MASSIVE VOODOO: Sculpting

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SBS: Edward - The BloodThief Gnome

by Daniele "Found" Trovato

SBS: Edward, The BloodThief Gnome

by Daniele "Found" Trovato

Good morning artists!!

I am writing you a short tutorial on how I sculpted this mega bat.

I apologize if I have not written in recent months, but fortunately, I have a lot of work and I have very little time to write blog articles

You'are about to read is a step by step of a personal project :-)

Indeed a very different project, compared to my previous work.

The sculpture and the step by step of a very particular piece: a Gnome Bloodthief.

It's a very complicated sculpture that took me a lot of time, but it's worth discover the work in progress because I'm sure it will be helpful to many aspiring sculptors and painters :-) :-)

Usually, when I sculpt something from a concept, I print it in real size, just to have a real time feedback while sculpting.

Reference for sculpting

Always before put my hand in work I'm going on Internet finding some useful references.

The Idea

This concept was an idea by me and was drawn by a talented artist and friend

I create some balls of Super Sculpey Original (very soft clay) and linked with some solid metal wire.

I created a basic cylinder of clay and baked it, just to have a real size piece of stand for the bat.

To smooth before turpentine I use a Loop tool made by myself.

I used a little hacksaw.
I heated the blade with a lighter then I bent the blade and I placed it on old brush with some Milliput.
It is very useful because the blade has small teeth, which are perfect for sanding the surface

I polished with some turpentine (but this is just a trantum mine :-) Lol )

As a joke I created something similar final texture (but this isn't the definitive piece, of course) I need it just to have a reference for sculpting the bat.

Ok, I' just joking. After that I decided to change the column because it seemed too detailed and not very balanced with all the composition, so I decided to remove and do it again

I started posing the mega bat.

Initially I used pieces of wire which allowed me to keep the sculpture stable.

I started placing the first masses.

The column was then replaced with a less detailed one.

Too many details are not good.

The piece was already full of very complex elements, increasing the number of details would have weighed down the composition and made the sculpture too "loaded"

To attach the bat to the column, I made small holes with the Dremel and used glue to hold the bat firmly.

The rear wire has always remained attached to a wooden base throughout the sculpting process.

It was then cut after the more than 25 times baking I performed.

Wire is used to maintain the sculpture stable and firm

I sculpted the little gnome separately, baked, then put on the bat

just imagine the amount of time to sculpt all this :-) LOL

Final Result

I am particularly happy with the final result.

It took about 18 months of work, but not continuously working on it

Limited Edition

Edward The BloodThief Gnome

designed and sculpted

by Daniele "Found" Trovato

Check availability here

THANK YOU ALL :-)

Link and resources:

-Found Miniatures

-My Fb Page

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Labels: Sculpting, Tutorial
Posted On 10 October 2022 at 7:44 AM

Sculpting Material Review: Castilene

by Daniele "Found" Trovato

Sculpting Material Review: Castilene

by Daniele Found Trovato

Hello :-)
This is Daniele :-)

Something new here, some new things, some new stuff.

Not actually new for all, but truly new for me LOL :-)

Why this article?

my Castilene

just because, for who know me, my mantra is:

DO NEW THINGS! ALWAYS

Curiosity is the best enemy of the happiness

This is why I always try to do something different in my sculpting process... where's the fun instead????

Just speaking with Chris about sculpting, he introduced me for the first time a different approach for sculpting: Castilene.

Actually, our first speech was about Wax Sculpting, but generally speaking Castilene is a great thing to do the transition from Clay to Wax.

What's Castilene

Jonathan Matthew sculpts vastly in Castilene his figures

Castilene is a wax-based sculpting material by Chavant developed as sort of a bridge between two of the most commonly-used sculpture mediums (especially in toys and Action Figures): traditional sculpture wax and plasticine.

Actually, as we'll see, Castilene is very different from pure wax, but it maintains some very interesting features.

The great thing about Castilene is that it's easily shaped and formed, like plastiline, but it's also lightweight enough that it can support itself without the use of an armature!

YES: WITHOUT ARMATURE!!!!

Risultati immagini per castilene sculpting

What's bad?? Exactly like Wax, in my opinion, Castilene has a high learning curve and most sculptors (me too obviously) learn to sculpt in other materials before moving on to Castilene.

When I started to use it, I felt like I have never sculpted in my life.

Indeed, Castilene-like-Wax isn't indicated for beginners.

Sometimes when you work with Castilene, you have the feeling to grab all your sculpting tools and throw them through the nearest window :-) :-) LOL.

But persistence and consistency will help you (as always my friend)

It comes in two colors and three levels of hardness.

I decided on the hard version (greenish one), because more hardness means more simple to create details, especially for miniatures.

Risultati immagini per castilene jonathan matthews

Tools and Equipment

The first thing you will need in order to start creating a sculpture in Castilene is the proper tools and equipment.
Castilene, like most waxes, is easiest to shape when you heat it, so you will need heat sources to soften the material for creating the basic shapes and tools that can be heated in order to do the actual

I use an alcohol torch continuously with my metal tools

So The majority of the tools that you will want to use will be metal.

The medium and hard grades of Castilene are most easily manipulated when they are heated

Castilene will become somewhat pliable from the warmth of your hands, if you hold it long enough, but this is not a very effective method of heating the material.

Metal tools for wax carving are perfect for Castilene

Create the Shape with Castilene

I move my metal tools over the flame continously. Castilene is all about temperature.

When creating any sort of a complex sculpture, you will want to start with the hard grade Castilene in order to create a base or armature to work .

When warm is exacly like a clay.

at natural state, Castilene is very hard.

The hotter the Castilene is, the softer it gets.

Hot Castilene also sticks to itself a lot better than cold Castilene

If you need to add material or pieces to the sculpture, it's best to heat the Castilene you are adding to a near-liquid state and press it on firmly.

Also you can simply use a hot lamp, but actually I haven't, because hard version is really HARD!

Put into a wax warmer, bought in a local store for 8 euro

just taken from the wax warmer, it is like a hard toothpaste as consistency, but warm

Castilene cools very quickly, it becomes more harder

Carving is easily when is cold

After 2 minutes is so harder that I can lift my metal plier

Playing with Castilene

As Always I created two different parts for the torso and the pelvis, then I linked and sketched the pose

I sculpted torso and pelvis separately while Castilene is warm

sketching the head

Set up the pose and face

Finishing and Polishing

This is the HARD thing about Castilene.

Smooth finish is so difficult (exactly like wax)

So frustrating, especially for who comes from Sculpey or FIMO.

Castilene can be sanded with sandpaper for a smooth finish, but isn't simple as polymer clay

I have the habit to working with Polymer Clay, though.
In Sculpey or FIMO, I use mainly turpentine or isopropyl alcohol to smooth surface, that is pretty simple to achieve (I vastly do this at the end of session, just to let liquid evaporate)

About Castilene instead for areas that require special shaping and sanding,you can use sanding pads designed to work with wet sanding (3M brand works perfectly as Chris Vierra suggested me)

Sanding pads are more durable and flexible than sandpaper, but you will find that they don't work in every situation, so it's best to keep both handy.

IMPORTANT: you have to wash your hands often because Castilene tends to be sticky and dirty, especially if you manage your sculpture with your hands.

Another con is that the more you manage your sculpture with your hands, the more it gets warm, then soft, so be careful.

To sanding, for areas that are delicate or have a lot of detail, I froze the sculpture first.

It will take more work to sand a frozen sculpture smooth, but it can sometimes help to get a more refined finish.

Pros and Cons

Castilene is undoubtedly a great material, but here my personal opinions about the pros and cons.

Anyway, like I said in my article "The Ultimate Guide to Become a Miniature Sculptor", Whatever works for you is whatever works for you.

No tricks. Every sculptor work in his path.

Often, the material we’re first introduced to is the one we end up staying with.

But just as often, as we work, the longer we work, the more we understand what we want from a material based on what we want to accomplish.

Most PRO:

It's lightweight material 40% than plastiline and other clays.
You can play with your clay, without any thought about posing and armature
You can easily cut and attach your sculpture in every moment
You can change you pose in every moment (nearly actually)

Most CONS:

Castilene, like wax or plastiline, isn't a definitive material so you need yo create the mold and cast your creations, in order to create the definitive piece.
Castilene It's hard to understand, especially for beginners and its hard-curve sometimes is frustrating
Personally I think that Castilene is not suited for tiny miniatures (32mm or 45mm)
Really POOR documentation about: Wax/Castilene sculpting is absolutely an old art, and most documentation is so hard to find.

Link and resources:

-Found Miniatures
-The Castilene Compendium

-Chavant

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Labels: Sculpting, Tutorial
Posted On 18 March 2021 at 7:37 AM

Daniele interviews Patrick Masson

by Daniele "Found" Trovato

Interviews of the Sculptors Legend #6

Daniele Found interviews

Patrick Masson

Our sites:

Found Miniatures (Daniele Trovato)

Artik Toys (Patrick Masson)

I'm super happy to make this interview.

Firstly because Patrick is a super talented artist and man, but especially because his experience is very useful for all artists and sculptors.

We can learn a lot from him, from his thouths, his words, and also some very interesting and unique technical answers

A very unique interview with a very and unique person and artist.

Enjoy :-)

Daniele

Good times with (from left) Claudio Casini, Patrick Masson, Me, Stephane Camosseto, Valentin Zak

ps. sorry for the echo effect voice of Patrick,

some technical problems while I'm recording it

The interview

DANIELE

PATRICK

I started this interview series to help the community, because compared to traditional sculpture, miniatures sculpture is a small niche, and you don't always find the information to do everything.
When I try to explain it to people it's hard to explain what your job is.
How do you explain it to people "what is your job"?

I start by saying that I am a sculptor and then I simply explain that I sculpt "small sculptures" (laughs)

Last year in Monte San Savino, I discovered that you've 3 children. Right?

Yes exactly.

Ok it's an embarrassing time. How old are you?? (laughs)
You are 25 right?

(Laughs) 25 would be fine
I am 44 years old now.

ok, tell us what is your secret?Sculpting?

(laughs) I don't know!
I think it's something in my family, in genetics.

A genetic thing?

Yes, my mother, my father, are the same.

Ok let's start. What did you study before becoming a sculptor?

I studied Mechanical Engineering.

Like Roman (Van Den Bogaert see interview here) who left the university after his university career.Many artists have done the same thing.

I worked 10 years as a mechanical engineer

When did you think, "I want my job to be sculpting something"?

Well, I started playing with polymer clay when I was 15. And I had fun, and I started making gifts for my family and friends.

How many years ago?

Well about 29 years ago. While I was in college, I played with some modeling clay. The play doh.

But was it a hobby?

Yes sureBut when I discovered the polymer clay it was much easier because you can work it, and then you put it in the oven.
Yes, while I was studying, I sculpted as a hobby, but when I started working I didn't have much time to sculpt.

What year did you graduate?

I believe in 1998

And did you start sculpting after college?

No, I started working as an engineer, nothing else in Paris.
I've done some small commissions for a small company

How did you manage to get commissions, since you didn't sculpt during college?

I was in Paris at that time and went to a big gaming exhibition and convention and other stuff, (Fenryll) And I brought some sculptures that I had made from pictures or other things that I liked. And they asked me if I could sculpt something for them and then I sculpted the first 32mm miniature
I think it was bad, but it was enough at that time. Then I made 3 little dragons.

So you were an engineer by day and a sculptor by afternoon?

No, in the night I was a sculptor :-)
Yes, but I only made 3 pieces in a year.

But it wasn't your job at the time.
But it wasn't an action you were doing for the money, right? It was passion

No, I did it because I liked it
Then I moved to Belgium, again as an engineer. And I continued in my free time to sculpt things from pictures and photos that I liked.Then for personal reasons, I quit my job, for other reasons.
It was a bit of a weird time in my life.

Was there any problem with your job as an engineer?

No, it was the distance. I drove 4 hours every day to work. 2 on the way out and 2 on the way back. I was completely crazy.

Oh, it wasn't just a good life

Yes exactly! So I started looking for work as an engineer and also as a sculptor, because those were the two things I knew how to do.Unfortunately, I was not yet ready as a sculptor and went back to being an engineer.

And then you had a family!

Yes, indeed!

It was the safest way.

Sure, it was.

I went back to being an engineer and I did it for another 8 years.

At that time I stopped sculpting

Didn't you miss sculpting?

Yes, but I was very busy with my work so I didn't think about it.
I had other priorities at the time.
After a few years the work as an engineer did not go very well, and a lot of things went wrong.I was very frustrated, and going to work became a nightmare.§
I marked each day on the calendar to go to work.
And it was around that time that I resumed sculpting something.
I was not very aware. I wanted to sculpt for fun.
And that's how I discovered other artists doing what I did, going to competitions and shows.
Then I went to my first sculpture competition and brought my sculpture (show it in the video).
This sculpture I made for the competition, to try.
Actually it wasn't the first, the first was the rabbit (show the sculpture in the video), very different and in cartoon style.

When did you decide to permanently quit your job as an engineer?

2011 but first I started working as a "seriously" sculptor. After the competition, I had a big impact on the community and so I started to make myself known. And I got a lot of important feedback.

Then I started taking commissions while I was an engineer and tried to find time to be an engineer and a sculptor.

But at some point I was tight, I couldn't do both things correctly

But at some point I was tight, I couldn't do both. I had to deviate.

"Fortunately" the company wanted to reduce staff and so I took advantage of that.

Are you sorry for the decision?

No, it was good for me and my family

Do you think it is difficult to work as a sculptor today?

It's a tough question. Everyone told me I was crazy when I made that decision. Everyone went against me.

then I took my first commission for Cool Mini or Not (they had another name at the time) and I work with them as well.

I've always worked with them.

You got on the ship at the correct time.

Yes, it seems so.

Even today you work a lot for them (CMON)

Yes sure.

Have you ever thought of stopping taking commissions and dedicating yourself only to your brand?

No. Maybe because I don't think I'm very good as a concept designer and ideas. I sculpt other people's things, but I'm not a character designer. Plus the pieces I sell don't sell much. And I didn't get much money out of that.

You feel safer working with commissions.

Yes, I feel safer. It's a question of money.

It is logical, I look for the best solution for money and to earn.

How many pieces have you sculpted?

I think about 200.

Are you totally self-taught?

Yes, totally.

Have you never studied art?

No. I have done several courses and workshops with Philippe Faraut.

I love him he is a great teacher. Any advice from him?

The advice is to use the same modeling clay to make something, then destroy, and do it all over again.

why?

Because if you sculpt a face 30 times, the thirtieth is always the best. The more you do it, the better you get.

Practice makes perfect.

But if you spend 1 hour doing something and then destroy it, it looks like you have lost 1 hour.

The more you practice, the better you become.

Do you have a daily routine to work?

Is there anything you do every day?

Not really, because I have a lot of commissions and it is difficult to make a routine.

Do you always work on one project or do you work on different projects at the same time?

I normally work each sculpture 1 to 1.

The only pieces I do in parallel are my own sculptures. I never mix commissions with personal work.

How long does it usually take to complete a sculpture?

Difficult to answer, it depends on the complexity of the piece. Time for sculpting a piece is more 20-30 hours for a 35mm scale. 54mm normally more.

Do you count the working hours for each sculpture?

Yes

Because it's a job and I have to be pragmatic. So I have to count how much time I need to do a job.

It's a good thing if you work with this.

At the time, counting hours was a way to be efficient and compare my work with that of an engineer.

Yes, I got it, When you have a concept or a drawing, you analyze it and imagine how many hours of work you could need to sculpt it.

What is your hourly rate?

It is around € 35-45. 14-15 was the rate I tried to reach when I started.

Most are between € 15-20

Yes, normally yes.

How many hours do you work a day?

Usually 5-6 hours of "actual" sculpture. But I spend 10 hours at my desk working on everything else, promotions, marketing, customers, etc ...

Do you prefer to work in the morning or in the afternoon?

Afternoon. I'm much more awake in the afternoon.

I would like to change and work in the morning but I'm trying.

Do you have a hobby outside of work?

Not particularly. I like to play sports when I can.

Sculpture is not a hobby. It's a job, and this is why it makes it difficult for me to work on personal projects.

Question: Do you happen to wake up in the morning and say to yourself "I don't want to sculpt today"

Yes sure! But it's the job and I have to meet deadlines. This is how it works.

Sometimes you are in a bad mood, but it's your job, it's not a game. You understand that I don't want to.

Tell me 3 sculptors you admire.

Yeah, the first is Bernini. When I saw some pieces in Rome I felt like crying. He was from another world. Incredible shapes.

The second is Remy Tremblay, he is a great sculptor. One of the best. The third, I would like to say Jacques Alexandre Gillois (Jag).

I have nothing to say about JAG. Is the best.

Whenever I ask someone who is the best miniature sculptor in the world, everyone replies Jag, I don't understand why.

Because it's the best (laughs).

Each piece of Jag seems to be sculpted in 3D.

Everything in his pieces has a motive; nothing is put by chance.

He is the only one who asks you "how did he do it?".

He uses the same material, which is FIMO + MixQuick, if I remember correctly.

Yes exactly.

Do you only use FIMO?

Yes, only. Sometimes the Magic Sculpt.

I saw you did something in 3D. Are you planning to completely move your work to 3d?

Do you prefer to use your hands?

Maybe for work it would be better to change, but I feel better using my hands.

Do you think all companies will move to 3d or will there always be room for traditional sculpture?

Difficult to answer. I wonder too.

The problem is that many sculptors started working with Zbrush without ever touching traditional sculpture.

Yes exactly.

It's weird because it's like you learn to draw with photoshop but you've never used a pencil. It's weird.

When I see one of your pieces, I immediately notice that you have a sense of "matter" in your head. Your experience.

You only change the medium, but you remain a sculptor.

Many look like digital artists, but they are not sculptors.

Exactly. It is sure that if you are a good traditional sculptor you will also be digital, not the other way around.

It is not a quick process. It can be done, but it's not fast.

I prefer the traditional because I feel safer.

In 3D you have "UNDO". and you can go back whenever you want.

Exact! In traditional there is not. You have to destroy and redo.

I honestly don't want to do miniatures in digital

Do you have any advice for those who want to start?

Practice practical practice. Is the most important thing. The only thing you can do is practice. The more you practice the more you learn, there is no secret formula.

Thank you very much to Patrick to his time. So fun with him.

Daniele