Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Ronin
First of all, you’ll need to gather some fairly basic tools for the job. You will already
have most of these if you’re a keen modeller. Below you will find a photo of the tools
that I use to sculpt a figure. Along with these, it would be a good idea to add a few
files and perhaps a small motor tool such as a Dremel or Como, for quickly shaping &
removing any unwanted cured putty
The Mannequin
I like to start with a simple wire mannequin so I can get the pose as near to what I
have in mind as I can. For a 90mm figure, cut about 12inches (300mm) of wire and
bend in half then twist to make a flexible spine. The left over ends help to form the
position of the arms and legs
Initial pose
You should have a clear (or at least a fair) idea of the pose that you want to sculpt
your figure in. Using the wire mannequin, get the pose as near as you can to the pose
that you want.
You’ll need to bear in mind the natural constraints of the human body regarding the
positioning of the limbs and the subtle twisting of shoulders and hips and curvature of
the spine. If you apply the putty to a similar way to the picture then you will have a
better idea as to the above mentioned areas. The putty just has to have the
approximate width of the shoulders and hips at this stage, nothing too complicated.
There are a lot of references available to help you with anatomy and I encourage you
to use any that you consider useful. At this point, you should be concerned mainly
about the accuracy of your pose. See the picture below for how I have bent the
mannequin and applied a little putty to ‘lock-in’ the desired position of the figure.
You’ll notice that I have kept the knee and ankle joints free of putty to allow for fine
adjustments. Also the majority of the figures spine is left uncovered as I will need to
make some further adjustment here. As this figure is destined for production, I will be
removing the wire for the arms as I’ll sculpt those separately, but if you are doing a
one-off figure, they will be fine were they are.
Basic Fleshing-out
The pose I have chosen for this Ronin is to show him taking a brief pause from a long
trek up a slight incline. I thought it would be interesting to have him leaning just a
little of his weight on a staff or maybe a weapon of some description with his right
arm. His right foot will also be elevated to help with the illusion of the incline. You
can see a little progress in the next couple of pictures.
It’s very useful to have some reference pictures available of the intended pose, even if
they are rough sketches, they will help to get it right. When you are satisfied with the
pose, go ahead and add putty to give form and volume to your figure. You’ll be
surprised how its shape changes from a simple idea to a more believable
representation of your original vision. Take your time adding putty. Try to get the
anatomical shape as correct as you can. Don’t worry if you have to file some of the
cured putty away to get the correct volume and shape, this is common practice, just be
a little careful not to stress the figure too much, especially if you are using a Dremel
with a burr on. Keep it on a slow speed and bring it into contact with the surface
gently so as not to damage your work. You can see in the pictures here that I have
removed the wire for the arms as I’ll sculpt these separately. I’ve added wire for the
neck, so I can add some putty to get the correct size for the head. This will then be cut
off from the main body to be worked separately. As mentioned before, if you are
sculpting a one-off figure there’s no need to remove the head/neck assembly from the
body to sculpt it, unless you prefer to of course.
In the next picture you’ll see the nose being built up. Start with the bridge of the nose
and smooth your putty into the surrounding area of the face just under the eyes. Move
on to carefully sculpt the nostrils and the end of the nose. Carefully checking your
reference material at this stage will pay dividends, especially if you are trying to
emulate distinct ethnic features. I’ll usually build the nose in two stages. The first will
set out the basic shape and size. The second stage will check, and if needed, alter the
size then go on to refine the shape according to the references that I’m using.
In the 2 pictures above, you will see that I have completed the first stage of the nose
and moved down to sculpt the area under the nose. The lips have been formed and the
chin has been strengthened and shaped with new putty to give volume to the face.
Moving on down to the feet, I like to do these either before or, in this case just after
the head. The reason I do this is because it gives me a feeling of the overall proportion
and balance of the figure. The wire that was bent in the direction of the feet was
covered with putty and flattened to create a support on which the volume and details
of the foot can be sculpted. This flat support is then cured so there is a solid base to
sculpt onto. Then you can blend this into the flowing lines of the lower leg. As this
figure will be wearing straw sandals (waraji), most of his bare feet will be visible, so
it is fairly important to be as accurate as possible. Use good reference here and use it
often until you have a good representation of both feet. There are 4 pictures below
showing the flat support, the foot from a couple of angles and the basic shape of the
lower leg relative to the foot and ankle area.
I hope these pictures help you to understand a little about how to sculpt the feet....
The waraji depicted in the picture are of a very simple pattern, such as may have been
purchased or traded from a roadside seller, or maybe even made as needed.
Once the sole was cured under the lamp for a few minutes, the bindings were added,
carefully texturing as each piece was attached. The method used here, is to pick up a
short, thin length with your tool and lay it onto the foot with a slight rolling motion.
Rolling the tool slowly towards the putty, but at the same time moving it gently away
from the putty as you make gentle contact with the piece. This will allow you to apply
the putty without the tool pulling it off or mis-shaping it. Then smooth on gently with
a lightly moistened brush, working into shape, remove any excess and then texture as
needed.
A few tries at the application of small and delicate pieces of putty will make for good
practice. You will soon learn how to pick up very thin pieces, and with some practice
you'll be able to place them exactly were you want them. Perseverance is the key, and
a little patience.
You'll no doubt notice that it shows the beautiful binding that covers the hand grip.
This will be created in small steps to allow for a clear approach to the sculpting and to
get a result that is as accurate as possible. If you divide the hand grip long-ways
through the centre and sculpt each half separately it will make the task much more
manageable. Take a look at the next couple of pictures to see how the binding is
applied in sections and then cured.
The 2 pictures above show that by sculpting small triangular shapes that wrap around
the edges of the hand grip will eventually reproduce the classic diamond pattern that
we can see in the first example. Be sure to only do one side at a time and cure it fully
before moving on to the other. Before you commit your work to curing, be sure that
all the triangular sections are as equal as possible and don't forget to apply a little
texture to re-create the look of the binding and bear in mind the slight taper toward the
end of the handle.
Next up is applying the other parts of the hand grip and the small hand guard. You
will see these in the next pictures. If you have managed to re-create the binding, you
will have no problems with the rest, it is easy in comparison. Just be sure to use some
good reference and copy it as closely as possible. The next 2 photo's show the hand
grip furniture and the hand guard applied. Take it steady and apply one detail or
section at a time and cure it before moving onto the next.
The final touches to make this item complete is to sculpt the shape of the scabbard
and the small securing clip that passes through the tiny hand-guard and extends onto
both the scabbard and the hand-grip. Sculpt the scabbard and file it to shape if
required, then detail the securing clip and any other extra features you want to apply.
The following picture shows the finished article and you'll see that it just needs to be
cut from its wire mount with side-cutters. The end can then be finished in any way
that you think suitable with or without a decorative end cap.
I hope this section on the short sword has helped to encourage you to try some of your
own. You will have a lot of fun and your figure will be equipped with unique
weapons of your own making. Break everything down into manageable sections and
you will be able to create anything you need.
You'll also notice in the above picture that there are some raised lines sculpted on to
the upper body. These are markers for the various straps that will exert a great deal of
influence on the material of the shirt. I find it useful as they are far more prominent
than pencil lines and they give a very good, solid guide for your sculpting tools as you
apply the putty for the shirt. The long sweeping marker from the figures left shoulder
down across the chest and under the arm will be for carrying the long no-dachi which
is slung across the back. The other 2 around the shoulders are for the strips of cloth
ties that would be used to hitch up the very baggy sleeves of the shirt. These will be
tied-off with a knot just behind and below the line of the figure's right shoulder.
Here is another picture of the hat with the majority of the outside detailing completed.
Just the gathered bunch of reeds at the top of the hat turned up ends of the reeds to
sculpt on and texture. Then I'll turn to putting some detail on the inside as it will be
clearly seen when held in the figures left hand. You'll notice what is some 15 amp
fuse wire that will support the bunch of reeds at the top. This was applied through a
small hole drilled through the top and the bent section of the wire secured with putty
on the inside. The reed texture between the horizontal bindings was applied one
section at a time and cured before moving to the next so as to avoid damaging the
work accidentally with a misplaced finger or thumb. The putty was applied in small
amounts and smoothed flat with a moistened brush. Then it was textured with a
scalpel blade, being careful to keep the blade just a little damp to stop it picking up
the thin layer of putty....The results so far can be seen below.
The next picture shows a couple of views with all the texture and detailing applied to
the outside of the hat...
Thanks for sticking with me so far...now I will be able to check out how the figure can
hold this hat and we can get on with the preparation of the left arm...
Here's a close-up of the right hand holding the cane to support this trail-weary
character...
When sculpting hands, keep as much reference as possible close by and check it often
as you progress. Small strips of putty were smoothed around the cane in the position
that the fingers would be in. Instead of using a file to slightly flatten and shape the
areas of the fingers between the knuckles, you might try to work them flat with a
smooth flat tool as the putty is firming up, this enables you to work in further details
such as creases in the skin and fingernails. The sleeve was added by applying putty to
the bare arm in keeping with the overall volume of the sleeve. Carefully smoothing
out this layer until satisfied with the bulk. Creases were then added into the still soft
putty with a smooth tool and softened with a moist brush for a natural appearance.
Lastly the seam was marked in gently with a new scalpel blade (dampened to stop it
tearing and pulling) and small openings were made along it to show wear and tear,
similar distressing was added to the cuff with the tip of the scalpel and a sharp needle
like tool.
At last we can move over to the left arm. And the first job here was to sculpt the left
hand onto the hat as he would be depicted holding this. The same procedure was used
for this arm as was used for the right, with a wire and a rough covering to
approximate the flesh of the limb. The voluminous sleeve was sculpted in three
sections, and I must say that I found it challenged both my manipulative and inventive
skills. As the arm is basically straight, I had to use a little license on the creases and
folds of the upper sleeve to keep it interesting for the painter, inserting a tie near the
elbow helped to separate the upper sleeve from the lower and perhaps add a little
interest...see what you think in the picture below.
When sculpting small detailed objects and accessories, try to resist the temptation of
completing too much at one sitting. You may find it much more manageable to break
the piece down into simple shapes and work on their outlines and volume. Then you
can add surface detail and any surrounding work, such as the cord and bow when the
main part of the accessory is cured.
Below you'll see that I've added two gourds and a small and simplistic cloth wrap bag
to carry any personal effects. One gourd was made then a mould was made for a
second. Both were secured together with a small diameter brass rod. Then a further
mould was made of the two joined close together. This pair of gourds made in resin
was further detailed with magic sculp with small thin lengths, textured to look like
they were bound with cord. Further detailing shows the cord from which they hang, is
secured to the rear of the waist sash has tangled due to the constant movement when
walking. Reference for the small cloth wrap bag was a sheet with some odds and ends
in it, folded and tied around the back of a chair in my studio. Using pieces of twisted
and folded material is very important and gives you an excellent idea of the way
materials react to different situations and stresses........
The last thing to be sculpted was the hair. I decided to go for the look of a man who
until a short while ago was a proud samurai. Since he now has no master, the Ronin is
depicted wearing a dishevelled queue that has not been oiled or dressed, but left to go
it's own way.....a little like the character himself....
A shot of the hair-style, which was worked in a single sitting, just. it was important
for me to show a receding hairline to help to add a little age to the figure.
Thanks for being interested enough in my work to follow the sculpting of the
Ronin...here are a couple of shots of the finished piece.........
If you have any comments you can e-mail me at royhunt.models@virgin.net