Nurgle Titan
Articles
1) This model is going to be my first with a new method of using a solid foam core. Here are the items you need for construction. Apoxie sculpt, green stuff, clippers, pin vice, file, sculpting tools, wire, some plastic card, and a large block of foam for the core. I am using foam because a titan at 40K scale is rather large and will be heavy even with this foam inside. It also saves money on putty. I bought this block for less than $2. That is about $25 worth of apoxie sculpt, or $50 in green stuff.
2) Here is the foam armature. I carved the foam to get the basic shape I wanted to sculpt upon. For a titan I wanted a block shape with a slight curve to it. It is not important to get the shape perfect because you need to apply a very thin base coat of putty for strength when sculpting the details. I will make a point to tell you the better your foundation is the easier it is to get symmetry latter.
3) This stage is the base putty armature. I spread a very thin layer of apoxie sculpt over the foam, probably less than 1/8th of an inch thick. The drawing you see on the putty is just a gauge for me latter down the road and a brain storming session. It gives me ideas where I'll sculpt details later and how to apply layers. I also stuck a wire in the foam and putty core while it was soft.
4) This stage is of the hip foam armature. I wanted a strong attachment here so I took the hip foam core carved the basic shape and stuck it over the wire from the previous step. I then blended apoxie sculpt over it and attached it to the putty armature mentioned above. This gives me a very basic yet strong core to sculpt over. I admit the piece is already fairly heavy but nothing compared to a model that would have been solid putty.
5) This detail is for a process I developed for making rivets with apoxie sculpt. Here you can see how I make plates and rivets in the putty. I spread a even layer over the armature and then proceed to make tiny hammer like marks over the surface. This makes the armour look old weather beaten and war marked. I then use a tiny knife edge to cut the plates into the wet putty. Think how you want the model to look. I want a ramshackle appearance and thus randomly place mine. I then follow the plate perimeter with a small tube and press tiny rivets into the putty, almost like a cookie cutter.
6) This stage is kind of hard to show the process I completed but I will try and walk you through it. You can see the rivets and plates starting to work around the surface of the model and now it is time to add the belly armour. I carved a foam shape spread a layer of putty over it and then attached it by spreading excess putty down the sides and around the foam and putty armatures from the previous steps. I carved a wedge like shape and had to fit it to the previous armatures several times before it fit properly.
7) Now this stage has me starting a large portion of the armour platting. I also started the belly details and the ring around the opening for the head of the model. I am adding plates in different directions and also with angles to create a nice interesting pattern for the final model. I picture the titan warped by the eye of terror and then held together by the plague marines adding rivets and hammered out plates from battle. A Ork like construction in appearance.
8) Another section of plates added. I have to work in stages so there is some dry putty to set them model down on. When sculpting the plates I try and leave myself a transition for the next plate to blend upon or continue from one that was half sculpted. It can be difficult to blend plates together and I use a little water with my spoon shaped tool to pull a small amount of putty over the existing layer. Here you can see a transition where the putty has a crease effect. I used two transitions here and blended them together on a curve. This is not important because in the final stage ribs from the spine attachment on the back will curve over and around the model hiding this seam. Think about your layers as you sculpt to avoid wasted time fixing things you will not see.
9) This photo is of a detail that I really enjoy. The spine that will run along the back of the model. Rib like appendages will then form and extend off this spine clutching at the sides of the titans armored shell. The spine was done by rolling a large coil of putty. I then placed it into position used my knife tool to cut sections in the putty. I then roughly squeezed ridges in the sections where I would later sculpt the vertebrae. I let the putty set for while and then tightened up the details of each vertebrae. It sat for 1 1/2 hours before the putty was tight enough to get the crisp ridges you see in the picture.
10) Here you can see a very simple stage where the tubes entering the torso have began. All I did was roll a strip of green stuff between my hands to create a tube and then carved the lines into the putty with a knife edge while it was still green.
11) Here I sculpted the head. I wanted a mechanical look to the face and the first thought that crossed my mind was Typhus. This was done with one glob of putty and carved into place while green. I used a spoon tool to press the indention for the eye slit and then formed the lower armour jaw by pressing the putty into a hard edge in the center. After it sat for an hour I then began to tighten up the hard edges and formed the rest of the face.
12) This stage is a rather difficult stage. Here I blended the armour from the lower torso to the upper torso and also made the connection where the pipes came out of the lower stomach. I also added the tubes exiting the face of the model in the same manner as those mentioned above.
13) In this stage I have started the leg structure. I used a heavy plastic square tubbing and then slowly covered the surface where it attached into the hip with the rivet and plate methods I wrote about above. As you can see I used two different size tubes so they would slot into each other to allow for the bend in the legs. After the glue dries I will begin the next stage.
14) At this stage I bought some cone styrofoam pieces and cut them down. I inserted the legs into the foam at the height I wanted and then began to smear apoxie sculpt over the foam up onto the plastic slightly. This will make the foam strong to sculpt on and also attache them to the legs when dried. I mixed some water into the apoxie sculpt and made a paste for this part. This picture also shows the rivet process and the plates as I work. As you can also see in the picture to your right, the models completed legs. I will next work out the balance for the model and add the feet. I included a model for scale in the picture as well. All the extra tubes and hydraulics will be added last to prevent them from getting in my way of sculpting and fitting the arms.
15) This model is still under construction so check back later as I complete stages. I'll add more photos of the model in progress as I complete stages.