Help with a custom project please.

[sillybaypony]

I'm taking on my second ever custom pony. I've decided that I'm addicted and I've been collecting baits from flea markets and swap meets.... Oh and fakies from the 99 cent store.

I found a G3 rarity (I'm sorry but I don't have any pictures yet...), the one with the raised heart symbol with the ribbons hanging off. She is covered in permanent marker and her mane is in chunks. I have completely removed her horn, and have sculpted a large forelock, and a roached mane to resemble my persona. Her raised heart symbol popped off easily, but I wasn't expecting for their to be a gaping hole left in her body. I attempted to sculpt over it, but I have no idea how to make it look flawless if that is even possible. Does anyone have any tips, tricks, or tutorials?

And the last thing is furry feet. My persona has furry feet, and it's not an element that I could leave out with this project. I have absolutely no idea how to go about doing it and I couldn't find anything in the tutorials section. Does anyone have any tips, tricks, or tutorials for this too?

I'm using sculpey III as a sculpting medium.

[Lavender_Lace]

I haven't used Sculpey III (I use super sculpey as far as sculpey is concerned), but I would try making it as close to how you want it to be as possible, baking it, and then sanding it with model sand paper to smooth out the edges....this is assuming that you're doing a full body repaint.

Does anyone know for certain if sculpey III can be sanded?

[sillybaypony]

I wasn't sure as to what type of clay to use. I went to my local craft stores (Micheal's and then Joannes) and the best selection was of Sculpey III, and since I had used it once before I bought a couple packages.

Also, I'm not quite sure if I'm baking long enough... Exactly how hard is it supposed to be? And I'm assuming if it burns, then it's too long lol

[MacabreDarling]

Ok, I'm not sure if this will make sense, but here's my advice;

When I sculpt with apoxy, I always dip the very tip of my finger in water before I try to smooth out something I'm working on. I'd fill the hole in her side, until it's just a little over even with the side of her body, then work on smoothing the area over the hole out. Light motions with a consistantly damp finger, moving outwaards from the center...You will get the hang of it, and blending the edges of the sculpt into the plastic so that it's a smooth transition isn't as hard as it seems. It just takes a little time to see how it works best. Presumably you are painting her, and if she ends up being a dark color by chance you won't notice the imperfections as much if you don't get it completely smoothed down.

As far as hair for the feet...This is what I do. I start by rolling little tiny balls of sculpt product into worms, so to speak. Short ones...quarter of an inch or so. I take these one at a time, and stick them on the ponies foot. I start with the bottom of the hoof, because as you move up the leg it will look more natural if it's layered.. So, put the little worm on the leg, and then with a dull needle, or some kind of blunt very small instrument like that [which I would also consider dipping the tip of in water so it doesn't stick to the sculpt product], I make light lines in the little worm, applying a very light amount of pressure, so that it looks like hair pieces. As you add each 'worm' of sculpt to the foot, you can over lap them and angle them slightly over each other to make it look more like real hair. when you get up as high as you want to go on the hoof [I usually do at least two rows of these little worms, one overlapping the other], when you've made all your hair marks in them, I take the very tip of my finger [wet with a drop of water], and try to blend the very tip top of the clay into the horses leg so it looks like the hair is gradual, and not just bushy and abrupt, if that makes any sense?

Probably that was confusing! lol. However, maybe it will give you some ideas If you need any help with anything, you are welcome to message me. I promise I'm usually more helpful

[hlbmlp]

ditto on the hoof thing!  ^_^ that's pretty much how i do it!  i usually do a layer or two with the hairs "wisping" over another.... to make it look realistic. ^_^  i just use a sharper darning needle, or a sculpting tool, which looks exactly the same but with a handle.

with the hole in her butt... just smooth it out as best as you can, but leave a bulge, so it doesnt look like her side's flat....   if there are slight imperfections, no worries!  ^_^ and you can always buff the clay with a towel when it is still warm out of the oven, which makes most of the imperfections go away, and makes it nice and smooth, so if you paint over it, it's not as noticeable! ^_^

i think using your fingers is best when making something that will blend right into the pony.  I find that tools usually go to hard, and make a noticeable mark... i am not sure what else to say, but i have done a "sex change" which uses things that you are mentioning needing help on, so if you have specificy questions on how i did something, just ask!  I'm not sure what else you need clarified.

he's the first one in the gallery. ^_^
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlbmlp/sets/72157629440919993/

Post Merge: April 04, 2012, 09:06:21 PM

ooo with the burning and baking and such!!!

dont put it on the top rack! i find it almost always gets "crispy" on the top edges for me... in multiple ovens...

I use sculpy and fimo and that kinda stuffs... i usually go about 225F or 200F and put it in for 15-20 mins depending on how thick i sculpt. for what you want you may even get away with 10mins.  It will be "soft"  not too soft, but a bit flexible.  If it is hard hard, then it was in too long and will most likely crack over time.  I usually go less than more, jsut to be on the safe side, and then the clay is cured more on the outside and not on the inside, so it's more flexible, which is good for ponies because they are flexible.  ^_^  I usually think if the clay feels "springy" then it's good! like i will make a roll of clay and put it in the oven and if i can bend it a bit without it snapping, then im good to go! ^_^ 

hope this is helpful!

[KiwiSquirtBottle]

When I did my sculpey, before I baked it it was flush with my pony. After I baked, it was obviously... not. I'm not sure yet if sculpy shrinks, or if it's the pony's plastic, but you may not be able to get it flush without sanding.

[Sarahlacewing]

Some clays will shrink a bit and the plastic can get kind of rubbery. I will say that if you fill the hole and scrape it clean without any overhang the patch is more likely to pop out if the plastic is moved or manipulated. If you fill the hole and have a slower transition on the hip it is more stable. Some people fill with tape or foil to help sculpt so you have counter pressure instead of trying not to let it sink into the empty body cavity.


 Also most sculpey will brown if you overlook it. A light golden brown is a little over done but usually ok. The darker it gets the more over cooked which leads to brittleness and cracking. But you do want to make sure she is done all the way through so she won't crumble. I do 250 for 15 depending.

[Maniah]

On the other hand, Apoxie doesn't shrink as it dries.. You could use that instead of sculpey.

[StrawberryMeadow]

There are some hoof feather tutorials out there, I read some last week. They're buried in links to people's blogs and such. One was all about taking a mountain boy/daddy/big brother (whatever you have) and making a cast of it's feathers, and then baking it, then you put soft rolls of clay round your custom's feet and roll the hoof cast over it to create the feathers.


Good luck with your ponysona!

[Puzzle]

...but I wasn't expecting for their to be a gaping hole left in her body. I attempted to sculpt over it, but I have no idea how to make it look flawless if that is even possible. Does anyone have any tips, tricks, or tutorials?

Just gently work the clay over, making sure you keep things nicely wet. This will not only help smooth the sculpting out, but it will help smooth it nicely into the plastic. After you've baked, get a very fine hobby grit sand paper and smooth the clay down gently to take out any errant bumpiness or fingerprints.

And the last thing is furry feet. My persona has furry feet, and it's not an element that I could leave out with this project. I have absolutely no idea how to go about doing it and I couldn't find anything in the tutorials section. Does anyone have any tips, tricks, or tutorials for this too?

I use the mould I made from a BB bait. To transfer it onto the custom like this:

Roll a piece of Apoxie/Sculpey into a snake
Wrap it around the hoof
Smoosh the snake and spread it up the leg so it smooths at the top, leaving the base a bit bulky
Gently roll the mould around to imprint the feathers
Take a small pin or sculpting tool and make the feathers more pronounced if you like
Bake (or leave to dry)
Gently sand if needed and then paint

Also, I'm not quite sure if I'm baking long enough... Exactly how hard is it supposed to be? And I'm assuming if it burns, then it's too long lol

I bake for 15 minutes per 10mm, at 100 degrees Celsius. On G4s I bake for about half that, since all the ones I've tried have been very fragile when it came to baking @_@ But for a general G3/G1 I found the 15mins per 10mm at 100C to be fine. The clay, when you first take the pony out, will still seem a little soft and malleable, and the pony will feel a great deal more rubbery and soft. But once they're out and cool, both the clay and the plastic will harden.

[sillybaypony]

Thanks everyone so so so so SO much!!! Macabredarling, it makes perfect sense! And the pictures from HLBMLP make it sink in even better. I'm printing out the picture though so I don't mess up =D


Thanks, everyone!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

[hlbmlp]

yea!! glad to be of some help! ^__^