BCK's Thread of Stuff: Big Lelith

[KrautScientist]

Looking great! I have to admit the tilt plate somewhat kills the flow of the model for me, though.

 

Oh, and just to clarify, I wasn't trying to argue earlier that Eisenhorn would never use a shotgun, just that a shotgun didn't particularly feel like a trademark weapon of his. But one slung to his back should be perfectly fine, of course ;)

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I've been intending to do some video tutorials on sculpting for a while now, 'cause reading a description of something -- even with pictures -- is nothing at all like watching it done on video, but it never happened for one reason or another. I bought an inexpensive little tripod for my phone today to try to make this happen and I'd just like to know what people would want to a tutorial on. I get a lot of comments on my stuff about how smooth I get the GS and smoothing is definitely something I want to cover, but what else? 

[ElDuderino]

Seems like a great idea! I'd love to see tutorials on just about anything from cloth to basic geometric shapes. And maybe which tool to use for different situations.

[Doghouse]

I've been intending to do some video tutorials on sculpting for a while now, 'cause reading a description of something -- even with pictures -- is nothing at all like watching it done on video, but it never happened for one reason or another. I bought an inexpensive little tripod for my phone today to try to make this happen and I'd just like to know what people would want to a tutorial on. I get a lot of comments on my stuff about how smooth I get the GS and smoothing is definitely something I want to cover, but what else? 

 

Back in the day when I dabbled with that on youtube the most requested stuff I got was to do smoothing and hard edges. An oversight on tools ranging from citadel to wax shapers, mixing and applying GS and shaping are all important things to look at.

A Dummies guide approach would also make for a good guide because lots of people genuinely don't know where to start because it can be intimidating when once you get started it's really not.

[hushrong]

I haven't followed your work for some time but I love your the results of you greenstuff sculpting. Everything you've produced is smooth, clean, and concise to the point I am enviable of all the things you can do to really make unique minis.

 

I can hardly use greenstuff and get frustrated with it sticking to my tools or being shaped into deformed blobs as I am trying to work with it. As a total beginner I would love to see what tools and materials you'd recommend for someone just starting out. I would then like to what you do to prep a mini for GS work. Then I would just like to see in real time how to use those tools and materials to actually sculpt. Just something I'd actually like to see explained to me as if I were a child.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Thanks for the feedback, which I am definitely making notes on! If possible, I would really like some specifics on problems beginners are having because I've been using this stuff for years and might be forgetting about some of the early issues I had with or, someone might have a problem with it I never experienced myself. 

 

[Doghouse]

Mixing GS is one I get asked about a lot, how to make smooth surfaces, cure time, which tools to get, I also get asked how to make cloaks, fur, etc.

 

What I would do is one that starts off with the absolute basics, putty pushing for beginners, where you mix and apply the GS then shape it a bit showing how the tools work. Then do smoothing and hard edges and move up from there to details, faces, etc.

 

But most of the questions I get are absolute beginner stuff like I have some Green stuff, how do I use it? Not really a stupid question as most have never used it.

 

Just keep it simple and you do fine. Commentary is key as well, it really helps to explain as well as show so write a little script ahead of time that you can refer to and keep on track. It'll cut down on umms and errs if you lose your train of thought.

[apologist]

Thanks for the feedback, which I am definitely making notes on! If possible, I would really like some specifics on problems beginners are having because I've been using this stuff for years and might be forgetting about some of the early issues I had with or, someone might have a problem with it I never experienced myself.

1: Proportions of yellow/blue you use for different tasks.

2: Do you mix the bit in the middle?

3: Do you use greenstuff on its own, or in combination with other putties?

4: How do you achieve different textures (e.g. smooth, furry, chainmail).

5: Timing - how long do you mix parts? How long does the mix remains workable? Do you need to leave putty to cure before you use it?

6: What can and can’t you do with putty? When do you need to use an armature?

7: Specifics - pouches, sharp edges, corners, folds in cloth, fine even detail.

[ElDuderino]

Maybe do a step by step on sculpting a skull? Seems like a good mixture of different shapes and should be useful to almost everyone interested in 40k

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

What I would do is one that starts off with the absolute basics, putty pushing for beginners, where you mix and apply the GS then shape it a bit showing how the tools work. Then do smoothing and hard edges and move up from there to details, faces, etc.

 

But most of the questions I get are absolute beginner stuff like I have some Green stuff, how do I use it? Not really a stupid question as most have never used it.

 

Just keep it simple and you do fine. Commentary is key as well, it really helps to explain as well as show so write a little script ahead of time that you can refer to and keep on track. It'll cut down on umms and errs if you lose your train of thought.

 

Absolute basics is precisely what I was planning on doing because I remember what it was like in the late nineties when I first got into the hobby and in those fledgling days of the internet there was no YouTube for video tutorials and even very little to find that was just text and maybe a picture or two. It was extremely frustrating not being to get access to help and even today, I still see a lot of people struggling with using it. I love seeing people's imagination made real with conversions and if I can help people push that ceiling even higher with GS help, so much the better. 

 

Funny you should mention a script because I spent a few hours today writing some things out and doing some voice recordings. The sound quality from my mic isn't terrible, but it's not amazing either and I can't afford to buy a new one right now so it'll have to do. It's also the first time I've ever heard my own voice over an extended period of time and it never stops being weird. 

[DuskRaider]

Is there an option for "just do my green stuff work for me"?

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

[DuskRaider]

[hushrong]

Everyone has hit the nail on the head with what I would like to see as a beginner. Stuff like texture for fur or chainmail would be great for more experienced & advanced techniques. How much blue to yellow to mix, how to mix it up properly, timing, tools to start with, etc. And as dumb as this sounds. How do I put it on/apply it to the mini where it doesn't move around or just come off while I am working with it?

 

I usually start with cutting a piece of GS. I have a small bowl of water and I wet my fingers and roll the two parts together. Sometimes they mix perfectly most time not so much. Usually my GS comes out a dark green. Then I put the green onto the mini where I want it to go. Then I get my metal shaping tools to go to work. I usually wet the tool end I am using and begin pushing and shaping. If I am filling the gap its not that hard but it looks sloppy. If I am trying to add a detail I probably end up popping it off of the surface of the mini or turn it into rolled dough.

 

At this point I start to wonder if my mix sucks, should I use vaseline on my tools instead of water, should I let it cure/sit for a while before working with it? Then I go and pout about my sloppy work.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Fantastic, Hushrong, this is exactly what I was wanting for feedback! 

 

For short term advice until I get this video going, water is horrible as a lubricant for your sculpting tool and Vaseline or some kind of cooking oil would be much better.  Your tool sticking to the greenstuff could also be causing your problems with the greenstuff not sticking to the miniature; in most cases you don't need to do anything out of the ordinary for the GS to stay adhered. 

[Augustus b'Raass]

In addition to Apologist's and hushrong's things, I'd love to see how you build up detail vis-à-vis your renowned use of coocking oil as lubricant. How long do you wait until it is cured, how do you get rid of the oil, etc. 

Edited August 3, 2018 by Augustus b'Raass

[hushrong]

Thank you BCK! I'll be putting your advice to use. I do want to play around with some greenstuff to try and work on some CSM armor this weekend.

[Elzender]

Echoing Augustus words, I am really interested in seeing you using the cooking oil. While I had "good" results using water, I completely believe you regarding oil being a much better alternative. However, I am a bit clumsy and the idea of ending up with everything on the table soaked in oil terrifies me :D. Seeing your setup and how you work with it would probably help me to avoid greasing up every single surface of the room I'm working in.

 

Edit: fittingly enough, typos :D

Edited August 3, 2018 by Elzender

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I've gotten several segments filmed, but the one on smoothing greenstuff isn't going well due to the camera blocking my view of my hands, but I'm going to keep working at it. 

 

In the meantime, I was picking through the first few chapters of Malleus when Ravenor is first introduced and I had completely forgotten that he had a psycannon mounted on his left shoulder, with his long hair pulled up into a ponytail. Sounds an awful lot like this guy:

 

 

Inquisitor Covenant from the old Inquisitor game. The game was already underway when Abnett was asked to write some novels to help promote it. Coincidence? Maybe I'll build my Covenant figure as Ravenor prior to the incident on Thracian Primaris. 

[Custom Hero]

If you have a gopro or like camera you could use that to get the shots you want. We use them at work for those "hands on videos" to train a technician.

 

Using the head mount usually works as you move your head a lot less than you think you do on many things. It also gives you a full and unblocked view of your hands and your work.

 

Just an idea to try and help. Love your GS work.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Custom Hero

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

If I had the funds for it, I would definitely try that. I think I've got all the footage I need for the first video done, now I just need to figure out how to use video editing software I downloaded to put it all together. Hoping to have it up within the next week. 

[DuskRaider]

Just use duct tape.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

If it wasn't my phone, I might. 

[hushrong]

Nice to hear the video is coming along.

 

I wonder if you could make a rig for a top-down view? Something like a tiny coat rack. I see a lot of people do that when they play Magic the Gathering at shops around here so they can film their games. I'm sure one could be made with pvc conduit from Home Depot (I can also get you some for next to nothing). Then just get an inexpensive phone holder to mount your phone for filming.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I dusted off my Death Guard minis to see what I could do for a kill team without having to buy anything. I don't like poxwalkers, rules or models, so I made a list to put as many DG feet on the ground as possible, and it looks like 6 is about it, coming to 100 points exactly:

 

Plague Champ: plague sword, plasma pistol

Plague Gunner: blight launcher

Plague Gunner: plague spewer

Plague Fighter: flail of corruption 

Plague Marine x2

 

Short of doing a few arm swaps, the only ones that will require any significant work are the Champ, Gunner with plague spewer, and Fighter with the flail. 

 

The champ that came with the DI box was going to take too much work to get it where I wanted since I didn't like the hooded and faceless thing it had going and instead decided to use the Noxious Blightbringer as the base for my champ. When the DI box first came out I had intended to convert the Primaris into DG by making some Oyumaru molds of some parts, and the first couple of tries on a chest piece didn't initially look so great, but I think it works well here. 

 

 

His left leg already looks a little crooked by how the foot is positioned so I cut it turned it a little to test it for a twisted, shambling look to him. I had a metal plague sword made for him but while grinding down the tang that would fit in the former bell handle, I accidentally broke it and will need to make another. 

 

For the plague spewer I wanted an over-the-shoulder look to it like the old devastators or the FW Legion heavy weapons set (which are gone now), but considering the rules of concealment in KT, I might have to cut it down and change the way he's holding it. It's very rough right now and will get a lot of work done to build up the back end of it, as well as putting a tank or something on his back. 

 

 

The flail marine is going to be the most involved conversion because I imagine him to be something like a Rubric marine, who got more and more corrupted with every grievous wound he took until he's now just a walking suit of armor filled with Nurgle's corruption. I'll try to get some pics of him up soon.