I am about to start my sculpting...yay !!!
I have been itching to do this for so long. I will start blogging about it next week.
Who better to laugh with than friends huh...And I guarantee there'll be some laughs :-) For my first sculpt I'll be attempting to make a rock star. You'll know the kind.....big hair, eyeliner, snakeskin pants the whole shebang. Think Bret Michaels, David Lee Roth et al.
I have been itching to do this for so long. I will start blogging about it next week.
Who better to laugh with than friends huh...And I guarantee there'll be some laughs :-) For my first sculpt I'll be attempting to make a rock star. You'll know the kind.....big hair, eyeliner, snakeskin pants the whole shebang. Think Bret Michaels, David Lee Roth et al.
Except my guy has been doing it far too long and is no longer the pretty boy that he was. How pudgy, aged and ridiculous I'll make him I've not decided as yet.
And of course, the clay might decide for me...who knows, I might end up with a fairy or something :-)
So the help I need ? I need to start sourcing fabrics, trims etc and wondered if anyone had good advice as to the best places to look.
What I really, really want is some kind of animal print for his pants....what would be absolutely perfect would be snakeskin. I've looked and looked but can't find anything suitable. real snakeskin is about but the scale is too big I think.
And some kind of leather for his boots. I realize it has to be thin and am not sure what kind of leather that would be. If push comes to shove and I can't get animal print I'll give him read or black leather pants.
It doesn't have to be perfect 12th scale as I am making this guy 8" tall. I figured if he was good enough then I'd display him and 6" just doesn't cut it for me :-)
Also....has anyone ever seen any harlequin / jester fabric in 12th scale ish ?And of course, the clay might decide for me...who knows, I might end up with a fairy or something :-)
So the help I need ? I need to start sourcing fabrics, trims etc and wondered if anyone had good advice as to the best places to look.
What I really, really want is some kind of animal print for his pants....what would be absolutely perfect would be snakeskin. I've looked and looked but can't find anything suitable. real snakeskin is about but the scale is too big I think.
And some kind of leather for his boots. I realize it has to be thin and am not sure what kind of leather that would be. If push comes to shove and I can't get animal print I'll give him read or black leather pants.
It doesn't have to be perfect 12th scale as I am making this guy 8" tall. I figured if he was good enough then I'd display him and 6" just doesn't cut it for me :-)
I have been looking for ages now and haven't seen any. I need something like this.
I am probably more nervous about dressing him than I am sculpting...I really cannot sew to save my life. I am hoping with leather pants I'll be able to glue them somehow.
Also if anyone has any links or tips to patterns for clothes, boots etc that would be fab.
Thanks....be back next week with at least an armature :-)
Posts
I for one am VERY excited about your task Jayne...sounds exciting and fun...the best combination for creating....
ReplyDeleteI will be hear to help in any way that I can ...write me here on the blog or please privately email me too...as a matter of fact...could you please email me privately your mailing address...thanks!
As for snake skin... if you cannot find the proper material in the scale you want...you could always print it out on your printer....
Tell me what kind of snake you are looking for and I might be able to help a bit...
Here to help...just ask away...
Hugs,
Jodi
Hi Jodi
ReplyDeleteSo glad you popped over :-) Thanks ever so much for offering to help.
I am extremely excited about it...I've made 3 heads before, one was OK, the others were awful lol. But this is my first wire armature, full body sculpt.
I thought about printing it but we don't haev the right kind of printer apparently :-(
For the skin I was thinking something black and white...is that Rattlesnake ? But to be honest I would be happy with any kind of snake...he just needs that exotic look.
I'll drop you an email now.
Thanks again x
Can't wait to see it! I need paper thin leather for my 1/144th scale books. I don't know anything about snakeskin, but I've found that I can sometimes peel the very top layer from pieces of leather. It's tedious to get the leather seperated, but I just pick at a corner until I can carefully pull it up. The resulting leather is very fragile, but perfect for covering things like shoes, since the seams completely disappear.
ReplyDeleteJayne, have you seen CC DeVille(on the left in the photo) lately? He looks a lot like what you are describing now! LOL Don't tell him I said that!
ReplyDeleteAt one point I found some lizard skin leather at SAS. That was a while ago. It was perfect mini scale. You might try looking for your leather under that name.
I've just woke up and my brain is boggled, but when i am more awake i will think up sites which may be good for you and also see if i have any little bits suitable for a rock star. I'll also check out if i have some hair for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat colour hair did you want?
Do you also need any eyes. I have loads of eyes i will never use. Let me know what colour.
I also have tiny little crosses and things like that if any use.
Kat the hat has a boot making tutorial on her blog somewhere from around 2 months ago that she found. The boots are not the right kind but could easily be adapted.
As for trims i'm no use but there will be plenty that read this who know.
You can always paint material if you cant find what you are looking for nd would expect you have small enough brushes to do so.
I think its wonderful what you are making and so excited for you.
Nikki x
This sounds like the best fun. I loved those guys when they were popular even tho I was in my forties. It would be a real challenge to age some of them. Some have not aged well. But then who am I to talk. But I think having a fun and interesting vision already in mind is a really good start. Enjoy and I can't wait to see the result. Judy
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to start a new adventure, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI have found that one of the best places to look for very small scale fabrics (weave and print) is a good quilt shop. THe fabric always is 100% cotton and very good quality. I have found some wonderful tiny prints at the ones I've shopped. JoAnn's occasionaly has something suitable in their quilt section....but not in the apparel fabrics. Specialty shops, like those who teach heirloom sewing often sell tiny trims and laces. Most of the time, I buy these at shows or over the net if I know exactly what i want.
When I lived in NY, I would go into the city, to the garment district, and shop the stores there. Great stuff! Boy I miss that...
The best leather I have found for use in miniatures comes from old men's wallets...worn smooth by the constant in/out of their pockets. Buy all your men friends new ones for Christmas and get the old one's before they check them :-)
Old leather dress gloves work too. And once I got a really nice bit of hide on sale at Boca Bargoons (a home dec fabric shop) that I'm still using for stuff. My mother made stamped leather purses and wallets when that was in vogue and there is a schiving tool which is used to make the leather thinner and more pliable if necessary.
Good luck and, above all, have fun!
Tabitha
Hi Jayne...
ReplyDeleteWOW...the 'Big Haired' Rock groups...they were all so pretty back then... Great Hair!
Not really sure if you decided to make this miniature or a tad larger...but have you considered thin lycra material 'socks' for the harlequin look? They make wonderful very stretchy and thin socks in every pattern you can imagine...do some searching on line and in local Malls...heck they ever have 'Sock' Stores now!!
Rattlesnakes are more of a brownish...with a hint of gray ...of course...it depends on what type of Rattler! You might be able to even find stretchy snake print fabric/socks.
I will rummage through my 'stash' not sure what I have but I will look... tell me the size you are looking for...
What a FUN Project...
Hugs,
Jodi
Thanks everyone...I am just on my way out the door so I'll check these all later.
ReplyDeleteCasey...I checked out CC Deville though...wish I'd waited till I'd had at least 1 cup of coffee :-)
Jayne...you can actually buy ready made Skived leather... ultra thin and ready to dye any color you wish...the beauty of leather this thin you can form it easily to the dolls legs and body for that 'tight fitting' leather pant look that we all love so well!! ...No need for sewing...you can just form, mark , trim and glue to his body...
ReplyDeleteBut I figure that is down the road a way...you are now into the sculpting phase...a blissful place to be...take you time and get totally into it...no time limits...
Hugs,
Jodi
Skiver is what you want to use for his boots. What kind of animal print are you looking for? I have lots. Email me!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Marsha
Thanks ever so much for all your help... it is very much appreciated as I start along this unknown path :-)
ReplyDeleteWell CC Deville…what a fine specimen of a man he grew into…not. Not quite sure if I want to go that far :-)
Casey... I can’t find anything for SAS and leather. Does it stand for something ?
Thanks Nikki... hope you are awake now :-) I have my hair ready to go... I have light blond and raven black... I will likely go blonde but couldn’t make my mind up when I bought it.
Ad for eyes... hmmm…I have thought about buying some but I’d really like to be able to make my own so I’ll try first. He will have bright blue eyes... that I am sure of.
As for decoration…yes crosses and things might be useful. He’ll need some sort of adornment but I haven’t thought that far yet.
Judy... the difference is you aren’t prancing abut on stage in tight pants still :-)
Tabitha... we have a Joanns here so I’ll check that out. For trims and things I‘ve found a pretty good online site too.
There is a garment district in LA as well but I hate going into LA for anything unless I absolutely have to.
I will check out thrift stores for some old leather.
Jodi... this guy will be 8 inches tall... I want him to be a bit more imposing than 6”. I am hoping 2 inches makes a difference.
My Harlequin man I am not sure what size. Until I get the harlequin print I’ll not even think of him... that is an important part of him and no point doing him without it.
Socks are a brilliant idea... I’d never have thought of that. I looked online for snakeskin and could only find dance tights and the scale was too big... I didn’t look for harlequin as I didn’t have enough time but will today.
Obviously I don’t know my snakes. The one I am thinking of is sort of a black and white or dark grey and white color and was very common in rock star garb.
I have found skiver leather are Rio Rondo and it comes in a natural color I can dye... oh the possibilities. I am now thinking leather pants and snakeskin boots could be good. The leather pants I could paint some kind of tattoo design down the leg and / or put studs down the outside seam. Honestly I can hardly contain the ideas in my brain I am so excited about this :-) Yes it is a ways down the road but it is so much fun picking out his clothes.
Marsha.. Thanks so much. I am after a snakeskin and possibly even some other kind. He will be nekkid up top except for a leather waistcoat I think and I’ll like to line the waistcoat. I also think I need to be careful I don’t mix too many prints and make him look wrong. I’ll email you....thanks :-)
Thanks again everyone....I am having fun with this already.