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So, I'm completley new to greenstuffing.I'd really like some help with a certain project I'm working on.

I'm trying to put an Imperial Double Headed Eagle on a Space Marine backpack for one of my custom Sternguard veterans. I've managed to fill in the vent holes with putty, so I've got a slightly curved, but otherwise smooth and even surface.

I've tried once already, and all I got was a mashed up vaguely triangular mess.

Thanks in advance.

Instead of sculpting, you might try taking a new hobby blade and shaving one off of a bolter for a quick easy option.. or the old boxy hunterkillers have a neat winged skull for some thing alittle different. -death_rain

Or for a slightly larger one - the top off the old sergeant banner pole.
File one side down to fit.

Do it slowly, if you are new, be prepared for several attempts

Best advice I can give is this:

+ Let the GS cure slightly before you sculpt it, this will make it harder to deform, and less sticky, meaning it can be easier to work with into flat shapes

+ Keep your tools wet, or give them a very thin coating of vaseline (or something similar).

+ Put a small triangle of relatively flattened GS (about 2/3 the size of your intended eagle size) down on the backpack. You will eventually squish this into full size.

+ Use a sharp pointed tool to "empty" out the space between the wings and the head, pushing the excess GS towards the wings and thus forming the basic shape of central double heads with wings enfolding them.

+ Using a flat edged tool, press gently at a very slight angle in sections along the "wing" to form the stepped radiating folds seen commonly in many eagle designs, moving from the top wing edge down to the middle of the body/wing.

+ Once you have the wings done, you can then concentrate on forming the faces (these will be the first things you wreck if you do the wings last ). By again using a quite sharp tool, you can push and pull the GS into shape, as well as drill/press the GS to form eyes, feathers, etc depending on the size of the design and your own skill level.

Not sure how much of that makes sense, but that is how I would attempt to do it.

(I certainly dont want to turn this thread into another 'legailty discussion', so please leave you opinion on that in another thread where it belongs.)

I simply make greenstuff pressmolds to create more small details like skulls and aquilas.

You simply wet the detail you want, then press a small amount of gs over it flattening out the surrounding area. Be careful when doing this as you don't want the gs to really bond with the model, just take its shape.

Then after it has fully cured, wet it and press more GS into the newly created mold. It'll come out just fine and you can make as many as you want without having to shave off the details on your other models.

Cool! Got some good techniques to try! Thanks.