Sculpting Lips and Eyes?

[El Diablo Blanco]

So I discovered that putting your Sculpey in the freezer makes a huge difference on how easy it is to work with. You can even use carving tools on it!

Now I'm by no means good at it yet, and my eyes and lips still look a little bulbous. I was wondering if any of you ace sculptors could give me a pointer or two about getting the lips and eyes to look just right. Or at least not look like Donald Duck passing a kidney stone.

Thanks!

[torgospizza]

Or at least not look like Donald Duck passing a kidney stone.

LMAO! So funny.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

You could sink beads into the head for eyes; although they might melt or pop when you heat the sculpey. Lips are something else; I don't have any quick tips. You gotta hash 'em out the hard way. If you hit the library you can probably find some books on sculpting that'll help with how to suss out the proper proportions and angles.

Don C.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Ja, hilarious :D

[El Diablo Blanco]

Thanks! I am working on a couple techniques I found.

[boynightwing]

I never considered freezing it! That's a great idea!

[Tothiro]

Amazon.com: The Human Figure (9780486204321): John H. Vanderpoel: Books

Vanderpoel's book is hard to follow as a written guide for illustration - but the plates are amazing, simple and beautifully illustrated. They look like the best comic art - because the structures and medium don't change so it will always be "timeless." I recommend checking it out (available at most B&N's for a look through too) because ref like this is invaluable for sculpting.
You can make a ball, and a square - because you know what those things are in real space... lips and eyes are the same, just more complicated structures. Our brains gloss over a lot of shape minutiae, and jump straight to the recognition. So even though we know what they look like, we don't really consciously know what they look like. Familiarizing yourself with the curvature and structures, even in 2-D, will be of surprising help in 3-D.

[johnmiic]

For lips I usually start with a line or slit. Roll some Sculpey into thin, worm-like strands. Attach those strands above and below the slit of the mouth. Start to blend the strands and shape them to fit like lips.

The eyes have similar steps but I find them harder to do. First the eye ball. Make sure you have gouged out a hollow recess for the eyeball to sit in the face. Then roll 2 pieces of Sculpey into a round ball. Apply more pressure to rolling the ball until it is an oval. Carefully cut it in 1/2. Place each half oval into each hollow area for each eye. Repeat the steps for making lips only make these worm-like pieces thicker. Do 4 short pieces. Apply the worm-like Sculpey above and below the eyes. When placed properly blend it in with the rest of the face.

At first it may look like this, if I may use Doctor Who to illustrate my point:



You have to finesse it until is is small and scaled properly. You might want to add a proper brow/ridge above after you do the eyes. Also remember how the lips influence the cheeks. A smile will make them puff up so you may have to add more Sculpey to cheeks.

Also these tools, called Shapers Mini Sets, are very useful. These Mini's are probably best for MEGO sized sculpting. The wedge-like tool is good for starting mouth and lips. They help me blend Sculpey into the rest of the face. You may find different ways of using them to get the results you desire.

Colour Shaper Mini Sets - BLICK art materials

An anatomy book is useful because The human head and face usually follows a set of rules or measurements. Even How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way is useful because just as a penciller starts with basic forms and changes them into art so can a sculptor start with a basic shape and make a head.

Amazon.com: How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (9780671530778): Stan Lee, John Buscema: Books

Here's a drawing of a head from the book. You could use this as a guide to sculpting a head in 3D.

[TrueDave]

Modeling the Figure in Clay, A Sculptors guide to anatomy by Lucchesi and Malmstrom.
Remeber teh face is mostly muscles. build up the mouth muscles only no skin and its easier to smooth it out into cheeks etc.