Author Topic: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator  (Read 5324 times)

Offline kellerkind

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sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« on: June 20, 2020, 05:42:12 PM »
Hi Folks, perhaps some of you have seen this pics the last weeks at my FB account, I will show the process of sculpting a 1/32 pilot here in this forum too. I hope, you enjoy the show.
The whole project is a collaboration between Kellerkind Miniaturen and Flugzeugbau Fokker, alá Engels - zum Mitmachen. / Private Sammlung - Wäschenbeuren
Let's start:

"Corporal Engels"

Among the flight enthusiasts who are reading here, there are certainly one or the other who - like myself - also tries to approach the subject of "flying in the First World War" from a model-building point of view. In the past few years, countless kits from a wide range of manufacturers have come onto the market and the range of figures that can be placed next to the model planes has also increased steadily. I myself have been making figures on this subject for a good 10 years and would like to show in this small, continuous series what steps are required to create such a figure. The whole thing is the result of a collaboration between Kellerkind Miniatures and Achim Engels.

The aim is to model a seated pilot of the Imperial German Air Force from around 1918, who sits on his machine with a casual smile (I do my best to make it halfway). The scale is 1:32 (54mm) so that the figure can later be used in a model kit.

The materials used are as follows:

1. BeeSPutty- this modeling clay that hardens in the oven is used for almost the complete modeling of the figure
2. Green Stuff - this two-component modeling clay forms the base of the figure and holds the wires together. Later, some details will be designed on the figure (recognizable by the green color)
3. Aluminum wire - it forms the basic structure / skeleton of the figure
4. Iron wire - it is used exclusively as a support wire for the valve and is later removed
5.Some of the tools, some of which were manufactured in-house and otherwise come from various sources (e.g. dentist's cutlery, etc.)


And let's go ...
« Last Edit: June 20, 2020, 05:46:30 PM by kellerkind »

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2020, 05:43:22 PM »
pic 2

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2020, 05:43:52 PM »
pic 3

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2020, 05:44:24 PM »
pic 4

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2020, 05:45:42 PM »
pic 5

Offline rhallinger

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2020, 09:05:40 PM »
Thank you for sharing your technique and process, Martin.  It is most fascinating and informative.  I have many of your figures and they are wonderful.  Just received the latest  MVR figure a few days ago.  Thanks for sharing this information with us.  The photos are very good and demonstrate well the artistic effort required to create a top notch figure.

Best regards,

Bob

Offline RAGIII

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2020, 02:19:22 AM »
I always enjoy seeing the "Processes" in Modeling. Thanks for sharing your sculpting techniques. I also will add it is great to see you here on the Forum Martin!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline Borsos

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2020, 02:30:36 AM »
Very cool   8) I‘ll have a seat in the front row to watch.
Andreas
"Deux armées aux prises, c'est une grande armée qui se suicide."
Barbusse.
"Ein Berg in Deutschland kann doch einen Berg in Frankreich nicht beleidigen. Oder ein Fluß oder ein Wald oder ein Weizenfeld."
Remarque.

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2020, 03:15:50 AM »
Hi Folks,
thanks for you interest. If there some questions, feel free to ask. I can't have a look every day into this Forum, but I will try to answer within 1 or 2 days.
Anyway,
here comes step 2:

After the "green stuff" putty has hardened, the fitting is brought into the desired pose. The break points are transferred from the template to the wire with a pair of compasses and then bent with pliers. In this step it is advisable to work as precisely as possible, since mistakes are difficult to correct afterwards (an arm that is too long remains an arm that is too long. No modeling skills, no matter how great, help!). Finally, the palms flattened and swoosh, ... the pilot is sitting in the machine!
In order to be able to work properly on the figure, it is inserted with its extra-long legs into a wooden base (balsa). Because our figure (later) has free hanging legs, the wires don't need to be inserted too far. Since the wire is only a thin 1mm aluminum wire, you run the risk of constantly bending the figure back and forth while working. If this happens too often, the wire breaks at some point. Then you have a problem! In order to avoid this as much as possible, I use a 1.5mm iron wire that is glued in at one end in the base and at the other end in the back of the figure (a drop of superglue - alternatively you can do it yourself help with some "green stuff").

That's all for today,
Martin

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2020, 03:16:57 AM »
step 2 more pics

Offline oldalbie

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2020, 04:32:15 AM »
This is fantastic, I can't wait to see the finished product. 

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2020, 05:42:48 PM »
step 3

The first layers of BeeSPutty are applied with the modeling tool. I.e. first roughly pressed on, if necessary rolled on with a thin round wood (or the brush handle) and then slowly brought into shape. The putty adheres very well to the surface, so that you can do without solvents.
In between, I smooth the faces with a small brush from time to time to better see where it is going. The nice thing about this oven-hardening mass is that you can take your time and determine the time when you want to let the mass harden. This is an invaluable advantage over two-component materials, especially when it comes to heads or complicated clothing folds. With these you only have a limited time window and at the end it gets "hectic" sometimes. Even after years, you often mix too much modeling clay and then throw away the remains.
I tried to put a smile on the face according to the template, which hopefully can at least be guessed in the pictures.
As the last step, put his ears on (always make sure that they are at the same height - seen from above and from the front - we don't want to sculpt a Frankenstein!) And then baked in the oven for the first time. This is not absolutely necessary, but it is safer for my head. He does a lot of work and it does not help if you accidentally crush him again when you later work on the figure.
That was all for today
Martin

Offline kellerkind

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2020, 05:43:17 PM »
step 3 more pics

Offline Syd Solo

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2020, 06:07:51 PM »
This is a brilliant tutorial on figure sculpting. One of the truly artistic aspects of our hobby.

Cheers

Syd

Offline RAGIII

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Re: sculpting a 1/32 scale German aviator
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2020, 12:41:39 AM »
I am absolutely loving this!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler