Sculpting hair - tips and tricks?

[Bizarro Amy]

I've been trying to do more sculpting on my customs, and right now, I'm trying to add some wavy hair to a head. I just can't seem to get it right. Can anyone offer a little guidance?

[Cmonster]

Del,

Roll up a bunch of little "worms" out of the material you're using to sculpt with... Lay them together on the head until you have the shape you like... Then, kind of "meld" them all together with a blunt ended spatula tool or the like. Then, to finish the effect, brush them out with a sable brush and the thinner of choice for the clay you're using.
It takes a bit of practice, but once you get the gist of it, you'll experiment with all different kinds of hair, styles, textures, etc...

SC

[ctc]

....and remember that hair "moves" away from the scalp. So start from there, and carve in your lines with a narrow tool or exacto blade.

Don C.

[Bizarro Amy]

Del,

Roll up a bunch of little "worms" out of the material you're using to sculpt with... Lay them together on the head until you have the shape you like... Then, kind of "meld" them all together with a blunt ended spatula tool or the like. Then, to finish the effect, brush them out with a sable brush and the thinner of choice for the clay you're using.
It takes a bit of practice, but once you get the gist of it, you'll experiment with all different kinds of hair, styles, textures, etc...

SC

Thinner for clay? I've never seen this. I'm using Magic-Sculpt, so it hardens after it's sculpted.

[D!n0-M@n]

Is it a polymer clay that you're using? If so, you can use Turpenoid as a thinner to smooth things out. Just be sure to use it sparingly on uncured clay because a little can go a long way and you don't want to lose all your small details too.

[jessica]

Del I usually surf the internet to see what others have done and learn on the fly.

[Cmonster]

Thinner for clay? I've never seen this. I'm using Magic-Sculpt, so it hardens after it's sculpted.

Del,

I'm a huge fan of Magic-Sculpt as well... I use it quite a bit. It thins with WATER. Dip a small sable brush into a cup of water and kind of "paint" the hair with it... You'll see it will smooth it out and become more uniform and much smoother. It's important to always use the appropriate thinner for whatever sculpting compound you're using. This will ensure a smoother and much more professional looking finish to your sculpts.

Here's a really quick rundown of all the clays and their thinners I personally use;

Super Sculpey-- Turpenoid

Roma Plastilina or Chavant-- Isopropyl Alcohol

Magic Sculpt-- Water

Use the stuff sparingly... A little goes a long way, especially with turpenoid on the sculpey. If you use too much, it gets all gooey and mucky and your sculpt turns into a mess. Use soft, sable brushes that won't drag on your sculpture. The key here, is a really good quality brush. Spend the 5 or 6 bucks and buy a Rober Simmons or similar quality, high end craft brush. Trust me, it will make a huge difference.

SC

[Bizarro Amy]

Cmonster - Thanks for the advice. I had never heard of using a thinner on the clay before. I guess the other sculpters and customizers either assumed everyone knew that or they were keeping it to themselves! Your explanation was a big help, and I'm looking forward to showing off some new stuff soon.