Sculpting Miniatures - Sculpting Faces

The face is one of the most important parts of a miniature but also the most difficult to master. Here I show several techniques for making faces as well as cover the basics of creating a good form for the head.
Medium:
FIMO
Greenstuff
Tools:
Wax #5
Colour Shaper Flat Chisel Size 0 Firm
Scalpel
Small Burnisher
Needle Tool
Website: masonstudios.blogspot.com/
Twitter: / puttypusher
Facebook: / tom.mason.796

[@TheGamerZapocalypse]

Ahh...the dreaded other side of the face that cares not what handedness the sculptor may be, it's cruel mocking...lol Ron at Reaper once mentioned to me that you can make a cured putty mold of a face and use that as a press mold to make your faces and then tweek them as needed...a real time saver. A real cheat of a time saver, and you won't ever really learn any better as a sculptor the more you use this, but I do want to at least try it sometime.

[@iboikarus860]

I agree with him. You're doing great videos and the tips are really great. So I come with my characters progress too. Thanks a million and go on like that. Nice greetings from Germany.

[@doctorc8852]

Well great video thanks for the help. First time watcher. I subbed today. Looking forward to learning more.

[@federicoscarpioni750]

Great tecnique!

[@claytonmcclain182]

at min mark 16:17 I wish you would have put a close up of your work. anyway WOW just amazing work, you are a real artist.

[@soundslikekenny]

end product looks great! I am just starting out and I feel like you made this look very obtainable for a beginner I need to look into green stuff and FIMO

[@TomMasonSculptor]

So glad to hear. Sculpting really is much more approachable then you’d think when you can see how it’s done.

[@Machinepriest]

I believe you just saved my sanity with that eye tip. I usually add tiny orbs to the eye sockets which I then sculpt eyelids around which is a real hassle. It's really hard to get the symmetry right this way as well. Once again, hats off to you good sir! I hope you received my PM about commission work :)

[@TomMasonSculptor]

***** message received. Hope to record a response to this topic and some of your specific questions soon.

[@miaflorpablo]

AWESOME!!!!

[@proghost111]

Helped alot truly very detailed and the way u placed camera it is clear even tho i watch at lower quality hope to see more

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Thank you.

[@MiniWarzone]

Wow this is amazing - Totally subbed :)

[@EvilAnglo]

Tom these videos are tutorial gold.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Shint B thank you very much.

[@EvilAnglo]

Tom Mason No mate, thank you!

[@HeresyProducktionz]

Great video. I sculpted a face a few months back and found the eyes to be the most difficult. I like your method. I put little balls of clay into holes I created where the eyes should be and found it a bit awkward.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

HeresyProducktionz I hear you. That method can work, but is usually much easier on larger sculpts. Some people even use tiny ball bearings and sculpt around those. But I really like the flexibility that comes from cutting in the exact shape I want.

[@grzegorzcaputa]

Great work!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Thanks!

[@robbiethecontroller9642]

I would not have the patience to make this. Your very talented.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

It definitely takes patience.

[@canuckotter]

I'm probably going to be getting into my first mini's face in the next day or two, so this is perfect timing. And very instructive! :-) Thanks Tom!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Chris Salter awesome! I need to set up some sort of system so you guys can post and I can see what you're working on.

[@canuckotter]

Not yet! I got the general shape of the face done, up to the part where my mini has a nose, but haven't had time to work on it since then. I'll see if I can get a couple pictures up tonight.

[@canuckotter]

plus.google.com/+ChrisSalterOttawa/posts/7shbWQajkJE - Hopefully that link'll take you to a post with a couple pictures of my mini so far. Let me know how it works!

[@masterenric]

I play and paint miniatures from a long time and now I going to start sculpting .You're awesome videos help me a lot^^.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+masterenric so glad to hear they are helping. Thanks!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Tom Mason I mainly sculpt with FIMO Classic polyclay. But I use greenstuff to as a sticky under layer.

[@masterenric]

+Tom Mason Thank you.I buy this resin so it's gona be good for my first sculpt.Continuous like that you made great tuto.

[@ryangarritty9761]

Getting cross-eyed just watching this.

[@BetterBlue]

very nice man. mAkinginiatures for first time

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Awesome!

[@kurogiza]

Tom, the tip you gave for the eye construction is awesome! I have one minor tweak: I poke the corner holes of both eyes with a needle first. This lets me place (or adjust) the level and size of the eyes. When I'm happy with that, I use my blade to slice in the eye shape diamond as you suggest, then finish off by poking the eye corners again. I've found that if I don't do this, my eye placement is almost always unsymmetrical...

[@TomMasonSculptor]

That is a great suggestion Chris! I'll definitely try that on my next sculpt.

[@kurogiza]

@@TomMasonSculptor awesome! Glad to hear you are still sculpting. I follow you here and on IG, but haven't heard much from you recently. Your howto videos have helped me (and others, I'm sure) tremendously, and I would love to see your continuing work!

[@bevsartsandcrafts715]

Perfect ❤

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Thanks!

[@martyndragar7910]

hi mate how would you sculpt an open mouth on a human or orc character? love the video by the way 👍👍👍

[@lord_insany]

who downvotes this? this guy gives away the know-how for free

[@Hammern28]

Probably people who have tried doing this, expecting a magical " works right away " thingy, gets upset and rages.

[@DennerBob]

Awesome video, Tom. Love the simplification of the eye. How much expression can you pull a face into at this scale? Do you find it helpful to sketch a face first, or do you go straight to the sculpt when you can?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Dennis Bingham you can create quite a lot of expression. It really all depends on the fine motor skills you develop to put in those tiny details. Sketching first is a great idea. I find it very helpful to look at reference for faces as well, especially when doing a more unique expression.

[@EvilAnglo]

Great videos Tom very helpful? The only thing I can't find is help on baking minatures. I have never used a green stuff Skelton before but I'm guessing it should go in a conventional oven?! I'm investing in a halogen oven this weekend as I don't want to possibly poison my family!

[@EvilAnglo]

Apologies just found a vid on baking!

[@yeahright767]

3 things. First of all love these tutorials they are awesome and extremely helpful. Second, will there be a firearms guide coming soon? And third, I can't find any green stuff or procreate close to me, the best I've been able to find is something called super sculpy firm. Think that will work decently?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

yeahright767 I plan on doing a firearms guide eventually, but it's down the road a ways still. No one carries green stuff or procreate near me either so I order from anyone of a number of sources. Several only miniature retailers as well as independent mini companies sell them. Just do a quick search and you should find several. Super Sculpy Firm is a good polyclay (a bit firm for my tastes) but you will still want some greenstuff to help it stay on the armature. Hope that helps!

[@FastWinWalkthroughs]

This is very awesome, I've done some sculpting videos, but my figurines are always around 16-18cm tall :P Can't really seem to work on smaller to get them to look the way I want. I envy your talent *tips hat*

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+jerzku11111 thanks man. It definitely takes practice.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+jerzku11111 by the way. Very nice camera setup. What are you using?

[@FastWinWalkthroughs]

Forgot to ask though, how long have you been doing this? I just started around 10 months ago and as with all art forms it takes quite a time to get hang of :)

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+jerzku11111 I've been sculpting since 2003 so over a decade at this point.

[@Molecular99]

Nice work. How do you detach the head and attach onto sculpt? Do you just cut the wire right under the head and glue to body?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Molecular99 if you create armatures similar to the way I show in the tutorials, you should be able to cut the clay with an X-acto then pull the head free. However if the loop of wire is too large the head could crack apart. If you know the head will need to be removed I would suggest not having any sort of loop in the wire and keep it as straight as possible. There are a few other techniques I use as well and will cover them in a future video. Thanks!

[@Eternal_Starlight]

Hello! Thank you so much for your videos! I have learned a lot! I am wondering where can I buy the tool w/ the black handle. Is that a small burnishing tool? I can't seem to find a small burnisher that size.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Poe Bird no problem! The black handle tool is custom made. It is difficult to find very small burnishers but they are out there. I'll try and highlight some places to pickup tools in a future video.

[@Eternal_Starlight]

Tom Mason No wonder! it is a custom made tool! I thought I have never come across a perfect tool like that! It would be great if you could talk about your tools! Thank you so much! Have a Nice Day! :)

[@jaylonrobinson7092]

Painted Starlight tools really are key in this hobby , I just took pictures of mine for my local club and would love to see you do a video on tools tom mason 😀👍👍👍

[@user-ol6he1ko9y]

Thank yo👍

[@TomMasonSculptor]

No problem 👍

[@GatorDave]

Hey Tom just found your videos, this is amazing work! I’m curious what kind of clay your using? Is it self drying or oven bake? Thanks Tom, Subscribing now!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Gator Dave the clay is a polyclay called FIMO Professional. It’s oven bake and I️ LOVE IT!

[@YouAreAsleep]

Does the clay shrink when you bake it?

[@artsculpture1024]

wow so small

[@davidsouzalobo]

Hi Tom, nice tutorials. Great turorials, to be honest. I have a question. The video above, have 16 minutes, but you ff the speed, right? I woule like to know, how much time, to craft a head like that. Thank you ;)

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+David Lobo thanks for you kind comments. After setting up the under structure of a face (putty over wire, FIMO over putty) it takes under 30 minutes to sculpt a face. It can take longer if I am trying to match a specific likeness or if there is a dynamic expression though.

[@juliofigueroadiaz3438]

Incredible work, do you use a magnifying glass or microscope? If so, which one do you recommend?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

I used to use a 10x Optivisor. However I stopped using it once I realized I was focusing in on tiny details too much. The kind of stuff that seemed important to me as someone holding the mini inches from my face, but that would never be noticed when gaming in the table. However, if you need help seeing better, I highly recommend Opti-visor.

[@jakubfator5562]

Amazimg! And how can I put the head on body now? Whole with wire and stick together?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

That’s exactly right!

[@CurlyWS]

@@TomMasonSculptor what are you using there Tom? What is the bit of metal you have clamped? super noob I have just done mine on an allen key but realise my error.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

@@CurlyWS In this particular video it is a tick piece of brass wire. Usually I sculpt my heads directly on the main armature which is made from 24 gauge galvanized steel wire.

[@CurlyWS]

Awesome thank you

[@CurlyWS]

@@TomMasonSculptor thanks really useful :)

[@Diagonalfire]

You said something about a full head tutorial, do you have one up yet? I am curious due to the speed of this video.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Andrew Haines nope not yet. I plan to do one where I show sculpting the face, ears, hair, etc.

[@Diagonalfire]

Sweet!

[@Schizopantheist]

Forgive the impertinent question on this incredibly informative series, but, would it not be possible to use a specially constructed tool to 'punch in' eyes in one go? Admittedly I can think of two problems: the surface is not flat so the tool would have to conform to the curvature of the face; and every eye size would need a different tool. Still.. I wonder

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Absolutely. In fact, I knew someone who did just that. Of course you need to build the tool first, but it isn't insurmountable. You're second point would be the most critical by my account. You don't want everyone to have the exact same eye shape, or for giants to have beady little eyes :) . But even if you made one just for humans, that could be a time saver.

[@sprucehammer1087]

i have two questions about this.where can i buy greenstuff?and is it possible to sculpt like this with sculpeyclay too?

[@suppositionstudios]

You can get greenstuff in bulk on places like ebay, thats the best value ive found so far

[@TheSirvladimr]

how sculpt great helmets please

[@RATCHRIST]

cool

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Thanks!

[@rrswitch48]

Tom. Do you do commission work in 1/48th scale? Fantastic work!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Thanks. Yes, I’ve done work at this scale before. I’m always happy to entertain projects/commissions, but my schedule is pretty full at this time.

[@rrswitch48]

Any recommendation of another artist? TY.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Bobby Jackson, Gene Van Horne, James Van Schaik, Patrick Keith, Andrew Cothill, plus many more. I’d suggest going to Facebook to search these names or post in some of the sculpting groups there.

[@rrswitch48]

@@TomMasonSculptor Ty! Needing a green of Popcorn Sutton, moonshiner

[@SlotCarDojo]

Green stuff is your base, what is the grey medium you are using?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Joseph Mlaka the grey material is FIMO Classic.

[@musicalwhimsy]

So it's safe to bake the Green Stuff under the clay?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Melodicsiren absolutely. The greenstuff is actually far more durable than the clay.

[@schlookie]

Hi, what kind of clay are you using?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Nick Vallender FIMO Classic! Thanks for watching.

[@orionhammerfall1874]

Anyone know if he's using clay or some kind of clay stand in? Like super sculpey or anything?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

I’m using FIMO Professional polyclay.

[@tabletopsparrow7639]

Hi Tom, I started trying to stream/film my mini sculpting attempts and it went very badly. What camera are you using if you don't mind me asking? I have a logitech c920 but have trouble with it focusing on the details.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Sure thing. I actually film with my iPhone along with a camera app called ProCamera. That lets me have more control of the lighting/white balance and it’s very easy to lock the focus. I’m sure you could do the same with any phone camera.

[@tabletopsparrow7639]

@@TomMasonSculptor Thankyou so much for your reply. That sounds like a good fix for my issues!

[@ZenosOsgorma]

what is that rubber brush called his using?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

It’s called a Colour Shaper.

[@thomasgrimes6664]

Do you think you could do another video on sculpting 15mm Men,

[@TomMasonSculptor]

I'll never say never, but 15mm isn't really my forte.

[@thomasgrimes6664]

@@TomMasonSculptor yeah its quite small......no its tiny

[@daylightliving8929]

what material do you use?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

The main portion of sculpting is FIMO Professional. Thanks!

[@dragonlady4909]

What type of clay did you use for this video?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

That is FIMO Professional.

[@dejstil1974]

how much do you charge for a figure or a set of ... 4-5? I was wondering, if I could buy online from you.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Carlos Solis unfortunately I don't sell any of my own miniatures anymore.

[@dejstil1974]

oh, what a shame! thanks for your great videos, they are very instructuve.

[@user-mv9ig6nv4c]

may I asked what kind of material used to shape the figure ：putty or clay

[@TomMasonSculptor]

This material is FIMO Professional.

[@user-mv9ig6nv4c]

@@TomMasonSculptor большое спасибо

[@mrpacobeto]

Any tips for an aspiring sculpter with shaky hands?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

The number one thing you can do is brace your arms or hands against a work table. It's helpful to do this even for those without shaky hands. Hope that helps!

[@mrpacobeto]

Tom Mason ,that's what I have to do when I ink drawings. Thanks

[@prasoonprashant8587]

can u tell which clay u actually used ?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

FIMO Professional

[@luchadorconeningles938]

Where do you get your tools?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

+Luchador Con En Inglés I've collected them from many different places over the years. I'm going to do a video that covers the tools in greater depth and let you know where to get them.

[@vyl4650]

Ok I guess one can tell the abomination I made is supposed to be a face. Looks more ghoulish than I'm comfortable with lol. doesnt matter much since I'm going to cover most with a helmet and a scarf anyway. Thanks for the Tutorial man! I will definetely return to it

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Glad it helps! Doing helmets is a great way to "help" with faces HAHAHA. But seriously. It can actually be a challenge when you need some of the face to show. You don't want to take the time to sculpt everything, but it's usually good to have most of the features and structure set before adding the helmet. Keep it up.

[@samanthatavener2421]

is it possible to sculpt out of polymer clay?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Yes, you should be able to sculpt these with most polymer clays.

[@achilles1500BC]

Hi bro, I would like to order/buy some custom action heroes figures sculpt in 1:72scale. (Batman) Will you provide me the service please?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Hey Achilles Duh. That’s not really my specialty, but there are many others out there who could do a great job at that scale for you.

[@achilles1500BC]

@@TomMasonSculptor Hi ok noted. Thanks for the reply bro. I am ok with 1:64 scale as well if you could help me. Batman

[@MahmurLemur]

I hope he is not using his saliva at 3:02 for smoothing the clay :O Fabulous work as usual :)

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Now I have to check!

[@TomMasonSculptor]

🤮 yeahhhh, that was totally my saliva 😳

[@deniseross-vanhulst2079]

Warhol used to piss on copper painted canvas. I think you're ok with a little spit. ;)

[@MahmurLemur]

I didn't know that! I was an ignorant and happy person! look what you have done to me! :P

[@fumblybagrumply591]

H20 H20 eatam up eatam up eatam up ahhh got H20 in my bowl

[@VERITAX808]

I wish This was a little bit more zoomed in.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Yes, one of the down sides from my old setup. I have other face videos if you search through the series.

[@skateboardingjesus4006]

The scale of the head is way too small for the camera to appreciate.

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Haha, that's why they call it miniatures ;). You're not the first to say this. I actually did a follow up tutorial showing the same principles but on a larger head so you can see what I'm doing better. Check it out!

[@stephaniegulemi3063]

Can’t see a bloody thing. A minute or 2 of staring at a diamond shape while he’s doing the eyes. COME IN CLOSER PLEASE ! This is a MINIATURE sculpture. Let us see what you’re doing. Sheeeesh !

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Hahah. One of the reasons I made the diagram. That's what my camera could do at the time. Seek out one of the later MSSS episodes where I sculpt the head larger so you can see the techniques better. PS No need to be rude ;)

[@kolegakolegi]

fWhoaa. What? No ears?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

Maybe next time ;)

[@user-ol6he1ko9y]

what material do you use?

[@TomMasonSculptor]

My main sculpting material is FIMO professional.