be surprised how long the thinly rolled putty remains flexible. Cut the rolled putty to size and apply to the legs, pushing it in gently where the ties would pull into the material and take some time teasing out some folds. You can work with a brush, either moistened or with talc applied. Try both ways and see what suits you best. Never be afraid to experiment and explore the properties of your chosen medium. The two pictures below show the leg wraps added.
Sculpting the weapons Before we move on to the upper body and sculpting the belt and shirt, we'll take a break and do something a little different. As the weapons that this figure will be carrying will have a direct effect on the anchor points of the creases in the clothing we'll need to sculpt these first. Once we have the weapons, we can press them into the soft putty as we are sculpting the clothing for a perfect fit and a very natural look. A
word about weapons. If you can find a part from a kit, or the many ranges of spare parts that are available to modellers in many scales, then use it. I am sculpting this figure for production so all the weapons must be made to accompany him. If you are keen to have a try at making your own, then stick around and I'll try my best to show you that as far as the swords are concerned, things are not too diffic ult. You may be challenged to the absolute max, depending on your level of experience, but the more you work on these accessories, the more proficient you will become. Apart from that, it can be a great deal of fun to make your own unique weaponry. This figure will be carrying a short sword tucked into his belt and also a very long (field sword) no-dachi. This long sword will be strapped across the back as it was far too cumbersome to carry in the belt. I will show the sculpting process of the short sword as we go, but the process of sculpting the longer weapon is identical, although somewhat more time consuming.
The basic shape To start we'll need a very strong former for our short sword. I am using 0.8 welding wire here, as it's virtually indestructible for our purposes. It can be bent to the subtle curve that you need to represent the sword or straightened, by rolling lengthways under firm pressure from a steel rule. Cut off a short length and secure in a pin-vice. Form the basic shape of the sword around the putty and cure. Then file to shape if needed. Try to capture the classic shape and curvature of the sword before going any further. Once this basic first step is achieved, we can move on to the detailing.
Detailing the hand grip The first picture that I want to show you is the type of hand-grip similar to that which we will need to sculpt.
You'll no doubt notice that it shows the beautiful binding that covers the hand grip. This will be created in small steps to allow for a clear approach to the sculpting and to get a result that is as accurate as possible. If you divide the hand grip long-ways through the centre and sculpt each half separately it will make the task much more manageable. Take a look at the next couple of pictures to see how the binding is applied in sections and then cured.
The 2 pictures above show that by sculpting small triangular shapes that wrap around the edges of the hand grip will eventually reproduce the classic diamond pattern that we can see in the first example. Be sure to only do one side at a time and cure it fully before moving on to the other. Before you commit your work to curing, be sure that all the triangular sections are as equal as possible and don't forget to apply a little texture to re-create the look of the binding and bear in mind the slight taper toward the end of the handle. Next up is applying the other parts of the hand grip and the small hand guard. You will see these in the next pictures. If you have managed to re-create the binding, you will have no problems with the rest, it is easy in comparison. Just be sure to use some good reference and copy it as closely as possible. The next 2 photo's show the hand grip furniture and the hand guard applied. Take it steady and apply one detail or section at a time and cure it before moving onto the next.
The final touches to make this item complete is to sculpt the shape of the scabbard and the small securing clip that passes through the tiny hand-guard and extends onto both the scabbard and the hand-grip. Sculpt the scabbard and file it to shape if required, then detail the securing clip and any other e xtra features you want to apply. The following picture shows the finished article and you'll see that it just needs to be cut from its wire mount with side-cutters. The end can then be finished in any way that you think suitable with or without a decorative end cap.
I hope this section on the short sword has helped to encourage you to try some of your own. You will have a lot of fun and your figure will be equipped with unique weapons of your own making. Break everything down into manageable sections and you will be able to create anything you need.
The upper body Now we've had some fun practicing our technique making the short sword we'll turn our attention to the upper body. In the following picture you might notice that I have made a cut at the waist. This is only because it will be cast separately from the legs. You don't need to cut your figure if you intend it as a one-off. After making the cut I then machined a hole into the lower body and a corresponding peg for precise location of the upper body. Then I sculpted the belt wrap around the waist and made a small indentation with the previously constructed short sword for a close fit on the final model which will be checked and adjusted after work on the jacket is complete. To sculpt the belt wrap, I first applied putty in short pieces around the perimeter of the waist and gently smoothed with a moistened synthetic No.2 filbert. Being careful to emulate the flow and pull of the cloth wrap as closely as possible and remembering where the knot would lie and exactly how it would pull on the surrounding material.
In the next photo you'll notice how the 2 body sections are separated. Because I will need to sculpt the very generously cut shirt as it sits on the lower half I have wrapped the waist area in cling film. This will allow the 2 parts to mate perfectly so sculpting over the belt would be realistically carried out. It also allows for trouble free separation when the shirt is complete.
You'll also notice in the above picture that there are some raised lines sculpted on to the upper body. These are markers for the various straps that will exert a great deal of
influence on the material of the shirt. I find it useful as they are far more prominent than pencil lines and they give a very good, solid guide for your sculpting tools as you apply the putty for the shirt. The long sweeping marker from the figures left shoulder down across the chest and under the arm will be for carrying the long no-dachi which is slung across the back. The other 2 around the shoulders are for the strips of cloth ties that would be used to hitch up the very baggy sleeves of the shirt. These will be tied-off with a knot just behind and below the line of the figure's right shoulder.
The body of the shirt Now we can take a look at how to approach the body of the shirt. Remember that breaking your work down into small sections enables you to work in a relaxed manner and helps to ensure you have enough time on each section so you have the time to get the effect that you want. You can see clearly in the pictures below the various sections of the body of the shirt. Try to have your reference at hand and observe the volume of the material and especially how any stress, caused by the straps would dictate how the cloth is pulled into the body and where the folds emanate from. Apply the putty to a given section, then smooth gently into place with a moistened tool and brush. Once you have the correct volume you can apply the creases and folds with your tool and smooth these folds gradually into the surrounding areas making for some very realistic looking drapery. Also in the 2 pictures below, you'll notice that I have detailed the straps that hitch up the sleeves; the knot will be added later once the sleeves are completed. You can also see the groove on the rear of the shirt to enable a convincing fit of the long sword to the figure, this will also influence the way the material on the back of the shirt would behave under the weight of the weapon. Taking all these things into consideration will hopefully enable us to create a more convincing and exciting garment. I like to keep in mind what the painter would enjoy when I'm sculpting clothing, and although not alwa ys possible, I do try to work as much of a challenge and fun into the figure for the painter, as I enjoy for myself when I'm sculpting.
Sculpting the sleeves Along with the next set of pictures I'll try to show how the sleeve for the right arm was gradually built up. Originally this right arm was to hold a naginata or a walking stick of some description for support. I’ve decided that perhaps a thick bamboo pole would be more suitable to the nature of the figure as a wandering character. First of all a wire armature is needed on which to build. A hole was drilled and a piece of wire paper clip was inserted although not glued (by all means use glue if you prefer). You'll see from the first picture how the putty is built up around the shoulder area which locks the arm in place. The putty is also added to the length of the arm and gives you something a little more substantial to sculpt onto. This is then cured under a lamp before moving on to the next step.
So the next step is to add basic musculature to the arm...the upper half will be covered by the sleeve, so there is no need to go into too much detail...the idea here is to do enough detail to give you a firm idea of the pose and twist of the joints and muscles, just so that you can be satisfied in your own mind that the proportions on your figure are correct (not always an easy task)...in the next two pictures you'll be able to see this clearly...once you have this basic arm, we can continue with the sleeve.
Remember to always divide your work into easily manageable sections. The sleeves, because they are extremely full and baggy..and are hitched up, under the arm by the cloth strips, will be a very complicated and full of folds and creases. For this reason I have divided the sleeves in half and sculpted the front half first..then cured the putty...and worked on the rear of the sleeve. When sculpting something so full of interesting weight and volume, try to find as much reference material so you have good guidance at hand through the process. The next two pictures show the material of the sleeve finished. The cuff area of the sleeve was worked on last, so to clean up my untidy work at the edges of the sleeve.
Before we move on to the other sleeve...we need to sculpt the hat that this figure will be holding. He has removed his hat for a clearer view (and to allow us to see his face). I've put an example picture of the hat that the figure is holding to give you some idea why he had to remove it, and the reason why he won't be wearing it either..!!..Worn when the Ronin preferred to remain anonymous, the Roninkasa covered the head almost too well. Anyway..I thought it was an interesting and unusual piece of attire, worthy of this character..also, I have never seen it on a model figure before..so worth inclusion for that reason also...
This is the hat as it is at the moment..the quality of the picture is not particularly sharp...but the next one's should be much better....Then we can add the left arm and hand....and get to work on that second sleeve. Here is another picture of the hat with the majority of the outside detailing completed. Just the gathered bunch of reeds at the top of the hat turned up ends of the reeds to sculpt on and texture. Then I'll turn to putting some detail on the inside as it will be clearly seen when held in the figures left hand. You'll notice what is some 15 amp fuse wire that will support the bunch of reeds at the top. This was applied through a small hole drilled through the top and the bent section of the wire secured with putty on the inside. The reed texture between the horizontal bindings was applied one section at a time and cured before moving to the next so as to avoid damaging the work accidentally with a misplaced finger or thumb. The putty was applied in small amounts and smoothed flat with a moistened brush. Then it was textured with a scalpel blade, being careful to keep the blade just a little damp to stop it picking up the thin layer of putty....The results so far can be seen below.
The next picture shows a couple of views with all the texture and detailing applied to the outside of the hat...
Thanks for sticking with me so far...now I will be able to check out how the figure can hold this hat and we can get on with the preparation of the left arm...
Sculpting the bamboo cane Before we move to the sculpting of the left arm, I want to take a detour over to the other side of the figure. I've decided to go with a thick walking cane in the figures right hand. This was sculpted over some brass rod which was modified a little with a dremel type drill. The putty was then applied to one section of the bamboo cane at a time, carefully checking references as to how bamboo splits and also a little imagination as to how it may have appeared after being used for a prolonged period. While sculpting the detail on the cane I kept in mind how the texture might be an advantage for the painter and tried to work accordingly.....you can see some close-ups of the work below.
Thanks for waiting so long for an update...!!....read on below. Here's a close-up of the right hand holding the cane to support this trail-weary character...
When sculpting hands, keep as much reference as possible close by and check it often as you progress. Small strips of putty were smoothed around the cane in the position that the fingers would be in. Instead of using a file to slightly flatten and shape the areas of the fingers between the knuckles, you might try to work them flat with a smooth flat tool as the putty is firming up, this enables you to work in further details such as creases in the skin and fingernails. The sleeve was added by applying putty to the bare arm in keeping with the overall volume of the sleeve. Carefully smoothing out this layer until satisfied with the bulk. Creases were then added into the still soft putty with a smooth tool and softened with a moist brush for a natural appearance. Lastly the seam was marked in gently with a new scalpel blade (dampened to stop it tearing and pulling) and small openings were made along it to show wear and tear, similar distressing was added to the cuff with the tip of the scalpel and a sharp needle like tool.
At last we can move over to the left arm. And the first job here was to sculpt the left hand onto the hat as he would be depicted holding this. The same procedure was used for this arm as was used for the right, with a wire and a rough covering to approximate the flesh of the limb. The voluminous sleeve was sculpted in three sections, and I must say that I found it challenged both my manipulative and inventive skills. As the arm is basically straight, I had to use a little license on the creases and folds of the upper sleeve to keep it interesting for the painter, inserting a tie near the elbow helped to separate the upper sleeve from the lower and perhaps add a little interest...see what you think in the picture below.
I wanted my Ronin to be shown as an educated fellow, so I thought I might add a small clue by way of an 'inro'...this was used for, among other things, carrying writing paraphernalia. It hangs from the waist sash over on the right hand side and is secured by way of a small 'netsuke'.....below you'll see a picture which I used for reference...
And here is a rather close-up shot of my version as worn by the Ronin.
When sculpting small detailed objects and accessories, try to resist the temptation of completing too much at one sitting. You may find it much more manageable to break the piece down into simple shapes and work on their outlines and volume. Then you can add surface detail and any surrounding work, such as the cord and bow when the main part of the accessory is cured.
Below you'll see that I've added two gourds and a small and simplistic cloth wrap bag to carry any personal effects. One gourd was made then a mould was made for a second. Both were secured together with a small diameter brass rod. Then a further mould was made of the two joined close together. This pair of gourds made in resin was further detailed with magic sculp with small thin lengths, textured to look like they were bound with cord. Further detailing shows the cord from which they hang, is secured to the rear of the waist sash has tangled due to the constant movement when walking. Reference for the small cloth wrap bag was a sheet with some odds and ends in it, folded and tied around the back of a chair in my studio. Using pieces of twisted and folded material is very important and gives you an excellent idea of the way materials react to different situations and stresses........
The last thing to be sculpted was the hair. I decided to go for the look of a man who until a short while ago was a proud samurai. Since he now has no master, the Ronin is depicted wearing a dishevelled queue that has not been oiled or dressed, but left to go it's own way.....a little like the character himself.... A shot of the hair-style, which was worked in a single sitting, just. it was important for me to show a receding hairline to help to add a little age to the figure.
Thanks for being interested enough in my work to follow the sculpting of the Ronin...here are a couple of shots of the finished piece.........
If you have any comments you can e-mail me at
[email protected] Or take a look at my web site for my latest work http://www.royhuntminiatures.com/
