ship's figureheads

[Benjamin sullivan]

Hello, I am looking to make the figurehead for my USS Essex frigate and I was wondering if it makes more sense to carve one out of wood or to carve one out of clay and then paint it,

but I have never done this before so any advice is welcome.

the figurehead ...

 so mine will probably be a little more basic I am going this but his left arm is at his side and his tomohok thing is resting on his shoulder

Edited November 21, 2022 by Benjamin sullivan

[Oldsalt1950]

I would think clay would be a bit easier to work with as you can mold various parts by themselves and the attach to the figurehead body. You could make a basic shape armature and then just start adding clay to it as you shape the figure. Just my personal observation. 

 

Jim

[Benjamin sullivan]

yea that is what I was thinking to Jim

[Oldsalt1950]

Clay is rather forgiving, whereas wood is not. I take it you are actually working with Sculpey. 

[Benjamin sullivan]

that is what I am thinking of using

[druxey]

Definitely additive work is more forgiving than subtractive!

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  I take it you are talking about "baking clay", where one does a small sculpture and cures it in an oven.  Then it can be painted as desired.  I'll have to remember this in future.  Now for making a number of identical decorations (like the lion heads to go on the Vasa gunport lids - when opened), I molded something in modeling clay - then used multiple coats of drying latex to make a rubber mold of the feature.  Dental plaster was used to make a 'backer' for the rubber mold to prevent distortion.  Then dental plaster was used to 'cast' multiple lion's heads from the latex mold.

[bruce d]

May I suggest you check out Milliput? It is the most versatile medium I ever found and very popular with figure modelers.

[allanyed]

13 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

then used multiple coats of drying latex to make a rubber mold

I may not be understanding this clearly but with all the silicone molding materials that require only a single pour, this seems complex.  For small parts I make a master of wood or modeling clay.  I then pour an ounce or two of mixed two part silicone molding material into a small paper or plastic cup.  The master is then set into the liquid silicone so that it is completely submerged but with the top surface of the master just barely exposed.  Once the silicone is cured, the master is popped out and the mold removed from the cup.  For small parts such as wreaths there is no need for a stiffener for the mold.   The mold can then be used to make parts using casting resin which only takes a few minutes to mix, pour, cure and remove from the mold.     

Allan

[clarkt]

You might try using the Sculpy to make a "maquette," to get an idea of how your figure will look and to become familiar with the body proportions.  Then make the piece out of boxwood.  David Antscherl describes the process very well in The Fully Framed Model, HMN Swan Class Sloops 1767-1780, Vol. II, pp 243 to 255.  I think the Sculpy is too gooey to make a finished piece that you will want to display.  I also tried to shape a piece of Corian countertop material, thinking that it would be easier with no wood grain issues, but it was too hard and didn't work well.  The boxwood is, of course, great to work with.  While it is a difficult project, the results can be rewarding.  All this at 1:48 scale.  Smaller might be unrealistically challenging, although I'm sure it's been done.

[Benjamin sullivan]

I don't know, would clay be easyer to work with as a first time?