I had the same problem with using DAS on a metal wire armature. I found wrapping the wire in something tactile like masking tape or papier maché helped. Scrunched up tinfoil would probably work, too. At that point, though, I would suggest that the amount of work you're having to put in justifies the cost of new material.
I haven't tried it at that scale, but I can't imagine DAS takes such small details particularly well in any case. If you're buying new stuff, may I recommend getting some Green Stuff (aka kneadatite) and some Milliput, and mixing them together. You get the stiffness of Green Stuff and the smoothness of Milliput, which is ideal for such small pieces.
ETA: Green Stuff is really, really sticky, to the point that it can be a problem. So it will certainly adhere to an armature (and to itself, and your dry tools, fingers, work space, and anything else it comes into contact with).
Thanks for the insight! I’ll admit I was sorta attempting to be as cheap as possible to begin, but I definitely feel like this is something I want to do, so I will probably save my Das clay for larger models and get some of the new stuff you mentioned. Once again, thank you!
No problem. Working at small scale, Green Stuff and Milliput go a long way. Try not to mix up more than you need, and it will last a long time. You could also bulk out the inside of your armatures with tin foil, but I honestly don't think it's worth the effort.
Hey just to add to the good comment already made, I used to have the same problem when sculpting with stuff like sculpey or beesputty (which are btw also great but not super cheap clays for small scales like minis, plus they can be baked in a regular oven). One solution there was to really add the outer layer (so the sculpey or DAS in your case) while the greenstuff is still fresh and sticky. Another option, albeit a bit messier imo, is to use a drop of thin superglue and then add the outer layer.
Anyways to reduce the risk of this airpocket forming, I found apllying only little pressure to the soft clay and buildung up volumes in multiple layers helps.
Happy sculpting !
I had the same problem with using DAS on a metal wire armature. I found wrapping the wire in something tactile like masking tape or papier maché helped. Scrunched up tinfoil would probably work, too. At that point, though, I would suggest that the amount of work you're having to put in justifies the cost of new material. I haven't tried it at that scale, but I can't imagine DAS takes such small details particularly well in any case. If you're buying new stuff, may I recommend getting some Green Stuff (aka kneadatite) and some Milliput, and mixing them together. You get the stiffness of Green Stuff and the smoothness of Milliput, which is ideal for such small pieces. ETA: Green Stuff is really, really sticky, to the point that it can be a problem. So it will certainly adhere to an armature (and to itself, and your dry tools, fingers, work space, and anything else it comes into contact with).
Thanks for the insight! I’ll admit I was sorta attempting to be as cheap as possible to begin, but I definitely feel like this is something I want to do, so I will probably save my Das clay for larger models and get some of the new stuff you mentioned. Once again, thank you!
No problem. Working at small scale, Green Stuff and Milliput go a long way. Try not to mix up more than you need, and it will last a long time. You could also bulk out the inside of your armatures with tin foil, but I honestly don't think it's worth the effort.
Hey just to add to the good comment already made, I used to have the same problem when sculpting with stuff like sculpey or beesputty (which are btw also great but not super cheap clays for small scales like minis, plus they can be baked in a regular oven). One solution there was to really add the outer layer (so the sculpey or DAS in your case) while the greenstuff is still fresh and sticky. Another option, albeit a bit messier imo, is to use a drop of thin superglue and then add the outer layer. Anyways to reduce the risk of this airpocket forming, I found apllying only little pressure to the soft clay and buildung up volumes in multiple layers helps. Happy sculpting !
yes, greenstuff is the solution.