Sculpting the Mountain King

When I decided to prop the Mountain King's hand up on a log, the last thing I was expecting was it to turn into the mass amount of resculpting this project required. The model was designed to go together in a specific way, with no allowance for repositioning.

It was a blast to do all the work though. I learned more about sculpting with green stuff on a larger scale as well as how to blend it seamlessly into the actual model.

Without further ado, lets look at what was involved...

Clean the model

Quick note first - I've found that Privateer's resins have a lot of ugly to them. Some is fine, but other parts require a bunch of mold line cleaning and injection points cut off.

Pin and support joints

Like any other model, the King is fully pinned. There are even support struts under his head as I've angled his face up some. (I really don't like how so many trolls look like the kid in the outfield just staring at their feet.)

Still had some grey-stuff from Privateer Press laying around.. didn't like it so I've been using it to fill larger gaps as a first layer.

Fill the Gaps

I continue in other areas, focusing on just filling the gaps for now.

Green stuff isn't glue. So I've also used some super glue between the first layers and the model.

Because of the size of some of these gaps, I've layered the green stuff. Meaning, shove a bunch in, then once it dries, add more.

Since I mainly wanted to get it filled, I'm not worrying too much about the shape of the putty. Primarily, I wanted to make sure the Kings joints are fully supported.

Carve the Excess

Now that all the joints are so strong, I've cut away the excess so there's enough room to add a sculpted layer of green stuff. The key element is to make sure there's room to build up and blend into the model's skin.

Sculpting Small Bits

Next up, I take care of sculpting all the easy parts. Mostly this means filling gaps.

Some of the gaps are a little larger than others - again, not a fan of how Privateer's organic models fit together.

Some veins also had to be extended to connect each side.

Even though you can't really see it once the model's complete, it's still important to take care of all those hard to reach areas. Mainly because you never know what angle someone will be looking at your model and you don't want something unseemly hiding away.

Sculpting his Left Arm

Most of that was small sculpting. Filling holes and making it look right. Because I raised his left arm, there was a large gap to fill. Below, you can see the progress from the front (left) and the back. (right)

1. Layer the putty where you're going to be sculpting.
2. Shape it to add some general definition.
• Blend the putty cleanly into the skin. That means pressing hard on the edges with the sculpting tool while pushing the putty away from the area you've been sculpting. (I'm going to have to put together a tutorial demonstrating this kind of thing with the tools.)
3. Add details and texture.

Sculpting his Neck

While sculpting his neck, again I started by layering in the green stuff, adding definition, blending into the head itself then adding details and texture. Some veins from his body finish it up.

Sculpting the Belt

Since his stomach raises up, there's more belt to be seen. I started by adding the main belt with borders. Where the straps go, I just pressed in some small holes and also added some wear and scratches.

I reused old sprues to press green stuff and then cut it into small strips. These I can glue into the holes and bend around the belt.

Sculpting his Stomach

The stomach was created in two parts. Wait for one part to dry before moving to the next.

First, the fat that hangs over the belt and covers some of the details I just sculpted.

(Again, you never know which details someone might see, even if you're planning on covering it up.)

Then, the stomach itself, blended up into the rest of his belly.

In the large photo to the left, you can also see the loincloth that hangs in front in place. Don't glue details like this in place right away. Just keep it in place to work around it.

Fitting the Jaw

Because it would be so fiddly to fill the cracks here, I just lined the jaw with green stuff then pressed the pieces together.

The little amount that pressed out, I blended into the stones.

Once it dried, I could take the pieces apart, allowing me to pin it.

(I didn't want to just glue the jaw on. This allowed me to paint inside the mouth first.)

Fitting the Back Rock Formation

I made a mistake here. I can admit it.

So, I green stuffed the back like I did his jaw, blending the stones together.. except, once it dried, the back didn't want to come apart.

There you have it - the secret of my Mountain King... his back isn't glued on.

Final Photos

Here are some angles of the Mountain King as he's fully sculpted and ready to paint.

Will it Blend?

I think this is some of the best natural green stuffing I've done. Below you can see some Final / WIP photos that show just how well everything is blended together.