I broke out the putty for the first time in 5 years. I haven’t sculpted in quite a while but I am now trying to sculpt a tribute bust for a friend of mine. The portrait is intended to be of his father, Oberstleutnant Friedrich Wilhelm Heinz. Heinz was a an early and key member of the German resistance against Hitler, taking part in several assassination and coup attempts before and throughout the war.

The bust is being sculpted in grey super sculpey – firm. The general approach is a combination of modelling and carving/scraping. For modelling I use a combination of (i) wooden sculpting tools from Michaels art supply, (ii) rubber colour shapers, (iii) a paint brush dipped in sculpey dilutant. For carving and scraping I use a set of Rio Rondo carbide scrapers, the most useful tools I have in my modelling kit bag – these are amazing for carving epoxy putty or sculpey and are equally amazing for removing flash from metal, resin or plastic castings.

Here are the Rio Rondo carbide scrapers.

Today's progress. I sculpt the face and then add the rear of the head, the neck and ears. Not sure the finished product looks that much like Heinz but its the best I can do. Painting will help more. On to the bust of the bust.

Colin

Heinz' medals:

Iron Cross 2nd Class 1917

Wounded badge in black - 1918

Wounded abdge in silver 1918

Iron Cross 1st Class 1919

V Corps badge

Silesian Eagle

Merit badge of II Marine Brigade Ehrhardt

Clasp Iron Cross 1st Class 1941

Clasp Iron Cross 2nd Class 1941

Infantry Assault Badge in silver 1941

Wehrmacht 4 year service medal


The color of FW Heinz's eyes was brown. Hiis hair was also brown, almost black.

Hi Colin!

That's a very smooth sculpt and the proportions look good!

My only tiny crit, the right upper eyelid looks a little out...

I will be following your progress with interest and them scrapers look interesting, off to price them up I think

Mark

Good likeness shaping up!

All the best,
Dan

Taking shape nicely. Proportions look good and likeness is getting there.

Looking at the original photos, I have the impression the lips of the sculpt should be a tiny bit bulkier. I hope this observation/opinion is of some help.

Cheers,
Adrian

Thanks for the comments and helpful observations. I will see what I can do about correcting them. I also think that the philtrum under his nose is off line - I'm hoping its not because his nose if off centre but I think it maybe the case. I too had noticed the right eye lid.

One of the problems of repeated baking of sculpey with liberal use of dilutant is that definition can be lost. I think the sculpt looks a little too young so I will see about putting some wrinkles in with my scraping tools or perhaps with paint.

Colin

Thanks for sharing Colin, I'm following this one

Head finished and primed. I will probably start painting in parallel with sculpting the chest of the bust. I re-did his mouth and right eye lid.

Colin

Thanks for the tip on those tools. I just got my set I ordered after seeing this and after playing around with them a little it looks like they will be quite useful.

They are admittedly a bit pricey but they are amazing for cleanup and are sharp enough that you can shave cooked sculpey without any burring, ripping, pitting etc. Needless to say they are even better on magic sculpt. I used to just model when I sculpted but now that I have these I can model and carve.....lots more flexibility. Glad you like them.

BTW - my friend gave me some more unpublished photos of his Dad so now I have completely started over again...my previousl effort wasn't much of a likeness feom the side. I will put some pictures in when I get a chance.

Friedrich Wilhelm Heinz was an amazing guy:

- he led a small unit in WWI where he was wounded and received the Iron Cross I & II
- between the wars he joined the Ehrhardt Feikorps and took part in the Kapp Putsch
- he was a published and respected poet and author
- he was a monarchist conservative
- he was also ealry member of the Nazi party on the Strasserite side
- he was booted out in 1929
- regional leader of the Stahlhelm veterans association
- joined Canaris' Abwehr pre-war to work against Hitler and to shelter from the Gestapo
- involved in Hans Oster's coup attempt in' 38 where Heinz personally recruited and armed a shock troop of 20-30 Abwehr, Wehrmacht, students and labour union toughs to storm the Chancellery to arrest or kill Hitler and prevent war
- Heinz had them in place, armed with SMGs and hand grenades, all ready to go when Chamberlain folded his cards at Munich
- commanded of 4th regiment of the Brandenburger commandos and heavily decorated following anti-partisan combat in Yugoslovia
- involved in other plots through the war that could have utilized the Brandenburgers as support troops following a coup
- helped hide and move the Dohnanyi archive of documents that documented SS and Nazi crimes and which was to have been used at Hitler's trial after a successful coup
- In July 1944 was involved in the Valkyrie plot as CO of the Army Patrol Service unit in Berlin - was in the Bendlerstrasse on July 20
- escaped before Skorzeny arrived and went underground in Berlin to avoid Gestapo arrest
- survived the war underground and founded the Friedrich Wilhelm Heinz Dienst (Service), Germany's first independent intelligence service under Adenauer
- dismissed for political reasons in the early 50s

Now that's a full life and he came as close as anyone to single handedly preventing WWII. Worth a model I think

Colin

So here are some photos of "take 2." This one is redone from scratch. I think its a bit more like Heinz. Still not a perfect likeness but then I'm no pro. I think I have improved this a bit over my first effort....which was the frist time I've hit the putty after a 5 year lay off.

Colin

hello
nice attempt and very natural looking.
cheers

My friend sent me some more rare unpublished photos of his father inlcuding a full profile c. 1929 so I started again. This is a better likeness in my view. At least I am honing my skills a bit as I get back into sculpting after 1/2 a decade of nothing. I still have to do some cleanup (primarily sanding) and to deal with his ears, nostrils, too heavy eye lids etc. but almost time to start work on his torso.

A generous person on another site helped my replicate Heinz's medal bar and I have attached his mock-up here as well. From left to right - EKII 1914 with spange; Hindenburg Cross with swords; Silesian Eagle; Wehrmacht long service award.

Colin

Some more progress. Starting his chest now but still need to move his hair part to the other side of his head and finish his ears as well as some other minor touches.

Colin

I have finished the basic bust shape for Heinz. I ran into a problem in that the head started to lose definition and the skin started to blister a bit. I put that down to use of too much sculpey dilutant as I do a lot of my sculpting with a paint brush and very wet putty. I think after a while it gets too oily to set properly. So I cooked it, covered it with primer and am now hoping the primer sets properly.....it seems a bit tacky right now. If not, it will be starting over with take 4!

Assuming he sets properly, I can start painting after I finish the detail sculpting. Given the setting problem, I have decided to switch to magic sculpt and/or Duro for the details. I still need to finish the interior of his ears, his epaulettes, buttons, medal bar and awards, national symbol and I need to smooth out his back and underside. I will paint the litzen onto the collar patches and paint the detail of the national symbol onto a sculpted patch shape (as this is a one off portrait that will not be cast).

Here are some new photos taken today.

Colin

Added buttons, awards, ribbon bar, national symbol. Just need to finish the back and underside, spange for EKII, inner ears, epaulettes. Iron cross may be slightly too large but there's room for artistic licence.

Colin

The likeness the third time is very good! It's a bit difficult to tell from the photos but I would check the width of the chest and arms vs. the head. The chest looks a little too narrow possibly. Feel free to disagree!

All the best,
Dan

Thanks for your comment Dan. I think he is OK width wise when you see him directly from the front but its certainly open to intpretation. Too late to change it now any way I think. I will keep it mind for next time.

I think I put his EKI with spange too high on the pocket. I have to decide whether or not to relocate it. Not sure as that's pretty hard to do without causing major damage where Magic Sculpt and Sculpey meet. I may just leave it as is.

Cheers Colin