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I sculpt on all my customs as I find it brings more life to the characters I peronally create. Sometimes i start with a character that i have drawn prior to customisng (often not following the shape of the platform, becuase i feel this allows me to be more creative and free with my sculpt) and sometimes i make things up as i go along having some sort of idea to begin with.

I have only just started to get the hang of sculpting neatly though and this is a step by step process which requires a lot of fine sanding. I normally sand the surface of the toy before sculpting so the clay sticks to the surface. I use Super Sculpey and milliput (a two part epoxy clay). They are both easy to sand but milliput IMO is a lot stronger, more malleable and can be smoothened with water. With super sculpey a quick way to harden it, on small toys such as dunnys, just boil some water put it in a bowl and then leave the toy in there for about 15mins with some foil over the top.

I don't use glue at all unless a part has broken off, but using sculpting wire also makes the sculpt stronger and less likely to snap or break (if you sculpt something thin)

I hope all this has helped :)

PJ Constable

• Artist

about 12 years ago · Comment ·

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Some pointers on sculpting/found object additions.

Superglue. Lots of it. Don't stick your fingers to it. 

Car body filler to fill in the gaps.

If you can drill into the vinyl to anchor the piece, that mechanical attachment, along with the superglue, will provide the best, most robust bond.

Never superglue onto paint.

Use flat pieces of wood/pastic to drag across the filler and ensure a consistent surface.

Wet & Dry sandpaper to finish - 250 grit -> 400 grit -> 800 grit

Filler primer will highlight any surface imperfections - several light coats with sanding inbetween will fill them in.

Always sand with either a flat piece of wood or a dowel of the radius you're trying to achieve on a curved/internal radius surface, don't just hold your thumb behind it.

Finish with a 800 grit -> 1200 grit combo, then topcoat.

Spray where you can, brush-paint where you need to. 

Oh and stencils are a pain in the butt, as is masking taping areas, even on very flat surfaces, both bleed easy, so i'd suggest avoiding.

Hope some of that is helpful :)

Cris Rose

• Artist

about 12 years ago · Comment ·

keegan a with all the advice I want to start customizing stuff now. :) about 12 years ago

cleareason Wow this is a lot of useful information!
Can you explain "Use flat pieces of wood/plastic to drag across the filler and ensure a consistent surface" a bit more? about 12 years ago

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I use Super Sculpey for things that I want to work on for a while and I use Magic Sculpt for things that are more organic and need to be really strong and sturdy. When using Sculpey you can use vaseline to help it stick to the vinyl or other pieces of already baked Sculpey, and then I typically use Super Glue to affix it permanantly. I also make things with resin. When I need to make multiples of the same thing I will sculpt it in Sculpey and then make a silicon mold of it and cast a bunch of them with resin.

NIkejerk (Jared Cain)

• Artist

about 12 years ago · Comment ·

trustpigs m I find if you do a base of primer on the vinyl and a varnish finish on the piece, the sculpted aspects stay on without adhesive. But I also don't normally do as extensive sculpting as Jared does… about 12 years ago

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When I start a new custom I always try to envision a way to enhance the platform using sculpting. I want each piece to be as unique and interesting as possible and I achieve this through a combination of altering the base platform, adding on and custom accessories. I try and let the idea drive the design so before i ever choose a platform I finalize the idea, and then try and choose the most logical platform. From there I outline what I want to do and then figure out how to do it. My favorite part of customizing is taking my crazy ideas and finding a wa yto make them possible. Here is a link to most of my customs if you want to check them out. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikejerk/sets/72157616035381749/

NIkejerk (Jared Cain)

• Artist

about 12 years ago · Comment ·

cleareason What kind of material is used for sculpting? Also is there adhesive you have to add to hold the sculpt in place? about 12 years ago

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I like to combine blanks. Like I might gut a 8" Munny and put a Dunny inside it, or something where I'm using multiple platforms in one.

RedlineToy

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about 12 years ago · Comment ·

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As a collector I am interested in learning the customizing process too! More information on the skills/labor/time/materials that go into customizing will allow collectors to better determine the value of the custom piece being purchased. I currently shy away from buying customs (I'm new to Art Toys in general) because I don't know enough about creating them.

Easily_Amused

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about 12 years ago · Comment ·