Modelling Workshop

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Really nice!

[Hertsblue]

Great so far, Phobos. I still think the horse needs a bit more "belly", though. 

[Phobos]

Great so far, Phobos. I still think the horse needs a bit more "belly", though. 

You are totally right! That, and to lower the head, I made the neck too long (in 10mm Im learning that 1.5mm could be "too")

[Phobos]

Any admin could change the name of the thread to "Modelling Workshop?"

Tomorrow, more horses, incendiary pigs and the beginning of a Seleucid War Elephant

[Leon]

Any admin could change the name of the thread to "Modelling Workshop?"

Done!

[Phobos]

Thanks Leon! unfortunately no pics today.

A question for Nikharwood, Techno and Clibinarius (and any fellow sculptor that reads it): Finally I get the right proportions for horses, but still I have problems with the horse´s face. Any hint about that?

[Techno]

I'm afraid I use the trial and error method P.....Just try and copy a good model.
Practice again I'm afraid.
Cheers - Phil.

[barbarian]

https://www.google.com/search?hl=fr&safe=off&q=horse+reference+for+sculpture&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41934586,d.Yms&biw=1280&bih=937&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=twoRUbafNsiRtAaRo4HoAQ#um=1&hl=fr&safe=off&tbo=d&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=horse+face+sculpture&oq=horse+face+sculpture&gs_l=img.3...4926.5603.2.5875.2.2.0.0.0.0.111.209.1j1.2.0...0.0...1c.1.2.img.2zTJ8DPFK98&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41934586,d.Yms&fp=19e51e49ba520531&biw=1280&bih=937

https://www.google.com/search?hl=fr&safe=off&q=horse+reference+for+sculpture&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41934586,d.Yms&biw=1280&bih=937&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=twoRUbafNsiRtAaRo4HoAQ#um=1&hl=fr&safe=off&tbo=d&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=horse+front&oq=horse+front&gs_l=img.3..0i19l6j0i5i19.1548.2595.6.2868.2.2.0.0.0.0.138.246.0j2.2.0...0.0...1c.1.2.img.ab7EXN8f6y0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41934586,d.Yms&fp=19e51e49ba520531&biw=1280&bih=937

Good luck !!

[clibinarium]

I missed this thread until now. I think you're doing well; the horse is a severe test of a sculptor.

Head wise, as Techno says its all about practice, there's no magic formula. What I did was to get a good 28mm horse I liked (Ebob's of Perry's) and copied it, that is to say I tried to sculpt as good a copy as I could. It can help to sculpt it the same size and then go down to 15mm and then to 10mm, you'll improve each time. Its much easier to use a sculpture than a drawing as you can turn it to any angle in your hand.
Also I would say to practice the proportions by drawing the horse. Its much quicker and I firmly believe that you can only sculpt something if you can draw it reasonably well. You'll spot what you are getting wrong and save yourself having to cut putty away and start over. Keep in mind the common mistakes; head too small/big, legs too short, or neck too long (that's the one I still have to watch). Use a ruler on both sculpt and drawing if you have to, after a while you won't need to anymore. If you are happy with proportions now thats fine.
If you can draw the head from the side and the front that will help your brain get the 3D shape of the object, once you go to sculpt it. When sculpting I find it useful to measure the underlying wire to be the maximum length of the head, and allow the tip of the wire to be just visible under the putty. Adding a little putty for some detail can make the head too big and throw out the proportion, so if I can see the wire, I know length is  not the issue.

[Phobos]

Thanks guys!

Curiously, I haven´t got the same problem with the elephant and the pigs... Maybe due to its sizes.

I use macedonian, roman and persian horses in 20mm of HAT, Italery and Zvezda as models and to have the muscles and positions clear.
Also, It has been really difficult for me to find a wire tiny enough to 10mm legs and arms, but strong enough to bend without breaking in the articulations, nut recently I bought some garden wire, and it works.

P.S. Actualization: I´ve finally succeeded in making a good horse face, at least the right side, I´ll try tomorrow to made the left one.

[Techno]

Balancing up the sides can be a trial Phobos....Just be patient !
Cheers - Phil.

[Phobos]

A bit late, but some new photos. Unfortunately,the camera get its battery off before I could take the pics to the elephant and to the flaming pics...

First, muscled breastplate for the Oscan rider.


Scythian noble torso, with the weapon attached, corinthian and scale armour. This late one not clearly visible, sorry.



One of the horses, with head finished I´ve to work more the muscles and finish the hooves, like the other one.

[barbarian]

The horses have a neck too long and need more belly !!

[Phobos]

Thanks for the photos Barbarian! Curiously, I was convinced that finally I had the right proportions... maybe the Steve Barber horse that Im using as model is wrong too 

[Hertsblue]

Seems to me, and I freely admit that I can't sculpt for toffee, that if you copy someone else's sculpt you risk carrying on their mistakes.

If you want an object lesson on how not to depict a horse, try Van Dyck's portrait of Charles I.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anthonis_van_Dyck_046.jpg


Oh, and I believe that my reference to the horse's "belly" should really have been "chest"