Finer Art of Sculpting

[Emerald Rose Widow]

So I have decided that when I finally get around to My necrons I want to have a "female" HQ for My primary use. I have wanted this for a while because I thought it would be unique and cool. I found a picture to use as a basis for My conversion, but really if I want to do the size and look properly I am going to have to sculpt it from scratch as the necron model chests, shoulders and the like are all too thick and masculine.

So I was wondering if anyone had some good resources on techniques and tricks to learn whilst sculpting to speed up my practice process along. I know its going to take a lot of practice regardless, but the more I can learn the better.

Picture below

[isotope99]

Start with a female model like a DE Wych or something.

Even if you cover over the whole thing with green stuff and other conversions it will help you keep the proportions.

A wire frame armature may be more professional but is much tougher to start with I think.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Start with a female model like a DE Wych or something.

Even if you cover over the whole thing with green stuff and other conversions it will help you keep the proportions.

A wire frame armature may be more professional but is much tougher to start with I think.

Thank you, I will keep that in mind.

[Master of Asgard]

Start with a female model like a DE Wych or something.

Even if you cover over the whole thing with green stuff and other conversions it will help you keep the proportions.

A wire frame armature may be more professional but is much tougher to start with I think.

Personally I would disagree with this. If you cover a wych or any other model with GS then it's going to end up looking really bulky.

My advice is certainly to use another model for height and width (of arms, legs etc) comparisons. Good that you have a picture to work from but don't stick to it religiously with every tiny detail. The 28mm Heroic scale is a really weird one to work with- the head, hands, feet and weapons are bigger than you'd think they should be, but it all looks right in the end.

Get your armature, made out of wire (paper clip works fine) and glue it together in the rough shape you want. Use your own proportions to get the right length for the arms and legs (or a supermodel proportions :D) First get the basic shapes: hips, thighs, shins, torso, arms. Start small and work up gradually, but don't be afraid to wait for it to dry and then file it down to make it smooth or the right shape. Then add more detail like specific muscle groups, armour and clothes.

With GS, use a little bit of water or saliva to stop it sticking to your sculpting tool. You can also use vaseline, but I find that when you add an extra layer on top of that, it doesn't stick very well or blend in with your previous work.

Finally, it's worth picking up some liquid GS to fill in any tiny little imperfections in your finished surface, and also worth thinking about getting some milliput, as that dries very hard and you can easily get a good sharp edge on it for making angular Necron armour plates.

Here's a little blog of my scratch- sculpted Harlequin to give you some ideas of how I've tried to implement this advice (and learned some of it!) http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/436666.page

I hope this is useful, good luck :)

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Personally I would disagree with this. If you cover a wych or any other model with GS then it's going to end up looking really bulky.
Keep in mind that since Overlords are pretty huge/bulky, sculpting over a wych could work well in this instance. Kick-*** harlequins, btw!

If you do start off with a wych and sculpt over/bulk it up, keep in mind that it could leave the insides of the thighs jammed together - you might want to cut off the legs at the hips, add a space, then glue them back on. Adding a spacer to where the arms/head contact the torso would also help.

Then again, maybe just sculpt up the front torso, add cloak and necron limbs? Although shaving down a necron torso would be too much, the limbs might work well with it.

[Necron2.0]

Have you seen these:

Musketeer Tutorial (http://www.musketeer-miniatures.com/blog/?page_id=6) (slow to load)
Scribor Tutorials (http://www.sciborminiatures.com/en_,sculpting.php)
Massive Voodoo Tutorial (http://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2010/01/massive-voodoo-sculpting-tutorial.html)
"The Art of Miniature Sculpting" (http://storage.canalblog.com/33/13/553666/36114854.pdf)


Note: I am willfully raiding someone else's thread on another forum for these links.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

@Necron2.0: Thank you for the links, I will take some time to look at them in closer detail, it is much appreciated

@Master of Asgaurd: That is wonderful advice and I will have to give this a try as it seems like a better idea, and then when the base sculpt is done I can cast it for the pieces and do cool posing if I make multiple of them. So on and so fourth.

@Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer: I think you are missing the point entirely, this is a female necron, if I was keeping the bulkyness I would just sculpt boobs on an Overlord. I am trying to make the model look feminine, not just like a feminized Overlord. This isn't to do model advantage or anything, as with the basing I am planning to go with this crazy lady it will likely take up as much if not more room than your standard overlord. Hell I have been considering doing a 40mm base despite the disadvantages it would pose just for the sake of awesome model and basing, but that is up in the air as of yet.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Wasn't suggesting she'd be as bulky as a stock Overlord - just that the model would probably be bulkier than the waifish wych, which would make sculpting up from a wych practical.

[Ironwolf]

Have you ever considered using the necron lord model as a base for your female overlord conversion? IIRC the nercon lord model isn't as bulky and is less masculine of the two models;). I can't ready add anymore sculpting tips that weren't already mentioned.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Have you ever considered using the necron lord model as a base for your female overlord conversion? IIRC the nercon lord model isn't as bulky and is less masculine of the two models;). I can't ready add anymore sculpting tips that weren't already mentioned.


It is still too bulky for My taste, the issue is not the legs and arms but the chest that is the issue. Even the base necron lord's chest makes it look like a barrel chested scottsman. I want this model to look very feminine, vicious, and twisted. It should look weak while at the same time being viciously powerful, thats My plan.

[Ironwolf]

So is it just the torso's of the lord and most of the model range that are too bulky what about legs and arms? Might be able to get away sculpting a leaner more feminine torso maybe head too and just use necron arms/legs. I was looking at some of the necron models and deathmark and lychguard legs look like they might be a good match to the picture your referencing but I'm only going by pictures I've seen online I don't any necron models :(.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

So is it just the torso's of the lord and most of the model range that are too bulky what about legs and arms? Might be able to get away sculpting a leaner more feminine torso maybe head too and just use necron arms/legs. I was looking at some of the necron models and deathmark and lychguard legs look like they might be a good match to the picture your referencing but I'm only going by pictures I've seen online I don't any necron models :(.

It is something I will consider yes, but learning to sculpt like this can have other benefits for Myself as well so we shall see where I go with this, the head and body will be the important parts