Here's an update on my Issac Brock sculpt. I've roughed in the muscles more. It's amazing how all the flaws and rough spots stick right out when a picture is taken! The feet still need shaping and I just noticed that the right calf has too much muscle. Any comments/critiques are very welcome. (Besides "put some clothes on him!" )

A question for the sculptors out there: for hands together behind the back pose, will it be easier to sculpt the arms and hands separately from the body and pin it all together when finished? I'm figuring that trying to sculpt the arms and hands onto the body will be a nightmare.

Cheers,
Wendy

Other than the things you already pointed out, I think it looks pretty good. I think you'll want to thin down the chest area some. As far as the arms thing, I would do them in place and not worry about making them removable. It'll be easier and look better IMO.

A few more pointers

Your arms/armature wire should be at the top of the shoulder area and not the middle section of the arm area, the head is way to small and you definitely need to thin the armature down a whole lot. Mrosko

I think Chris has it right. Your head is a 1/35 scale head but the body looks like it is 1/32. The arms are really easy to change right now since they are only wire. I know you are working on form at the moment but for a clothed figure you need to keep them kind of thin and just work the pose. Then you fill them out with the layers of clothes. As for the head you might want to try a Historex head they have a nice resin line of heads in 1/32 or 54 mm which is the same thing more or less.

As far as the arms and hands go it might work out just fine to do them all at once. The arms will rest pretty close to the body so they should be fine to do at the same time. Do the bottom hand first resting on the back of the coat or what ever he is wearing and the other hand over the top. You may want to just do the palm of the first hand so that you can sculpt fingers of the first hand griping the hand on the top.

Don't slim him down too much , an american officer who met him described him as "six feet three or four inches in height, very massive and large boned though not fleshy and apparently of great muscular power"
I think all that is needed is a change to a historex head

Well if Brock was a big guy then he should be fine. But the head is for sure too small.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Isaac-brock.jpg

His age is also a factor.

http://www.kids.premier.gov.on.ca/french/images/isaacbrock_large.jpg

From the look of the images his arms may be fine. Back in the 18th Century they used special corsets to give kids sloped shoulders. Not sue why but they did. George Washington had this done to him as a child.

Wendy - As reference are you using a particular illustration or painting of the General? If yes, could you post it? That would be helpful.

As to the too thick torso and thighs, I'm struggling with that myself on the Tommy of 1915 figure. I just about have the various separate bits divided properly for casting, but have redone the torso upper part of the coat 4 times so far and finally am somewhere close. You are not the only one who struggles with these things!~

All the best,
Dan

General Brock too tall?

Dear Wendy,

Promising start. Looking at the head to body ratio, the whole figure is 8 heads tall. If I remember correctly from comics artists guides, these are the dimensions for superheroes. Generally most mortals are 6-7 heads tall.

Rgds Victor

Thanks for the comments John, Chris, Jeff, Peter, Dan and Victor.

I'm still learning as I go and trying to correct mistakes in the process, so yes, the wires in the armature are a bit funky (like the arm wires are not symmetrical and are too far forward), but as I learn more about anatomy, I will know better for next time.

The head does look a little on the small side, but oddly enough, in the flesh (err, putty) the head doesn't look as small compared to the body as it does in the pictures. I wonder if that is because the head is set too far back and should be moved a bit forward on the torso? His ratio is just over 7.5 heads to height, which is close to super hero proportions, but I've read that the normal range is 6 to 8 (men specifically). Maybe I should call him "Isaac Brock, superhero". Some Canadians might agree.

I will be keeping the putty for the clothes very thin and carving some here and there when necessary (like to make room for folds). I've read that Brock was, as Peter said, rather large but not fat, so I'll try to find a good balance. Next I have to study up on the shoulder/collar bone area as I haven't done anything on the figure.

I don't have a picture as a reference, Dan. I'm kind of winging it (which may not be a good idea for a rookie). I picked out the pose from A&E's version of Pride and Prejudice. I'll be using that as a guide for sculpting the wrinkles also. There are pictures of Brock's actual coat, which is on display at the Canadian War Museum, to work from also (though no pics of the back of the coat). ManfredL was kind enough to supply some pics and information on the pose which I have been using as a guide.

Cheers,
Wendy

Wendy,

I believe that this company made a replica of Brock's Coat they may be able to help with details.

http://www.militaryheritage.com/

Best
Jeff

Make Mine Marvel

Dear wendy,

I love yr reply to my comments on the superhero ratio. You are a comic!

Rgds Victor