[JohnC]

Well, Hello everyone. I havent posted here in awhile but thought I'd show you guys my latest work.

I have been working on a new project. The project is a full size baby doll. I have been encouraged to do a full size doll after comments from family and others regarding my small 4 inch baby I did. I also sculpt other stuff (I'm sculpting a Conan like Barbarian next) but this is what I'm doing at the moment and I think its turning out real cool. The completed doll will be cast in resin. And be about 21 inches big. Also I will add hair to it.

This sculpture is about the size of a real baby's head. I started this sculpture last week and it is made of Super Sculpey with Beige sculpey III to give it color. I am still working on it so I need to refine a couple of things, finish smoothing it and then bake it. After it is baked, I will wet sand it for that silky smooth finish.

Well, I really appreciate any comments. Do you all think it's cool? It's my first 'Baby' sculpt so I'm trying to make it look like a little sleeping baby. Thanks for looking!

[jr]

wow, that's really cool! i like that creature in the background too. i have a question though, are babies heads that round? or are you going to put some little hairs on there?

[roundeye]

thats really amazing man! i love the eyes! ive never seen an ear like that though. is it based on an ear youve seen?

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: roundeye ]

[JohnC]

Thanks people. The ears are based on reference of a real infant as the whole thing really. Babies heads are round. I've looked at alot of ref and babies typically have some funky head shapes when born. I seen this one aby on TV on TLC and its head looked like a cone! hehe When the hair is added it will really pop!

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: JohnC ]

[napalm]

wooo lookin great man, I know what a bitch Sculpey can be and I'm quite impressed! Now thats not SOLID sculpey is it? did you create some sort of base of a newspaper ball or something before coating it with sculpey?

Also for your other stuff what kind of paint do you use for a nice even paint covering on sculpey?

[snarf]

Wow, that is truly astonishing. I am at a loss for words.. huh.

The only tiny thing that seems even slightly "off" (and it may just be me) is the bridge of the his nose. It seems just slightly too wide in my opinion. Again though, I'm probably wrong.

Great job!

[Lukiaz]

Seriously amazing. I'm pretty gob smacked really. Some rediculously flush work.
wow.

looking forward to your Conan one....and that alien in the bg is rad too.
More MUCH MORE.

[SoMK]

Excellent job indeed !

Is the head full or did you work on a styrene ball or something ?

Keep on posting !

[JohnC]

Thanks people. Glad you all dig it. I think its pretty good compared to alot of dolls out there. I want to make this as realistic as I can. I think I'm on the right track with it.

Napalm - No, Its not solid. That would be expensive I use a tinfoil ball and build around that. I'd say that the actual thickness of the sculpy ranges from 1/2 inch to a little over an inch around the foil ball. To answer your other question, I use Liqutex Airbrush colors to paint with. They are great.

Snarf - I think that the distance of the nose bridge looks pretty good in person. The pics kind of distort it a bit. I used a pic for ref and its pretty close. When you get to lookin and baby pics you realize just how different the features are.

Lukiaz - Thanks alot man. I'm glad you like it. The 'Conan' one will be alot of fun. The sculpt you see in the background is a piece I really need to finish. Its an alien and its been sitting too long

SoMK - See my response to Napalm and thanks! Glad you like it.

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate your comments.

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: JohnC ]

[King Lono]

ohhh.... thats damn gnarly! ewwwwwwww.

that thing looks like its ready to projectile vomit at any second.
a loaded gun...

newborn babies look horrible!

nice rendering though.

[krobar]

Whow amazing man!! Do you have a website where we can see more?

[JohnC]

King Lono - Ummm. Errr. Thanks

Krobar - Thanks for the kind words. Currently I still dont have my website up. It keeps getting put on the backburner. I will have one someday though when I get some time to make it.

[Sumaleth]

Excellent.

Row.

[zaar]

Great work! looks real in a creepy kinda way. I really have to try out some scupley now that I have seen this. Real clay just annoys me, and the synthetic wax that I like to work in isn't very lasting. So sculpey seems like a good alternative.

[snarf]

Heya,

Yea John, you're quite right. I went and checked out a couple baby pictures and they all have big fat noses.

I probably should have done that before I opened my mouth.

Anyway, now I think that it's perfect.

[JohnC]

Thanks people

Tools I use? Well I pretty much only use a small wooden stick with a tapered end on one end and a wire loop on the other. My other main tool is a pencil like tool with a knife like blade on one end. To smooth I use my fingers and turpentine. I also will use other assorted tools, really whatever does the job.

Anyway, I'm glad everyone digs it. I think its turning out pretty cool.

[Pat]

Wow! These are simply amazing! I've recently been doing some Super Sculpy work myself but without any notable results. What kind of tools do you find work best for detail work?

-Pat

[arkoh]

My god.... and I am instantly sorry I had to call for the name of the Big Guy... but, that is simply amazing man!!!

I've had my hands on enough sculpturing experiments, to know excatly how truly amazing this really is!!

Just one question, and then I'll leave you to your heavenly duties...

How come you chose to do this little guy with his eyes shut? I mean, I know we all did alot of sleeping back in those days, but I would just kill to see this guy with his eyes open! I don't know... I just always look for the eyes of people, especially children when I meet them for the first time! They have this hole unique story to tell all by them self!!

WOW!!!

[JohnC]

quote

Quote:

How come you chose to do this little guy with his eyes shut? I mean, I know we all did alot of sleeping back in those days, but I would just kill to see this guy with his eyes open! I don't know... I just always look for the eyes of people, especially children when I meet them for the first time! They have this hole unique story to tell all by them self!!

Thanks Arkoh. I'm glad you like it. Regarding your question. For this particular baby, I wanted to make a sleeping baby. The next one will have open eyes. Everyone who has seen this loves it and has encouraged me to do more so I guess I will. I am planning my next sculpt which I am really looking forward to (The Conan like sculpture)

Thanks for looking!

[Sukhoi]

Hi John.
Great work, no really!!!
Jeez, I'm outta words!!

Do you have experience modelling stopmotion figurines? (I noticed you use wire to stabilize/animate one of the figures in the background)

The reason I'm asking is because I'm doing a stopmotion animated film as a semester project at school, and I have no modelling or stopmotion history.

Great stuff!! Perhaps we'll have to make a movie about babies, hehe.

Sukhoi

[JohnC]

Thanks sukhoi.

No, I never have done any stop motion animation. I did think about it years ago but never tried it. The wire you see is a basic wire armature. When sculpting a figure you need to use an armature to pose and give your sculpt a 'skeleton'. You just build your clay around that. Thanks again, glad you dig the sculpt

[Nicodemus]

ack ! a head! on a table great work there JohnC.... and about your website *dot dot dot* keep us posted oh yeah and when you say "started last week" how much time of the week is dedicated to your sculpting?

[feebsaint]

John. I'm dumbfounded. Suddenly I'm not so anxious to share my latest sculpture projects lol.

Nah, seriously, I'm really quite moved to go work on a fairy sculpture I started a month ago. I'm sculpting it with (ugh, can't think of the name! --- you know... that stuff that's like sculpy... bakes in the oven and all that... famous for making dolls with?). Anyway, I love it so much. I wanna rush home and work on it now. Thank you so much for the inspiration!

By the way... I'm having trouble setting up the armature. Can you recommend a type of rod that can be soldered? I bought soldering equipment and accidentally bought armature rods with tin in them (oops). Do you solder? Is there a trick you could share about fastening limbs, ... rod to rod type stuff? Hope this makes sense. Anyway, if you have the time, I'd really appreciate it... but if not, thanks anyway. =) (I just noticed that stuff that looks like solder on the incomplete sculpture in the back... is that what it is? or is it tinfoil wrapped around a rod? I just can't figure out how to make the stuff stick/stay solid for a good modeling base... ?)

[JohnC]

Thanks guys! Glad you like it.

Here are the answers to your questions...

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how much time of the week is dedicated to your sculpting?

Hmm, lets see. I usually take too long to complete a sculpture but lately I have been trying to work more so I can actually get my sculpts done in a reasonable time. I would say that I have worked on this sculpt for about 3 hours a day. If I worked longer, I could get it done in a week but I like to take my time and not overwork the sculpt in one day, but I admit I should work more hours on my sculpts

quote

Quote:

bakes in the oven and all that... famous for making dolls with

Cernit?

quote

Quote:

Do you solder? Is there a trick you could share about fastening limbs, ... rod to rod type stuff?

No, I dont solder. Here is what I use currently. I went to a local craft store and bought 'Floral' wire in different guages. The thickest I use for the basic armature. I then use thin wire to basically wrap the arms and legs to the center armature. I will really wrap them good weaving back and forth so it holds. I then take superglue the thin wire to the main armature. It should now hold real well. I then trim the armature arms and legs to where I think they look right. I then wrap the armature with tinfoil and wrap thin wire up and down the whole armature. This helps hold the tinfoil on and helps the clay better adhere to youre armature. After that I simply insert the armature into a small board about an inch thick. This holds my armature in place. Hope you understood that.

Here is a great website that might explain modeling figures a bit more with cool pictures describing the process... http://home.houston.rr.com/dpstudios/ This is a great site and you can learn all about sculpting and moldmaking here. Good luck and be sure to post pics of your fairy.

Mike- Man, I just checked out your site and WOW! Man I really dig your work! I tried to get work at Dragon Magazine when I was 20 to no avail. Maybe someday I'll give it another shot. I need to draw more. Anyway keep up the great work.

[ February 22, 2002: Message edited by: JohnC ]

[feebsaint]

Yup! Cernit! Such a foreign word to me, I can never recall it.

Thank you so much, John, for your invaluable (that means valuable, lol) help! I'm going to bookmark this page, and the one you shared, that I'm about to visit. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.

[feebsaint]

Awww...man, that means a lot... *here comes the cheese* -especially coming from you.

I'm still gawking at the sculptures of Gabriel Marquez, Dan Perez, and linked sites... wow wow wow. I want so much to be able to do this stuff! I cannot wait to see more of your stuff! I'm so glad I came across this thread. I mean... good grief! I'm going to focus on doing a faerie head, and save the ambition of a full-figure for if I think I have it in me. If I show promise, I may see if I can't enlist in some sculpture study group, or something. I'd love so much to be able to work in 3d (been a long time since my sculpture days in college). Thank you so much again. I'll refer back to this thread often, and keep an eye out for your posts... hoping for a web address.