I’m new to the group, a novice ship-modeler who wants to create a diorama.
I am finishing up a 1/24 scale model of the Bounty launch, and would like to populate it with the 19 occupants cast off, including Lt. Bligh. I have some ideas about how to make the figures but would like input from “the pros”. Is there a way to produce 19 fairly detailed figure “blanks” that are initially flexible (posable), that could be individualized (clothes, hats), and then hardened into fixed positions (rowing oars, adjusting rigging, etc.)? I’m experimenting with polymer clay and molds, but other suggestions from the group would be welcome. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Scupey clay make molds for dolls. The limbs, head, are seperate but if pieced together they are flexible till baked. Scupey holds good detail. I once press a figures boots into it at a scale stride apart, baked that, used it to make a stamp of it, and used the finish stamp to put in footprints in a diorama. You could even make out the tead after that make transfers!!.
hope this helps.
I would make a wire skeleton. Then apply some “Cernit” (this one also hardens only afte baking) on the skeleton leaving space on the articulations (ellbows, knees, wrists, ankles, neck, etc.) You now have a “skeleton with muscles” that you can pose anyway you want. Once you got the right position apply more cernit or putty (but it would take a whole lot of putty) to make the figure with all the details you need.
After several weeks of trial-and-error and practice, here’s the method I have worked out for my Bounty launch figures, for anyone who is interested. I made some prototype 1/24 scale versions of hands with forearms, feet with lower legs, and heads with torsos, using Supersculpey and baking for 10 minutes at 250 degrees to harden them. I then pressed these into blocks of regular Sculpey clay to make molds, which I also baked and hardened. I then used the molds to make multiple “body parts” out of Supersculpey, which could then be individualized with respect to hand position (grasping, pointing, etc.), foot position, facial features (beard, no beard, mouth open, etc.), and hair (balding, pigtail, bandanna on head, etc.). After baking these body parts, I added extra detail (sharpen up individual fingers, clean up ear shape, etc.) with a Dremel tool and very fine bits. The next step was to sculpt pants out of colored Sculpey (usually white) into which were inserted the legs with feet as well as the torso with head. The position of the lower body and torso was then individualized for a certain spot on the launch, and the assembly baked to harden it. The last step was adding a colored Sculpey shirt on the torso (tan, light blue, or navy blue), with sleeves into which the forearms and hands were inserted, again positioning the arms for the spot in the launch. The whole figure was baked again. The hair was painted last, and some final touch-ups were done with the Dremel fine grinding bits. The use of colored Sculpey for the clothes minimizes painting, and the stepwise construction of the figures allows a little more leeway in determining the final positions of the limbs. The clothes are relatively simple, based on the British able seamen’s dress of the late 1800’s - baggy pants, loose-fitting shirts, often tied at the waist, bandannas around the head or neck, and the occasional hat. Bligh was dressed up a bit, with an officer’s navy blue coat. I have 11 of the 19 figures made, and the later ones are much better than the first few. I may go back and re-do the earlier ones. It takes some practice. I’ll post some pictures of my figures, if I can figure out how to do that on this list, the instructions aren’t too helpful. Any help with that would be appreciated.
I have uploaded some pictures of the Bounty Launch with eight of the figures in place. Please keep in mind that this is a work-in-progress and that each new figure is somewhat better than the last. The images can be seen (if I have done this correctly!) at the following site: http://faculty.une.edu/com/jnorton/BountyLaunch/LaunchImages.html
wow, this is beyond what I see as reasonable. You guys are dedicated and talented to do this kind of modeling. I can’t even draw a stick figure. My hats off!!!
New images of the Bounty launch diorama have been posted. The crew now numbers eleven, some only partly finished, however. Comments and suggestions welcome. Next to be modeled are sailors trying to club a gannet or booby, and another sailor trying to catch a fish. In my opinion, the figures are not of the same high quality as I have seen elsewhere in the FineScale modelling pages, but I am still gaining experience and am satisfied with the overall effect that the model creates. The pictures are at http://faculty.une.edu/com/jnorton/BountyLaunch/LaunchImages.html
Instead of repeated postings about the progress of my Bounty Launch Diorama, I’ll simply recommend that interested viewers go to the URL below to see the most current pictures. Again, comments and suggestions from more experienced modelers than I are certainly welcome.
The crew is now up to sixteen, three more to go. It will be hard to fit them all in the boat, but I guess that’s one of the stories the diorama will tell.
I’ve now finished 18 of the Bounty launch crew, modifying and re-making some of the earlier figures in the process. The 19th, and last, figure will be lying amidships between the rowers, resting on water casks and the carpenter’s chest. The boat itself is on a temporary base that portrays its eventual orientation on the planned sculpted ocean base - surfing down the front of a long low swell, slightly heeled to port. Each of the figures now represents an activity described in Bligh’s log. Pictures can be found at: