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Ive seen people sculpt great conversions and pices using only green stuff, their hands and some sculpting tools, i just cannot work out how it can be done (even with loads of practice). My green-stuff skills go little further than filling gaps in models so could anyone give any advice for begininers or point me towards useful guides, videos or articles.

Thanks

What exactly are you looking to sculpt? If you have something in mind we can guide you further do you want to add damage to tanks or make a weapon or..you get my point

A few tips on GS sculpting:
The most common beginner mistake in sculpting is to try and sculpt an entire object, details in all, in big step. Sculpting should actually be done in stages. For example, to sculpt a mini one might (the sculpt should be given time to harden between steps):
1) build an armeture out of paper clips
2) sculpt a basic body shape
3) sculpt on basic muscle groups and figure
4) sculp on pants
5) sculpt on the shirt
6) sculpt any gubbinz like belts
7) sculpt wrinkle details onto fabric areas
8) sculpt armor and more gubbinz
9) sculpt a basic cloak shape
10) sculpt wrinkles and details into cape
11) sculpt gubbinz onto cape like clasps

You see this mistake all the time when people attempt to sculpt capes. They try to do it from a single piece of GS, instead of first sculpting the basic shape, then adding detail like wrinkles, then adding gubbinz.

As for tools, the two big ones are:
1) dental tools
2) silicon clay pusher

The silicon clay pushers are the only way to get nice, professional looking results. The dental tools are necessary for certain details.

For a possibly cheaper way to practice then green stuff, try clay sculpting, till you can reliably craft something you approve of.

As far as I can recall, as long as you don't fire clay you can add water and start sculpting all over again without having to get a new piece each time. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this.

This will allow you to get the practice and hone your skills to do stuff like you see in the modeling section.

I practice with drawing everytime I want to do a new piece, it allows me to get the rust out and bring a sharper edge to my creativity when I go to do the actual piece of art.

Also, look on youtube and google for guides and videos that show and explain how the person achieved a particular effect when sculpting.

I'll post a link to my YouTube video on working with greenstuff. I demonstrate some tricks I've learned from jewelry making that carry over well.
It should help some.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/431837.page

Fexor wrote:For a possibly cheaper way to practice then green stuff, try clay sculpting, till you can reliably craft something you approve of.

As far as I can recall, as long as you don't fire clay you can add water and start sculpting all over again without having to get a new piece each time. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Might as well just use some cheap modelling clay, instead. It won't dry out as easily as natural clay and is widely available in small, cheap packages. It won't behave the same as GS, which is on the sticky, rubbery side, as far as epoxy putties go, but it would be good practice using your tools and making rough shapes. I've actually done mockups sculpting with poster tack, which behaves more like GS than any clay I've ever used. Different materials behave differently, but sculpting is sculpting. Practice won't hurt, (almost) regardless of the medium used.

Honestly, though, your best bet is to start playing around with the material you'll actually be using, then look for specific tips and tricks pertaining to what you want to sculpt next. There are tutorials for sculpting cloth, human anatomy, chain, skull icons, purity seals, etc. that will make each task easier, provided you have a general familiarity with your chosen sculpting medium. I absolutely hated GS when I first started mucking around with it, but I didn't really have any goals in mind. Once I started my first project, though, things started coming together.

The most important pointers about greenstuff, specifically, are:

1. Lubrication - Sculpting without it is hell. ABSOLUTE HELL. Except when trying to attach the GS to your model, you always want to keep things slick.
2. Layers - Things become much easier when you work bit by bit. Complex forms become possible and you won't squish the bit you just finished with an errant thumb.
3. Curing - GS cures over time, becoming firmer and less sticky as you go on. Use that. Some jobs are best tackled when it's fresh, others are easier if you wait an hour.

[edit - Woops! Accidentally posted before I finished typing.]