[Archive] Sculpting rock

Grimstonefire:

So, I’m going to have a crack this week at getting a lot more done on my destroyer.

I’ve hit a big stumbling block though as I want to sculpt it to look mostly like rock with deep fissures for lava.

I have come across what I believe will be an adequate solution, using actual rock. Can’t improve on perfection right?

But just out of curiosity, does anyone know an effective way to sculpt/create large, detailed and natural looking rocks? I was thinking earlier there must be something out there you could buy that would do this, but then I’ve got loads of gravel in my garden and it’s free… :slight_smile:

zobo1942:

Pine bark, painted black and then drybrushed looks really good. Last weekend, I saw entire cliffs done with large pieces (2’ x 1’) pieces of pine bark. It looked pretty good!

Also, when I create rocks, I cut them out of high density insulation foam (blue) and texture them with a piece of aggregate concrete. It creates some pretty good effects, as there is a great variety of textures (pointed, round, sandy) on a piece of concrete. I’ve also heard iof peopl roughly cutting and texturing ‘rocks’ out of foam, and then using a heat gun to smooth them out. Some of the effects are pretty good.

Hope that helps!

EDIT: There are some examples in my ‘strange aeons’ thread http://www.chaos-dwarfs.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=9641

JonJon:

Maple and oak bark works really well and if it’s a money issue a walk in the park will give you plenty,make sure microwave the bark if you get it from the woods about 2 minutes will kill anything on the bark,you can also buy a page bag of the stuff at a garden or craft store.

GRNDL:

Use rocks as texture stamps. Do your main modelling and press the stamps in while still relatively soft.

MLP:

I have come across what I believe will be an adequate solution, using actual rock.  Can't improve on perfection right?

Grimstonefire
I have found in the past that real rock doesn't look real on models! Due to the size difference the texture doesn't work.

Slate can sometimes look good if you can smash it in the right way, like the stuff GW sell in their extortionate basing kits.

khedyarl:

I have come across what I believe will be an adequate solution, using actual rock.  Can't improve on perfection right?

Grimstonefire
I have found in the past that real rock doesn't look real on models! Due to the size difference the texture doesn't work.

Slate can sometimes look good if you can smash it in the right way, like the stuff GW sell in their extortionate basing kits.


MLP
This is exactly right.

The problem with using actual rocks, stones, etc, is that since miniatures are so.. well, miniature. Everything needs to be exaggerated slightly, otherwise you'll end up with a model so subtle that it loses a lot from more than a foot away. It'll look incredible up close, but from the three feet (battlefield) level, all the fine detail tends to just blur together.

Damned human eyes.

Grimstonefire:

I’ve spent a few hours gluing gravel onto my destroyer and I think you’ll all be impressed actually.  It certainly makes a much more detailed 3D texture than I would have sculpted in sculpey.

I deliberately picked bits that had hard edges and often sharp points so they’d pick up edge highlights.

zobo1942:

That sounds great - I’d love to see it!

zobo1942:

That sounds great - I’d love to see it!

khedyarl:

You’ve never put our a piece that wasn’t impressive, so this should be really interesting - I’m trying to picture what it would look like. Give us a picture!

Grimstonefire:

Sure. updated my blog