Video Review #2

Well, the next video is the "Anatomy of Age 2" and covers doing the hands. Again, it uses a lot of clay. (bet you didn't see that one coming lol) I want to say it was around 3-4 bars of clay. Bare with me as I watched this a few days ago.

She definately has her own style when creating the hands. She does not use an armature to make the hands. Personally, I think I would feel more comfortable making and armature for inner support. And too, since the fingers are so thick, (atleast 1" diameter) I think I would feel comfortable in using a wire armature down the middle. She does tell her reasons for not using this. I suppose it is a matter of personal preference. When I sit down to make the first one, I will go about crafting my santa the way she shows so that I can compare the 2 styles for myself. But, I would say there is not wrong or right way here, just different schools of thought.

She does show you how to sculpt the entire hand, including nails, cuticles, wrinkles, folds and veining. Which in the end, truly does give a very old and realistic appearance. She also shows how to support the hand and wrist to prepare it for the baking process.

For the skin tone technique, she really does use a selection of make-up. Some of us will find stuff already on your make-up tables, others will have to beg their wifes to part with such things or direct them to the place where it can be found. lol In the end, she really does create hands that are aged, and colored to the effect of aging. Including how to do age spots. She tells you how to seal the make-up onto the sculpted pieces.

Personally, as far as the make-up part is concerned, I think I would rather use genesis heat set paints for this part. You can create the same effects, and make a little go a long way. I also think it would give more durability and less coats of a sealer. Also, for those that are very handy with acrylics might also feel the same about the make-up part too. I think I'll keep my make-up on my face.

That pretty much sums up the video. I would say it is definately worth to look and I'm glad I have it to go with my collection. Again, there are some useful points in the video that would be helpful to all levels of expertise.

Thanks for the latest on this video, too, Lori! I agree with you about
the hands. I've seen some broken ones in my day (...wait!!!!...that
makes me sound ancient! ) and it doesn't seem worth it not shoring up the fingers!!
I've never used the Genesis paints. Any trick to them? I looked up
the web site and certainly looks like something worth trying. I do have her "hands" video and you got more out of it than it did! Guess I'd better go back and watch it again!
Diane

I guess I just looked for details since I knew I was going to give a report. lol And, too, since many probably have Jack Johnston's santa video....I figured some of you would appreciate the difference in the 2 styles (or schools of thought). It is good to see different styles to sculpting because you might find one you prefer more over another.

Anyway, about time I hit the rack..I'm dog tired.

Hugs to ya,
Lori

I forgot to mention on the Genesis heat set paints. Basically they are an oil based paint that sets with heat. You use a little bit of a solvent to loosen up the paint and you basically dab the paint onto your sculpture with a sponge. I use make-up sponge wedges.

Once you have completely covered the item with dabbing it with the paint, you place it into the oven again for about 3-5 mins. Then, you can repeat the paint process again to work in layers. Adding blushing, veining etc. one step at a time. Once it's been heat set, the paint is permanent. But, prior to baking the paint in, if you don't like it...simply wipe it off and start all over again. Once you get it the way you like it...cook it to set it. Very easy stuff.


Anyway, you can buy the paints in multitudes of colors: quite a selection of flesh tones, reds for blushing, and even wonderful colors for veining. The nice thing about it is the paint really does last a very long time. ( a little goes a long way) So, don't be alarmed by the size of the jars....I think they are something like 2 oz. jar sizes.

Also, they are pretty reasonably priced too. I would order one of the flesh tone colors and play with it on a practice piece of clay to get the feel of it and see how you like it. I have learned not to add too much solvent to my paint cause it can leave a funny looking residue. But, once you get the hang of it...I think you will like it.

Hugs,
Lori

Lori,

When you put the coat of Genesis paint on, and then cook it, is there a value change in the wet paint and the cooked paint or does the color hold it's value after cooking?

Thanks

Darel

I use genesis too. I love it. The colors seem truer, plus a tiny bit goes a long way. The number 8's are my favorites. There is also a glaze that you can mix with the paint, makes lips shiny. I use my heat gun to set the colors. I freak out if I have to set the whole thing back in the oven especially since I use Super Sculpy. SS tends to darken the more you cook it. But it would probably be ok with Pro Sculpt. Because genisis is oil based, boobers are a snap to clean up. I tried Judiths way of applying makeup and no matter what I did, after it dried it looked chalky. I don't apply make up all over my face any more, just doesn't look natural. I do the eyes, a bit on the nose, the cheeks, just a bit on the forehead and chin and tops of the ears. The hands are another story. I tried an armature in the hands, baked them, and two fingers cracked on me and one finger tip broke off. I repaired them but they never did look right again. Since then I don't use armatures in the hands, on smaller sculpts I do. Word of caution, if you use a wire armature, make sure you wrap it with masking tape or floral tape if it will come into direct contact with your clay. It will keep your clay from sliding around plus you won't have a chemical imbalance between the metal and the clay. Been there done that,,, bummmer.

You are absolutely right about the armature, Paula. My first santa I did I used Jack's method of the wire metal armature on the fingers even though I had covered it with floral tape. I HATED it. My clay slid off, cracked, and not repairable no matter what I did. By the time I had tried to repair and so forth and what not, I ended up spending no less than 5 hours on one pair of hands. In the end, I wound up throwing them out and doing hands with no armature...only a copper tubing for support at the wrist. The best hands I ever made! lol Ever since then, I make all my hands the same way....no wire armature. So, more than likely, I'll do the same for the bigger ones following Judith's style. I fear that they will be extremely heavy though. I really want to avoid that problem as I want to be able to pose my santa's with their arms out if I want to. At any rate, if you do want to use metal wire armature for the fingers...do cover those wires with masking tape, floral tape, or whatever you can cover it will. Separate the clay from the metal. You will be happier in the long run. I prefer to use masking tape on my wire armatures. It seems to work well for me and it is white so you don't have to worry about it being noticeable. And....it's CHEAP.

I had a feeling that Judith's make-up method would end up with a "chalky" appearance...and I really don't want that to happen. That is why I figured I would stick to my guns and probably use genesis or acrylics. I also agree with Paula about genesis being truer to color. I think this is why I like it so much. Darel, when you dab it onto sculpt, it will have a "damp" appearance. Not really sure how to describe it to tell ya. But, when you bake it, it will appear "dry". lol Sorry for a poor description..it is all I can think of. But the color does stay the same. I hope that answers your question.

Lori I have made some huge hands, used wooden dowels for stabilizers. Depending on how big your doll is, you can still stabilize them and they can still be bendable. I usually use that yellow conduit wire attached at the shoulders. If you cut two dowels and attach them just like bones to the wire (an open space at the shoulder, another open space at the elbow) then the conduit directly into the wrist, then the arms and hands are poseable . I do the same with smaller dolls but use skewers for the bones. It works perfect every time.

Well, I already use skewers for "bones" in my smaller dolls. So, I guess I'm 1/2 way there. How thick is yellow conduit wire? Are you running this across the "heart" section of the chest (shoulders) and down each arm? I'm trying to picture what you are doing. I'm assuming I'm gonna place the dowel rods on the upper arm and lower arm, (attached to the wires of course) leaving the elbow joint open to allow for movent. Much like I would with my smaller dolls. This was already a given for me. But, I guess I didn't explain my thoughts correctly earlier..that or I'm having a blonde moment. (sorry, no offense to the blondes here )

What I was considering was the actual weight of the hand itself. If I were to lift my santas arm to keep it in a pose; let's say I wanted to have my santa's arm pointing outward to give some type of life action motion, like he's pointing to the north star or something like this. My concern is the weight of the hand will not allow this to happen, and my santa will be doomed to have his arms resting at his side forever and ever. Maybe I'm just putting too much into this thought process and I should leave the rocket science to the real DaVinci. lol

The conduit wire is pretty heavy stuff. It doesn't really have a gauge. It's a two bundle wire and they use it to carry the main electrical power output to your home. I buy this stuff in big rolls. On the dolls it depends how you do the armature. Most times I use a thick 2x4 for the body and pad it out. Where the shoulders are, I screw a section of the conduit on in two places (that serves for the arms) then attach the dowels for the upper bone and the lower bone usually with floral or masking or the ole reliable silver duct tape. Ha Ha duct tape holds the world together. Temporarly put your hand on and then do your padding out. Wish I had a picture to show you. Maybe I can do one better brb. My artistic talent sucks.



I found a picture of the wire I use,,,
Its 12 gauge, that I didn't know.

LOL, Paula, You are the best! I'm sooooo glad I found this place. Thank you.

OK....so for the legs are you using dowels? or 2" x 2" slats?

Dowels, usually 3/4 to 1 inch. Go back up and check the picture, I found the wire I use.

Paula,
I know exactly the stuff you are talking about now. In fact, I bet my hubby has some laying around here not being used. sucks to be him. LOLOLOL That old saying....finders keepers comes to mind.

And, I just want you to know...I love your drawing! It's the first schematic I have seen that didn't come from Japan and written in Korean that anybody in the world can understand! I love it! Got to love duct tape...now let's git 'er dun!