Advice for a newbie?

[therainbowtroll]

Hello everyone

I have been collecting for a while and I really want to get into making mlp customs.

I mainly want to make them as gifts. But I have no idea what materials I would need and what kids of clay/paint I should use. The only thing I have is bait ponies :p

What brands or supplies are recommended? I am Canadian based so I would need the stuff to ship or be here.

Any tutorials you would recommend?

Thanks so much 

[kestral_kitsune]

https://mlparena.com/index.php?topic=283445.0  this has a lot of good points and i also like looking through other threads to see what they've used and have done.

[BlackCurtains]

The above link will help you find supplies What generation are you wanting to customize?

Paint is usually acrylic. You can find craft paint in any craft store and they're inexpensive. Brands I use are Apple Barrel and Folk Art mainly.

Clay, depends on what you want to do. Polymer clay needs to be baked in the oven, and yes, you can put ponies in the oven, but it's sort of tricky. Epoxy clays, like Apoxie, Magic Sculpt and Greenstuff cure by mixing parts A and parts B, so no heat is needed.

You're also going to need locking forceps, and don't skimp this one. You can find really cheap ones but you'll want to get a decent one, so spend a little more. You need them to pull out the hair.

100% acetone for removing symbols and eyes (though this isn't always necessary if you're going to paint over them)

Zip ties to put in the tail.

Fine detail paint brushes for eyes.

An Exacto knife or other sharp cutting knife.

I think that's all the basic stuff you'd need.

[Griffin]

I second all advice already given.

You can use any brand of acrylic paint. I personally prefer craft acrylics like Folk Art over artist quality paints, since the latter are generally more sticky, but I will buy any in a pinch.

If you're planning to do full body repaints, I recommend a primer like gesso (you should be able to find it in any craft store that sells the paints as well, or an art supply store). You can certainly paint without priming first, but it will help the paint stick better. Look for soft, wide, synthetic brushes intended for acrylic paints (not watercolour brushes). Some prefer to use makeup sponges to avoid brush strokes. And yes, fine detail brushes for eyes and symbols! I like to buy mine from stores that sell RPG stuff, they have tiny brushes for figure painting.

For rehairing, you'll either need the tool or alternatively fine iron wire, or a needle and strong thread or floss, depending on what method you'd like to use.

[therainbowtroll]

The above link will help you find supplies What generation are you wanting to customize?

Paint is usually acrylic. You can find craft paint in any craft store and they're inexpensive. Brands I use are Apple Barrel and Folk Art mainly.

Clay, depends on what you want to do. Polymer clay needs to be baked in the oven, and yes, you can put ponies in the oven, but it's sort of tricky. Epoxy clays, like Apoxie, Magic Sculpt and Greenstuff cure by mixing parts A and parts B, so no heat is needed.

You're also going to need locking forceps, and don't skimp this one. You can find really cheap ones but you'll want to get a decent one, so spend a little more. You need them to pull out the hair.

100% acetone for removing symbols and eyes (though this isn't always necessary if you're going to paint over them)

Zip ties to put in the tail.

Fine detail paint brushes for eyes.

An Exacto knife or other sharp cutting knife.

I think that's all the basic stuff you'd need.

Thanks so much for the advice (as well as a thank you to everyone else)

As of now I am mainly looking at g4 customs. I will go back to do g3-g1 someday. But I do not feel ready to do re hairing. Also the majority of baits I have are g4 at the moment!

In my mind sculpting hair maybe easier. Is this right to assume? The first pony I want to make is a zebra so the majority would be white.

I am nervous about putting the pony in the oven I assume the body would melt. I am going to do a small blind bag pony to start. Would that make a difference?


Thanks so much everyone

[BlackCurtains]

I don't think blind bag ponies can go in the oven.

You'd be better off using a two part epoxy clay, especially if you're mainly wanting to sculpt hair.

Look up Aves Apoxie Sculpt. It's a little expensive, but it will last you a long time. You can get the small set to start with and see if you like working with it.

[Minty_Magic]

Lots of great advice here already! I’m mostly going to just echo what everyone else has stated since I’m fairly new to customizing myself!

Regular ponies will survive the oven just fine, but I’m going to second the recommendation for apoxie sculpt over oven bake clay. I seriously wish I had tried apoxie earlier, I personally find it so much easier to use! It adheres to the pony much easier.

I think sculpted hair vs a re-hair and the level of difficulty will depend on your comfort level with sculpting. I’ve tried sculpted hair myself but I am never happy with how it looks. It is definitely trickier than it looks! A full re-hair can be daunting at first, but it’s really not so bad if you use the tool. Though idk about G4 ponies, I’ve only ever customized G3 and G1 ponies thus far.

Lastly, if you don’t already have detailing brushes, buy some. They are SO worth it. That is another thing I bought recently and I’m like, why have I been struggling with normal brushes until now??