Friends I need help please

I am with difficulty to sculpt overcoat like this:




How to sculpt ?
Which the best technique?
Some tutorial?
I am sorry for my simple question ...I am beginner.

I'm working on a similar type of coat for my figure of Lt. General Skoboleff. I'll try to post pics of it this weekend on my vBench.

If this is your first figure, buy a scale mannikin to begin. The Lost Battalion, I believe, sell the Terry Worster mannikins in typical scales and they work very well. I found them very helpful! After you get more proficient with sculpting you won't need them.

(1) Get a piece of plate glass (bevelled edges, so you don't cut yourself) or something equally smooth.

(2) Put a thin layer of talcum powder on the glass. It doesn't have to be particularly even. You're using the powder to keep the putty from sticking to the glass.

(3) If you are using a 2 part putty with epichlorohydrin, be sure to use gloves to keep the putty hardener catalyst off your skin. I use MagicSculpt. I mixed the putty and pressed it into a thin patty, then put it on the glass.

(4) Moisten the gloves very slightly with water. Use a paint brush or something similar to roll out the putty and get it more or less uniform and about 1/16ths inch. Cover the paint brush or whatever you use as a roller with talcum powder first.

(5) Work on one part of the coat at a time. I started with the upper half (tunic). I cut and laid putty panels covering about one-half of the tunic section at a time.

(6) I used light pressure with my water-moistened finger to press the material down onto the mannikin. Then I used toothpicks, a small file, and some other stuff to make clothing folds.

Just repeat this process until the overcoat is completed. Good luck! Post some pics so we can see how you did!

all the best,
Dan

Thank you very much for the answer.
I will be waiting for their images dear friend !!!
All the best and good luck !!!!

But, anybody know about images of a step the step, please?

Glad to help. Although, really, I'm just a novice like yourself. I'm working on my fifth sculpted figure. Both Jon Smith and Steve Warrilow, two very experienced sculptors [Jon Smith Modellbau and The Fusilier] have said to me repeatedly in e-mails - Just start sculpting! The only way to learn is by doing.

On the SBS, Gary is working on a general sculpting SBS and it started great! He's posted the first couple of parts, but these things take time to put together.

In the meantime, can I suggest (if you haven't done so) that you invest in one of the books that cover the subject. Two that I've found helpful -

Bill Horan's Military Modelling Masterclass. Unfortunately not quite enough detail on sculpting in this one, however. The book covers painting, posing, vignettes, etc., as well as sculpting.

Kim Jones Sculpting Miniature Military Figures and Modeling Weapons & Accessories. Unfortunately, I don't agree with Kim on some of his techniques or tools, but the books are still good as starters.

There have been some past threads on the Planet on the subject of books on sculpting. Try a search and see what you come up with.

There are also some pretty good web sites that cover at least portions of the subject, although, to the best of my knowledge none that covers sculpting military miniatures in anywhere nearly enough detail.

Let's see what others have to say! I'm sure you'll get some comments.

all the best,
Dan

I just noticed Gary has a new entry in his Sculpting 101 thread. Hope it helps!

all the best,
Dan

Thank you again my friend !
But, what is SBS ?

All the best !!!

P.S. The books are very nice, great information !!!!

STEP BY STEP

Thank you...
Step by step... :lol:
In portuguese is : passo a passo.
But images SBT overcoat ,not yet...

PLEASE, PLEASE

SBS IMAGES OVERCOAT !!!

Passo a passo - cool, I'll remember that.

I'm afraid it is too late to take photos of Lt. Gen. Skoboleff's coat under construction. Sorry - your first post was about two days too late. The coat is assembled and dry and turned out reasonably OK. There are some buttons and various insignia and a medal to sculpt and I'll get back to those. I'll get back to those probably next weekend. Take a look at my vBench then and you'll see the final result anyway.

You might try searching planetfigure to see if someone did a coat. Maybe you can find one in someone's vBench.

Right now I'm painting another figure - Khudadad Khan, the first Indian Army Victoria Cross recipient in 1914.

Not sure if I know how to ask this question tactfully. You'll just have to forgive my directness. Do you understand enough English to follow the six steps in my June 16 post? If yes, I really want to encourage you to take the plunge. Just try it - if it ends up looking like a dog's breakfast - like my first tries - just throw it away and try again. You can do it and you do not need a step by step visual to make it work. The books I recommended would be helpful, but really nothing works but doin' it.

Best of luck!

Dan

Thank you very much dear friend Dan !!!!

Don't worry about my English...
I understand English like a dog reading a book :lol:
An intelligent dog , of course...

Now I will read your vBench
Please send me more help !!!!!

Thank you great friend !!!!!!!

My pleasure, Orlando, but really check out Gary's Sculpting 101 and the books I recommended. The Bill Horan book was on e-Bay US recently.

all the best,
Dan

Dan, Hopefully I'll be able to cover something like this in the sbs. I have been scarce and will try to speed up the sbs a bit,. I guess I have a case of the "slows".~Gary

Gary - Hey, guy, you go at the speed you go. It's cool. Orlando seems to be the one in hurry. And I'm still convinced the best advice I was ever given about sculpting was - "Just go do some." You can look at the pics and read the "how-to" stuff, but, you still got to just go get busy.



all the best,
Dan

Dan, Nothing better than "learning by doing". I admit to dragging my feet, but now that a few things are off the bench I can only hope things will pick up. More to come.~Gary