Sculpting clay. What do I need to know?

[Raziaar]

Hey guys. I am really motivated to make my own 3d settlers of catan game pieces. I'm going to be making my attempt at sculpting some of the terrain pieces out of clay on a hex and then using silicon mold making material to make the mold and then casting it in resin. Finally of course I'll paint them.

But I've never worked with clay before in my life beyond my childhood days making clay beads.

What kinds of items could I use effectively for various digging and detailing purposes without buying a specific set. Things like math compass, keys... etc.

I'm also going to need to avoid any sulphur based clay. What does that leave me with for a relatively cheap but good modeling clay that I can fire or otherwise harden and cast a mold with? The reason I can't have the sulphur based clay is because of the silicon I'm going with.

I'm basically going to be attempting something like this.

http://www.io.com/~beckerdo/games/articles/SettlersI.html

I know I can just use google, but I wanted to reach out to our artist friends.

 

[Ennui]

Ask RJMC! Also, when you paint them (if you are planning on doing so) you'd be best learning about basic model painting techniques like priming, drybrushing etc.

Cool idea though. I've never played Settlers of Catan (my board game nerd friend that I play wargames and board games with doesn't care too much for it) but I've heard good things from everyone but that guy.

 

[Qonfused]

Settlers is awesome.

 

[Hazar]

not to hijack your thread raz but I was underwhelmed by catan when I first played it a few months ago. It's a pretty simple game and will leave you longing for some more complex gameplay, but maybe I've just been spoiled by civ.

 

[Krynn72]

When I did my really shitty sculpy stuff in school I used these things. Should be all you need really. These and your fingers. And whatever random "texture" bits you find around your house that you can press into the surface to make patterns.

You can get a set of these sculpting tools from any hobby/art store. They're relatively cheap as well.

 

[Viperidae]

Just PUNCH it with your MANLY HANDS. Crush the clay's will until it forms itself into the shape you want, out of fear of further fusillades from your formidable falco-fist.

 

[MJ12]

You can get dental tools from hobby/tool shops and those work well. Also, I dunno the size of what you are making, but you will probably need wire for inner support.

 

[Krynn72]

Hes making disks for a board game. He won't need wire.

 

[Raziaar]

Ask RJMC! Also, when you paint them (if you are planning on doing so) you'd be best learning about basic model painting techniques like priming, drybrushing etc.

Cool idea though. I've never played Settlers of Catan (my board game nerd friend that I play wargames and board games with doesn't care too much for it) but I've heard good things from everyone but that guy.

Yeah, I'm well familiar with the concepts of priming and drybrushing. Drybrushing being something I've known about for years and years, but just never practiced it. I always thought it was neat and a quick way to bring about awesome detail.

Settlers is awesome.

I have some issues with it, but it's certainly better than any damn game like Monopoly or Risk.

not to hijack your thread raz but I was underwhelmed by catan when I first played it a few months ago. It's a pretty simple game and will leave you longing for some more complex gameplay, but maybe I've just been spoiled by civ.

It's not all that complex, but I find it fun. The most fun part is the social aspect. Playing with a group of friends or family, where you actually get to WHEEL AND DEAL... trading within the rules instead of breaking the rules by doing so.

When I did my really shitty sculpy stuff in school I used these things. Should be all you need really. These and your fingers. And whatever random "texture" bits you find around your house that you can press into the surface to make patterns.

*SNIP*

You can get a set of these sculpting tools from any hobby/art store. They're relatively cheap as well.

Yeah I thought about getting something like that, but the ones I've seen online at least are like 40 bucks.

Just PUNCH it with your MANLY HANDS. Crush the clay's will until it forms itself into the shape you want, out of fear of further fusillades from your formidable falco-fist.

That was Plan B actually.

You can get dental tools from hobby/tool shops and those work well. Also, I dunno the size of what you are making, but you will probably need wire for inner support.

Hes making disks for a board game. He won't need wire.

Correct, what I'm doing is basically taking some Masonite hexes which I will be plopping a large hunk of clay on and removing material to form what I need. I won't have anything that needs structural support. Everything will be converted into plastic anyway once I mold and cast them.


Before I go out and buy some clay, maybe I'll fiddle around in Z-brush.

 

[Wanted Bob]

I agree with Ennui, ask RJMC. He has done some pretty good work I recall.

 

[Krynn72]

Before I go out and buy some clay, maybe I'll fiddle around in Z-brush.

You could just sculpt your hexes in zbrush and then have them printed in 3D! I've actually thought of doing something like that for my Flames of War game, but 3D prints are just too expensive for me to want to do that right now.

 

[Raziaar]

You could just sculpt your hexes in zbrush and then have them printed in 3D! I've actually thought of doing something like that for my Flames of War game, but 3D prints are just too expensive for me to want to do that right now.

Expense. Exactly. For this project i'm looking at anywhere from 100-200 dollars to finish, with room for a little more or less. 3D Printing will be insanely more expensive.. though the thought is amazing.


The thing I like about doing this project is I'll likely be able to easily sell my set for a profit or at the very least recoup some of the money I made. LOTS of people looking to buy 3D cataan boards without having to invest the effort into making them.

Time will be an issue though.

 

[Raziaar]

Went ahead and bought some of these precision cut masonite hexagons to the exact millimeter I needed(79) from a website. They stuffed as many as they could inside this quart sized fried rice container which turns out to be 35.

This is going to be a good base for me to work with, and more than I need for creating my originals. Gonna plop the clay on these, carve the terrain and then silicon it out.