Tutorials and mini sculptor plans

I have taken some time to have a good think on things, especially the direction and to what extent and even approach I should be taking with the tutorials and sculpting help. I've had some very good feedback on my approach and the help/advice; more importantly than this it's help me re-think how I should be going about it, especially if I put myself when I was starting out, on the receiving end, what would have been helpful to me starting out.

Well, it prompted me to have a look through my old photobucket account and especially the things I did when I first started off, quite nice to be honest, it's always good (especially if you get bogged down to look at how you started off, you'll always be surprised by the progress you've made).

No-one starts off big, or with complete sculpts.

It's as simple as this, I didn't start off when I started sculpting, with complete scratch builds, no-one does, inside everyone is a tinkerer, someone who pokes, plays and experiments with the putties before launching straight into their first complete scratch build.

Here's just a few of the ones I did when I first started out, very minimal pieces and very rough detail.

   

This should at least give you an example of what I'm trying to attempt, it also means I work in some slightly more complex bits and bobs with certain tutorials, but not in a way that causes sensory overload.
A good example of what I mean is this (see photos below), these are from another tutorial I did on the importance of "B" and "S" curves in sculpting, curves and shapes that help if you're sculpting a female figure (something that I like and dislike doing in equal measure). However, things like these are need (especially when sculpting in miniature) to help emphasise the shape and form, even before you see the head and face.

The fact of the matter is I utterly loath it when people sculpting big boobs, or worse boobs that defy gravity (I call these "Inflataboobies"), so little bits of attention to other areas help you to creating a good figure without stooping to fan boy's wet dream territory. Also, as an FYI, the model below had the torso re-worked (still being re-worked), it will be making an appearance before you know it.



 

As will this little fellow for all the Gribbly players...

And finally....

With the next update of this tutorial I will hopefully be starting off small, this will be a crucial area I think as it's the point where someone stops being a kit-basher* and starts down the path of sculptor. It's about seeing the potential in one type of model to become something else, but requires some minor sculpting in order to get there.

*Kit-Basher- someone who glues various parts from other minis to "make" a unique fig.