Modeling Books...

[Guest]

Polymer Clay Basics

by Monica Resta

Sterling Publishing Co. NY N Y

Copyright © 2000 US Translation

Published in Italy 1999©

Available in Canada, Sterling

Great Britain and Europe Casell

Australia, Capricorn link

ISBN# 0-8069-7136-3

Hard cover

This is one of those new publishing practice, of republishing craft

and hobby books from their original country and translating it to English and then selling it around the rest of the world.

It does a couple of things the way it was explained to me. First the author gets some more money up front, but not as much as if it was published in each country. It’s a one time packaged deal, and the only one that wins is the publishers and distributors as the cost of the book is lower so Higher profits.

Polymer clay has been in recent years improved so much that it has become the sole choice of medium of a lot of hobbyist and artists. It is a great material, for the modeler if they do detailed scenes, or details around the model, or even parts of the model. Where other materials are not with in the skill set of the modeler, boat fenders, deck cargo, rolled up traps, clothes and hats, or gear for the back of tanks, rolled up tents, duffle backs or all the other material of day to day life.

This book goes over the basics of working with polymer clay, tools, colors and pigments and then baking so it becomes harden like a cast plastic piece and then can be painted.

It doesn’t get into figure modeling, I have a couple of others for that in the future. But is does give one the experience of working with the clay, and some simple projects. With the holidays coming up the simple bead and jewelry pieces can make a nice hand made gift from the modelers shop.

It is great stuff when nothing else seems to work or do the job.

[Guest]

Fantastic Figures

Fantastic Figures

by Susanna Oroyan

C&T Publishing

ISBN# 0-914881-00-0

Copyright©1994

Trade paperback

This books cover may not seem like it is a suitable title for the forum. But since nobody has written anything on using the new clays for details and accessories.

This makes a good general starting point for expanding the material use horizons. As it has a good chapter on understanding the new clays, talks about the old clays, and including the paper clays. In addition to toxicity, durability and shelf life.

Starting with an introduction on designing, it moves on to the workspace, surface and tools. Since it was written for large scale figures and scene construction. It has a couple chapters on the head, body, hands and feet. With the type of armatures used and constructing the bodies out of assort material other than clay. And the use considerations that you might need.

It also covers the curing of the various types of clays, and the finishing and painting. For most of the common mediums.

For the large scale figure builders it has clothing and display settings chapter along with some appendices that might prove useful.

[Guest]

Fantastic Figuresby Susanna Oroyan

C&T Publishing

ISBN# 0-914881-00-0

Copyright©1994

Trade paperback

Looks useful a read I will look for that one thanks for posting mate

[Guest]

Jeez just done a search, second hand on Amazon from £23:79 to just over £63:

There's one at £199:00 but its got to be wrong

I'm going to try the Library first

[Guest]

Jeez just done a search, second hand on Amazon from £23:79 to just over £63:There's one at £199:00 but its got to be wrong

I'm going to try the Library first

You may want to try Alibris: Used Books, Used Textbooks, Rare & Out-of-Print Books its a world wide book search service like the amazon set up of independent dealers. I bought a book and it came from England and it was not that expensive nor was shipping.

or try world catalog of books.[WorldCat.org] Search for books, music, videos, articles and more in libraries near you if a library has it in your area and belongs maybe they have the inter-library loan like the libraries over here do.

I have another one you maybe intersted in will post in the next couple of days.

glen

[Guest]

1/12 Scale Character Figures

1/12 Scale Character Figures

for the doll house

James Carrington

Guild of Master Craftsman Publications

ISBN# 1-86108-161-8

Trade paper back

Copyright © 2000

First published East Sussex

This is an amazing book, and Mr. Carrington’s work is museum quality standard. This volume was originally published in England. So it should be easier that some of the others to pick up.

Yes they are large scale or doll house scale in the most popular size one inch to the foot or 25mm to the 250mm. But then again ½ to the foot or most of the smaller scales can be done with in reason.

Starting with an introduction and overview, he gets down to the basics. Then setting up a work station, and materials and equipment. What it is and what it does.

A few pages about observations of people and the surrounding go a long way to improving the realism of the scene.

The body and head proportions can make or break a model, he devotes and covers the subject matter completely. Then he goes on to the basic body and head forms. Showing the various ways to adjust the positions of the figure from seated to standing and in motion.

He goes lightly in to plaster casting mould making if you, as he does makes more than one figure. As he has a number of basic types and models that can be put together and adjusted for finishing into various figures.

He devotes a full chapter to the skull and face shapes basics, and then the basic features, hands and feet and then finishing up with facial details and expressions.

As these figures are wire and padded form figures( the non exposed arm, legs and body are wrap with fiber fill and use wire skeletons for movement) are covered in the final chapter from painting and wig work to cloths as his figures are clothed in cloth.

You may never do anything as detail, but some of the techniques used in getting the hair to stay were it suggests movement can be applied to flags and other cloth based details life boat covers and traps covering hatches etc.

It is filled with drawings and photos to give the complete story of the construction to follow.