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So I'm sure there are, but I'm, wondering if any here know of any well written and clearly illustrated guides on sculpting in general. I find that there's a lot very simple methods that can achieve great results if you are aware of them and how to do them and I'd prefer an overall comprehensive book as opposed to endless youtube videos or random forum postings. One can learn a lot from the latter, but I oft find a good overall book tends to give a more complete picture and fills in the gaps (no pun intended) that can sometimes form when you learn ad-hock from distinct niche tutorials.

My advise would be to ask sculptors personally, alot of more.... renowned sculptors stay hush hush. Is there any part you need help with? Like the structure or the skele?

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/737471.page

Karak Norm clansman has a bunch of good threads in the Tutorial subforum

Ogre - I've not actually got anything that I'm working on to have specific questions, but more wanted to see if there were some standard reference/concepts/methods to achieving certain results. In short to gain insight into how various things can be done.


Guild - it was actually that very post that made me consider asking the question

I have a book on sculpting I bought years ago on how to make action figures. It was written buy the guys who sculpted Solomon Grundy and the likes. The book was off amazon.

I was hoping for the same as you instructions on what to do, but as much as I enjoyed the book........ it was more or less just talking about the basics of meterials to cast and such, then 2 pages of creators saying what type of clay, wax ect they liked and why.

So after buying several other books I learned one thing..... there is no such thing as a how to book. The best advise you can get is for a online tutorial from a sculpting website or another sculptor of what they like and why. But that doesn't mean it will be best for you, sadly..... I know lol.

What really helps is having a lot of source meterial, and I mean lots of animals people clothes magna for their off perportions, animes, wild life books and fantasy books.

If you want something to look real find a real life counter part. I have a book from Michaels called drawing dragons. It has the girls thought processes where she shows the picture of a snake skull then a picture with the muscles. Then pics of different type of scales.

So using em as refference you can try and copy a real life creature to reimagine a different one altogether.


Quick edit the one thing you do learn from al books and sculptors is ( armatures) if they do not look like the end result....... Well then you are probly boned from the start. Also if you are doing a large sculpt I have a great tutorial I posted long ago on how to make a large armature holder.