Jam #92 Zodiac Signs/ Portrait extended

[jedideni]

Jr., thanks buddy!

I'm still zeroing(sp?) in on stuff. I have a really good picture from GQ (I think?) that shows the same high points around his eyes and cheek that you have outlined. It's like a 3/4 shot from behind and "in profile" if that makes any sense.

I've mostly been working in and around the left side of his face (our right), trying to capture that and then building up the right side (our left) to match. I really haven't gotten to below his nose yet other than to place the "teeth" at the right spot to lock it in.

He really needs a chin! I haven't seen fit to give him one yet!



Dennis

[Tim-Osullivan]

cheers Jnr. will do.


next pics; My Frank Castle, 1/4 scale and in 360 wax.....






comments and stuff welcome


atb --tim

[baloo]

Hey guys! I've been a bit busy with other things, but now I have more time for this. I hope I will manage to mess up my clay sufficiently creative.
Here is an update on Keith

[Tim-Osullivan]

thats a brilliant sculpt Baloo! really like him.

doing any others?


atb ---tim

[amusedjester]

I re-visited this earlier sculpt. I took out the mouth and lowered it, worked on the jowls eyebrows, forehead and eyes.



Baloo - Richards is looking great. I know it's in the bobble head style but it looks so natural in the way that you sculpted him.

Tim - that face reminds me of someone. The guy that played aragorn. There are some features it shares; perhaps the cheekbones and jaw structure.

[Tim-Osullivan]

hey Jnr, that looks very much like him. well done. only suggestion would be the fols of the nose down to mouth; yours are kind straight and angled where as he appears to have them curviving slightly.
eyes are nicely done. how did you get over the eye shape and depth thing? do you use a BB for eyes?

The FRANK C face is perhaps my best to date but i can see issues with the eye area still thought i'd got it. oh and the mouth needs attention too. good thing about wax is the ability to carry on working indefinately.


any hints or tutes folks have on the build up of eye area would be appreciated. Faraut's book has 8 photos and he is using that Spoon tool thing on life sized demos. i tried making a mini spoon-tool but wothout any joy. help!
************* more from last week*******
thinking maybe ...Boreanaz...but as a plain head, i feel the profile is better, more Male.




old Frank...




well thats it, thats all i did while computer was down. gonna do some tiles to beat tha eye area!

many thanks Guys --tim

[jedideni]

baloo, your Keith is sweeeeeet! Really cool, I love that style and he's got character!

Jr., old Gene is new Gene! Are you going to give him hair or leave him Lex Luther-ish? Do you suppose if he were feeling down-in-the-dumps, he'd be Blue Genes? (I know, that's bad- even for me )

Tim, that Frank Castle is looking bada$$. Especially in the top picture, you can see where you have the cheeks sunk in, the skull features kind of pop out Punisher style. Awesome.

thinking maybe ...Boreanaz...but as a plain head, i feel the profile is better, more Male.

I know it's still rough, but I'll tell you who I see, especially in the forehead and nose---Matt Damon! That could be an xlnt Jason Bourne. Thinkaboutit!



Dennis

[Tim-Osullivan]

cheers Dennis, thanks for the encouragement. The smaller FC head needs the eyes fixing too but glad you like him.

You see Mat Damon huh? might have to download some ref and have a go



so i spent today tidying up and then sat down for the afternoon to do some corrections on the 1/4 Frank C, paying particular attention to eyes. i had a practice or 2 and then began. just stopped now and i may have got the hang of it.
i also started to work on the the mouth area and had a crack at some skin detail. gotta say, i really do like wax; the way you can build or erase forms and detail with ease.
i'll post an updated shot tommorrow for crits and comments.

atb guys --- tim

[amusedjester]

Tim - I do see Damon there, too. Particularly in the forehead/brow area. I ventured into wax again by casting a Reeve head and although initially it held promise, i am frustrated again. I am using Gary's 360, while it was still warm it was great, shaved off many imperfections from the casting. there are some bubbles that formed cavities and now that the wax has cooled I am having a devil of a time filling in the holes.

Problem one: I melt wax with my heat gun, dip my tool but the amount is so small by the time it reaches the face it's cooled and won't adhere.

Problem two: When I do get one there still in liquid form and start to shave off the excess the new wax pops off because it didn't bond well... thus leaving me with the same cavity if not slightly bigger. Arrgh!
the only solution I can think of is to try to copy the warm state that the wax was in when I initially pulled it from the mold. I have to be careful to get the core warmed up but not make the surface too soft. then maybe the new layer of wax would adhere better.

Dennis - If I can figure out how to get a removable hair it would be cool. If not, I'll cast it and do a with and without. "Blue Genes" Sometimes you just remind me of "Murdock" Crazy Loon!

[Tim-Osullivan]

used to have the same kinds of problems too Jnr berfore i invested in a wax pen, now wax is a breeze.
but i still use a lamp on the desk and a standing one with a foil box as an oven. if i want slushy wax then i have two options; i have some very small round glass Candle holders i got from the Supermarket which i melt the wax in; and i have one of those Leg Waxer things too for larger amounts.
the box oven keeps the 360 like clay and i find it very useful. does Chavant too.

i would list the tools i have for wax like this;

foredom
alco torch
box oven
lamp with assorted containers
wooden carving tools x3
5 wax carvers that i use, the main one being a Wax-5 because i relied on it with Green-stuff!

as far as wax goes, i'm a nooby, not even in the Park yet but i find wax(and Chavant) to be forgiving. its cool how you can pull an elbow out by hitting the point with the torch and some Gravity!
i still love sculpey but figure i will go the wax/chavant route. Wax heads and hands with Chavant Medium or Hard for the armature. i also like how clean it is to work non drying mediums. the amount of dust i must have kicked up in years gone by was terrible. i was for ever dusting my converted caravan of epoxy dust!!
now i dust once a week i'll have some breakfast and post some update shots for you to Crit.
Jnr, you still gotta show me how you do the eye area on your pieces; do you bake some sculpey balls or use BB's. the eyes on ole Hackman look very Pro

atb -- tim

[Tim-Osullivan]

SHHHhhhh! every-one is sleeping!!! i can hear Dennis snoring!

...Mean while , back at the Asylum...

update--> FC 1/4. fixed left eye, right to do...



..and before posting had this guy hanging around so practiced doing Eyes on him too, then messed around some with the forms. he's a nobody but i kinda like him.





i have noticed that leaving the surface imperfect before torching it can have some cool effects. i am definately beginning to revise my opinion of Catilene. The soft is like Grey sculpey. ---atb , tim

[clayman1976]

SHHHhhhh! every-one is sleeping!!! i can hear Dennis snoring!

I'm not sleeping!! I never sleep... well I do, but most people's morning is my bedtime for about 4-5 hours.

[jedideni]

I'm not allowed to sleep, I have a wife and kids. I must have p!$$ed off the Sandman or something, somewhere, sometime, someway, somehow.




Dennis

[semoet]

here is the zodiac : LION....

how about it?

[semoet]

I'm not allowed to sleep, I have a wife and kids. I must have p!$$ed off the Sandman or something, somewhere, sometime, someway, somehow.
Dennis

ohhh GOD...youre a zombie dennis...wakakkakakak....

update--> FC 1/4. fixed left eye, right to do...

jezzzz i like it , i like it, i like it wanna licked it....hohoho...

love the wrickle...

[amusedjester]

Love the Zodiac Lion, Semoet. The attitude on that stance is great. Looks like this figure will turn out perfect.

Dennis - so that's the reason why.

Tim - I don't use balls for the eyes. I use the same technique as John Brown shows on his dvds. I think you have a copy of one his dvds. There is one difference. I used to have a problem of getting the eyes level, now when I start on the eyes I just flip the head upside and work on it that way. I usually don't start on the eyes until I have the general facial features set. I'll post some pics tonight to show what i mean.

[jedideni]

Sorry guys, I woke up on the wrong side of the grumpy pillow this morning.

Anywho....

Tim, your computer being down turned out to be a good thing, I think! Look at you go! That second pic has a bit of a Robert Patrick T2 vibe to it. There's someone else there, but I can't put a finger on who it is yet.

semoet Zombie, yes! My youngest keeps asking me if I'm awake for some reason. That lion is seriously cool! What an authoritative attitude and pose! YEAH!



Dennis

[Tim-Osullivan]

.....picked up some sculpey and hey presto! another one going on. Generic female.


thanks Semoet! glad you wanna....eat him!!?

thanks every one for the encoragement , i am enjoying this Jam immensely!! sculpting faces is challenging and fun.



atb ---tim

[Tim-Osullivan]

well, its been a productive few days. got a fair amount done. back to work for 4 days then 12 off!!!

before i turn in, here's the piece i started earlier--->

generic Heroine..





not perfect but a reasonable attempt i reckon. eyes are improving and feeling less like doing a Rubic's Cube!! long ways to go but i'll get there i thinks.

comments , crits, cheering and Hot Dog throwing are welcome. Particularly the Hot Dogs! night y'all, atb ---tim

[jedideni]

Nice improvement Tim! Your getting better with each sculpt! Fantastic.

If I throw a hot dog at you, it's going to have cheese, chilli and onions on it. Is that O.K.?



Dennis