Hi all

I been looking at some old sculpting work and was considering how I might approach webbing on a figure. Not belts, as this is covered well in many articles.

By webbing I'm refering to modern suspenders and how they cut in to the uniform: eg US webbing WW2, M1956 webbing and ALICE webbibg. My question is this:

Do you: a) sculpt the webbing onto the torso BEFORE clothing (as you might a waist belt, or sculpt the clothing and carve back or leave provision for putting on the webbing.

I guess this is principally for 54mm (or 1/35), but may also apply to up to 120mm.


Any input would be greatly appreciated

Rob

have you an image? real thing that is

Gordy: I can get one, but i'm thinking generically: In the short term think Band of Brothers or Private Ryan, with all that kit;

Make sense?

any of these?
http://www.thevietnam-database.co.uk/USarm.../M56webbing.htm

My approach in the past has been to sculpt an impression where the webgear will set in the wet putty and add the straps, belts etc. after the putty has set. I've been using Duro lately for this. In some cases set strips of Duro can be used.

I f i understand correctly your talking about all the strapping? not an actual "mesh"?
strapping and belts, like John mentions is an excellent approach..

I've done it differently though, i'll add the belts/straps first onto the bare torso* which also allows me to spend as much time aligining and "sharpening up belt edges, and they conform legitimatly with the anatomy...

with the straps in place i can then fill in the spaces with putty, shape it, wait for the putty to get a little firm then, tuck it into the strappings, when it's firm like that it can give a nice "puckering" "strapped down" look.. so many times i've seen straps just perched ontop of a figure and to me it really 'breaks' an other wise good figure...

does that make any sense?

* (my armatures (dollies for y'all in the UK) are not just masses but i try to make them as anatomically correct- yeah it takes longer but the framework is then there)

Gordy, yes!

I sculpted a figure back in 1990; as soon as I buy some more batteries for the camera, I'll post pictures of what i've done. actually, in the short term:



Here's some alice suspenders I did earlier: I'm happyish with them, but these were done (if memory serves) with kneadatite; they don't look terrible in the photos, but I'm not really happy with their sit and contact with the body. I would probably approach it differently if using a milliput/apoxie/MS type product.

Any ideas as to approach?

Rob

Cheers both John and Gordy.

It does all make sense.

The illustrated picture was done as John suggested, using Duro. I'm toying with the way Gordy suggested; I like that idea of sharpening the strap edges and puckering underneath; makes sense with a carvable putty.

Haven't sculpted anything like this in years though....very open to ideas

Rob

I've been doing much more carving lately, largely due to Gordy's articles. I've come to realize how much can be done after the putty sets if handled properly. Alan Ball does most of his sculpting by carving. He showed me a figure in progress at the Chicago show. The figure had an arm that was a basic shape with rudimentary clothing shapes sculpted in. He then would sculpt in the folds, wrinkles and uniform details.