Some beginner questions...
Some beginner questions...
Posted in
Custom WorkstationHi everyone in the figurerealm,
first off let me say I'm happy to have found this site on the web and that it's rarely I've been so impressed and happy at the same time. Like it a lot, appreciate it
Matter 1
As I'm still at the beginning and haven't even actually started doing anything, so still collecting all the required things and tools, one of my first attempts to get started with will be an ashtray. I know, this might not be the right forum for ashtray sculpts but I'm sure you guys (and probably also girls) know good enough which sculpting material is suitable for such a condition. Or maybe there is some kind of special coat-paint I could apply to heat-coat it. Or maybe all of the sculpts I plan to at least try out (super sculpey, aves, milliput) are suitable for such conditions since a cigarettes red heat won't exceed the materials max allowed temperature. Looking forward to the replies
Matter 2
Matter 2 actually consists of 2 subtopics, lets split them up:
Matter 2.1
If someone from any german spoken area is also browsing these pages, I'd highly appreciate some good advices regarding where to obtaining milliput and aves from. Searching the web gave me a pretty hard time and so it is on amazon as well, although I have to mention that I try to avoid marketplace sellers because of the additional shipping costs and on the other hand IF amazon themselves have it on stock the price is like doubled if not more.
Matter 2.2
/* matter solved (I finally found a shop with Citadel, Army Painter and Vallejo ^^) */ Out of the same reason as matter 2.1 I'm really wondering where to get Vallejon, Reaper Master/Pro, Games Workshop or any other high quality paint company (please feel free to correct me if those named are not high quality which I assume to be) in full sets in german spoken areas. I should mention though that I like to either browse an online shop with lots of good and helpful information or - preferrably - visit a shop in person to investigate.
Matter 3
Colors, wow, I'm really confused about the names for all those colors. Names for the individual color set, very strange fantasy names for each color where I'm often not even sure what the name is supposed to say what color it actually is. Any clarification for beginners here if I don't know if I have a store within my reach to visit yet.
Matter 4
Even more I'm highly confused which colors I would "need" as a beginner regardless of what I like to paint. To be a bit more precise though: I'm thinking of basic colors first, just a good set of - I don't know? - 20, 30, 40, 50 (?) colors that are more than enough for starting off. I know questions like that are always tricky...
Matter 4
I saw Reaper colors have those small drop bottles (so liquids in them) which seems to be great. Then I saw pictures of paint containers that looked like some kind of cream is in them (havent seen the inside of those containers though) and in a youtube video about sculpting I saw someone rubbing square sticks which looked like colored chalk on a paper kind of surface to use that but I don't know what state it was actually in or if it was post-processed (mixed with water) or similar. How do I know which types of paint-states (can I call it like that?) there are, what the differences are and which ones I would probably need or should be interested in?
Matter 5
How is transparent material done? In example, in the custom figures gallery here (brilliant thing! love it! ) I saw cracked up ooze canisters from the turtles universe which are transparent-green or also sunglasses on the figures with fully transparent (no color in it). Fully transparent I guess is done with the hot glue gun?
Matter 6
If any of you are able to still browse to the FAQ section here in the forum - you're lucky because I was sure I ate it all up like no other. And though I am still looking for some information about casting to start with. The main reason for coming up with this matter is that I hope here as well that someone from german spoken areas could lend a hend since most of the US/CA/AU/UK products are either not available in the german EU area or really difficult to obtain. Unfortunately none of the youtube videos I watched within the period of the last 1 1/2 years helped was able to light the situation for me a bit more. And besides that - did I overlook casting tutorials and/or information on the forum?
In respect and appreciation for this lovely platform I hope I didn't violate any of the forums rules and although welcome if you like to give me hints if so
best wishes, dE
Please wait...
Posted by
demon on Friday, May 30, 2014
User Comments
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1. For the ashtray, I think you will have to use a high temp paint like you will find at most do-it-yourself stores (at least for the inside where the cigarette will rest). Around here we have Menards, Lowe's, Home Depot... places you can buy stuff to work on your house. They have a limited variety of high temp paints that are meant for painting outdoor grills and stoves and such. They may have a clear coat that you could put over whatever model paint you like. Also if you have somewhere to buy art supplies, a glaze for kiln fired clay should work as well.
2. I have never found Aves in any store around here, I order it from here, http://www.avesstudio.com/ not sure about milliput, I have seen it in our craft stores (Hobby Lobby and Michaels) but I've never used it. I have yet to find a situation where Aves Fixit sculpt wouldn't work.
3. I use mostly testor's model masters paints and their names are pretty straight forward. Guards Red, French Blue, Blue Angels Yellow, are their basic colors. I am currently using Mephisto Red from Citadel and am pretty happy with it.
4. All you really need to get started is a basic red, yellow, blue, black, white, and silver. You can mix up just about anything with that. However, to save yourself some time and headaches I would also get a basic green, brown, skin tone base and warm skin tone tint. Also a set of clear red, clear yellow, clear blue, and clear green are nice to have .
4b. Those square sticks are chalk pastels and they work great for post paint details and they are brushed on dry as a powder and then clear coated over. Mostly you want thin liquid paint though, if its too thick you will lose detail and see brush strokes. Most of the acrylic (always use acrylic) model paints are pretty good but may need a little thinning.
5. Most flat transparent items (like Glasses, face shields, etc.) are made with polystyrene ( the clear plastic all of your action figures come in when you buy them new) it can be cut easily and heated with a hair dryer to conform to whatever you need. For things like fire, muzzle fire, energy blasts any of the more abstract things hot glue works great and can be painted with a clear color to create some really cool effects
6. Sorry I can't help much with the casting stuff, I don't do any casting. I did get a casting kit from hobby lobby but I haven't tried it out yet. There are a few people here that do a lot of casting that may be able to help.