Green stuff "noob" question

Hi All,

I need some advice/help/assistance/elaboration.

Been seeing some of you guys pretty impressive work with green stuff, making virtually new models on your own, however i don't understand how you mold them so good, that you match or surpass GW's own mini's.

First of all, what green stuff do you use? I know GW got one, but im sure you must be using something else, as that stuff seems quite pricey?

Secondly, how can you mold it so fine? When painted i cannot tell where the model stop and the conversion starts.

I have dived into this before on my own, with some luck, i found that some stuff can be "copied" be making a mold in some clays be pressing lets say a shield into this, and then harden it, and voila you can now fill the mold with greenstuff and make new shields. But that dosnt work in a existing model, which you alter.

Thank you.

/C

 

green stuff is very expensive, but only if you check price/weight. in actuality though, one packet of GS will last for many years if you dont use it to sculpt whole models, but just use it for gap filling and small additions like armour or hair on your models. dont worry about the price

 

An important part about sculpting is patience. With bigger additions you need to let parts dry for about a day before you can continue scultping on top of it. It's also best to only work at one addition at a time, so you don't accidentily deform another part with your fingers.
Look a lot at other examples. Weirdly enough the biggest problem is often not knowing what something actually looks like, so try having a reference nearby.
Also, very important, the right tools. I basicly just use some dentist tools and 2 clayshapers, and they are fine for most jobs (clayshapers are VERY handy for smoothing out greenstuff).
And don't rush it, if you aren't very happy just start again.

 

GW greenstuff is fine, decent quality, and the same stuff most use. However, as mentioned, you can get pretty much the same thing much cheaper at most other hobby stores or online. Wayland Games sells it cheaper than GW for a start, and will ship anywhere.

It really is a matter of practicing, and just keep working at it until you get something you are happy with. ake sure you keep your tools lubricated (water, spit, forehead grease whatever you want) so they don't stick to the GS, and picking the right tools for the job is important as well. It differs depending on what you are making.

Also, don't forget all GW models are made from GS by hand as well, they are just sculptors that happen to work for a company. Some are now designed on CAD, and some parts use brown stuff (stiffer and holds sharper edges, good for armour) but mostly they use greenstuff.

 

That link is to Polymetrics' web site - they are the manufacturer of Greenstuff (actual name: Kneadatite), so you can't do better than their prices. Remember to store most of it in the freezer, only taking out and using it an inch at a time. It will last forever frozen. Once it thaws out it has a shelf life of only about 3 to 6 months (shorter in a hot climate).

Practice is everything, and the advice to go slowly and break down complex shapes into smaller parts that you can manage is correct. If you look at my work, I tend to mix harder putties or fillers into my putty, so it's pretty easy to see each stage/layer of the sculpting. Remember when doing a figure that it's impossible without a good armature. Get some wire and needle nose pliers and practice making stick figures for a while in the proper proportions, setting their feet into cork so you have something to hold on to when you are really to layer on the putty. Lots of tutorials on the web - search Google. Last bit of advice: get a decent anatomy book. I have been building a whole library of sculpting books over the years and they truly do come in handy!

 

Thanks for the advice! expecially about storing in my freezer!

 

Odd.

I've had a batch for years now, that I've been nibbling away at bit by bit and it still is perfectly useable.

Of course, I splurged and got the 'two big tubes - one blue, one yellow' of greensuff rather than the smaller 'ribbon' package, that might have made all the differance.

 

Its true, you do find on the stuff thats touching reaction begins to occur in the middle and harden some of it. You should always discard the bit already touching in the middle.

However, I also have a ribbon of GS that is the two touching from years and years ago and it is still definitely useable and works well. I believe it does change a bit over time, but you need to be a fairly experienced sculptor to notice the difference.

 

Yes, the bit in the center, if you use the ribbon kind, is generally usable only for bulking things out. The reason you should freeze the putty is because the blue will form a skin on it and when you mix this up you will have little hard bits in your putty. They aren't that noticeable unless you are doing fine detail work, but they do have a nasty tendency to show up on the surface just when you don't want them to.

So keep your putty fresh and your powder dry