Greenstuff Advice

Hola. I recently started doing some modelling with GS and now I want to do some piratey work... First, I'd love to start with a tricorne and I wondered, if you should, after creating the rough shape, let the GS harden for a while before sculpting the details? If yes, how long?

Yes let it harden.

Depending on the blue/yellow ratio the time for that varies (blue = hardener, so the more you use the faster it hardens). Usually 2h is enough.

Great, thank you! Now I just have to wait for the miniatures...

Some more advice please on green stuff. I started using it on bases and I have a problem with it hardening too fast. I mix enough to do about 4 or 5 bases but it tends to harden towards the end is hard to work with. I mix an even amount of blue/yellow. If I change the mix will it still be as strong, sculpt the same, etc?

-Mike

Mike wrote:

I mix enough to do about 4 or 5 bases but it tends to harden towards the end

That's normal. The hardening is progressive and starts as soon as you mix the compounds. After 1h usually it gets hard to work with GS.
2 Solutions (ideally do both to optimise):

- Practice a lot so you can work faster.
- Mix less but more often. (start with this)

Mike wrote:

I mix an even amount of
blue/yellow. If I change the mix will it still be as strong, sculpt the
same, etc?

Yes, sort of. There is a difference in the final hardness depending on what ratio you used. If you slightly change the ratio (60% Y + 40% B) you won't really find a big difference in hardness, but the GS will remain sculptable longer. So that is ideal for bases. For arms and structures that must support more weight, it is sometimes a good idea to make a "sausage" of hard GS (30% Y + 70% B) and after it hardens, apply all the details with softer GS (50:50) over it.

Excellent! Thanks!

Any part that has to support any kind of weight should first be built and then "skinned" meaning the entire outer surface should be a thin detail layer overtop of your basic forms. This doesnt mean you can skimp much on making the basic forms, however, as if they suck your skin will do little to hide it in most cases.

Just trying to make a shape in one go is the most common mistake for anyone who uses GS as when you go to shape or detail the piece invevitably you distort another part of it. Making a structure for the model is really important as it will keep your shape from distorting and gives you the opportunity to take the time you need to detail your piece without contsantly having to retouch other areas.



You can see here the effects of skinning - I built the model first in basic forms - a large part of it plumbers fast hardening putty (which is VERY strong - but because it dries in 5 mins or less you have to be sure of yourself when applying it) and then skinning it in GS - You cant see hardly any of the underlying putty in the final piece.

If you look here you can see a fully skinned section of a model but only a bulked out shape for the pants (the grey section - again the plumbers putty) - A good strong base gives you infinite possibilities for what to put on top.

Holy Moly!!! That model is mind numbing! Well done tkkultist!
Why isn't there an entry in the Gallery for that?

Admin Tom wrote:

Holy Moly!!! That model is mind numbing! Well done tkkultist!
Why isn't there an entry in the Gallery for that?

Probably because it has nothing to do with Mordheim? Need I really remind you of that, Tom?

It's totally awesome nonetheless, of course!

cianty wrote:

because it has nothing to do with Mordheim?

Really? I though that is like a big fat beastman raider/shaman wielding a wyrdstone encrusted staff... MISTA!

Admin Tom wrote:

cianty wrote:

because it has nothing to do with Mordheim?

Really? I though that is like a big fat beastman raider/shaman wielding a wyrdstone encrusted staff... MISTA!

On a 50(?)mm base? Nah, look more like the Morghur, Master of Skulls special character from Warhammer. In fact, he looks EXACTLY like the illustration from the armybook (page 72).

cianty wrote:

On a 50(?)mm base? Nah, look more like the Morghur, Master of Skulls special character from Warhammer. In fact, he looks EXACTLY like the illustration from the armybook (page 72).

Bonus points for noting the page #

Yeah I thought the morghur model they made was kindof wussy so I remade mine to match the incredible art piece.... and I used a bloodthirster as the armature. Won me a silver in chicago golden demons a few years ago

I keep the small one around in case anyone takes issue with my big version. I have also used him on several occasions as a Doom Bull (minotaur hero model).

As to the belly pic... well thats something special I am still working on.

So... I am getting more ambitious with my greenstuff projects and encountered a little problem...

I was trying to do a buckle for my Chaos Marauder's belt, but I could not get the bloody tiny string of greenstuff to stick to the belt Does anyone has any tips on how to get little greenstuff things to rather stick to the model than to the tool? I am using water, but it seems the water only gets from the tool on the mini, resulting in the greenstuff still not holding onto the model but rather onto the tool. And I don't want to squeeze it to hard on, as I'm afraid that this would result in the soon-to-become belt buckle getting rather flattened out...

I just started working more with green stuff, and I seem to be having the same problem as Eliazar; my GS would rather stick to the tool. I can't do good detail work on a piece and then add it to the figure because it always gets deformed by adhering to my tools rather than the figure. I find shortly after it is mixed, the GS is sticky enough to stick to the model, but it's too malleable to retain the shape of what I created. However, if I wait a while for the GS to have enough rigidity to keep its detail when applied, it's no longer sticky enough to adhere to the model.

Any tips would be appreciated (general GS tips as well as solutions to the current dilemma). Right now I'm using water on my tools, but like Eliazar, it seems to find its way between the model and the GS instead of remaining on the tool.

Hey Identity! I eventually managed to get the buckle to the belt by letting the greenstuff cure quite a while and then pressing ot on, reshaping where necessary.

Other than that, I you could perhaps try to first stick the greenstuff to the model and then shape it? I don't know what exactly you are doing, so I'm not sure if this works for you.

And another tip I read somewhere is to punch the surface you want to stick the greenstuff to with your knife to create a coarse surface which gives the greenstuff some hold (haven't tried that yet, though)

I generally mold it straight away while it's still soft, so I don't generally have those problems. If it's being awkward getting it to stick doing something like a belt buckle I'll put more gs than is needed for that area and kind of squash it all in and smooth it out, I'll then build up the shape from what remains raised (god that's such a bad explanation lol!).
If you're doing the "wait for it to harden" technique it's generally better to just squish the gs onto the model where you want it to be as soon as you've mixed it and then leave it for however long you want to before sculpting because as you've said once it's hardened a bit it's a lot harder to get it to stick.

The way I do belts and buckles is to roll out some GS flat and let it cure for a few hours. Then cut a strip for the belt an superglue it in place. Then cut out the shape of the buckle and glue that on top. Easy.