In this case I used it to make ancient dresses on figures that are mostly naked or with few clothes on, but it can work for many other purposes like adding a cloak, lengthening sleeves or jackets edges to make a long coat, etc.
It was some time since I used these techniques , furthermore we never stop learning, even while attempting to make this tutorial…
The first clothes are simple and not so well detailed. While I was working on them I regained some practice, so the last examples shown are better.
This is good from some points of view and perhaps even experts may find some new usefull tricks, but those most interested in these tutorials will probably be the beginners.
Sure there are better ways to add clothes to a figure, the ways I show are far from perfect, the result being bit approximate and not very detailed, however they are quick, simple and achievable by nearly everybody.
Obviously with some further refinishing with traditional tools and materials such results can be improved. In any case, for some purposes these results could be already satisfying.
MATERIALS :
COPPER WIRE
With copper wire we can make good support structures.
They can be curved and bent easily in all posistions, they keep the shape, and can be fixed to the figures with bends, twists and glue.
Copper wires can be of various sizes, for some purposes is good to use different sizes.
TINFOIL
With tinfoil we can make the surfaces, it can be fixed on the figure with superglue.
It can stick on the surface underneath, following its shape and the resulting protruding bends can be flatted almost completely with some pressure, or smoothed with paint or putty.
Working carefully with some tools we can make some creases to create various shapes and folds before sticking it on the figure or afterwards directly on to it.
If done in the right way and place, some tinfoil folds can already come out looking similar to cloth.
Despite appearing identical, there are many kinds of tinfoil, thicker, harder, more or less flexible and resistant etc.
In some cases it can be better to use it in two or more layers, this makes it thicker and stronger, it can also help to shape steadier folds.
SUPERGLUE
Superglue or similar,is i think the best to fix the structures on the figure, for the strong grip and because it can be sanded or filed once dry.
VINYL GLUE
Is useful to close empty gaps within thin layers, to cover quickly the features, smoothing the shapes and rounding the corners, or to add rounded protrusions.
It can be used very thinly or thickly to create various effects.
But has it limits too.
When dry it become transparent and has to be painted to see clearly the work done.
It remains quite elastic even when completely dry, it flattens and rounds the features underneath (useful thing in some cases and a problem in some others).
It has a weaker grip, especially on plastics( in this case I was working on resin figures)
Finally it's very difficult to cut neatly and can't be sanded or filed, so it's not suitable to make neat edges and sharp corners, and generally for all the parts that need a further work on.
PAINT, PRIMER AND PUTTY
We can also use acrylic paints, primer or putty in the place of vinyl glue, more or less in the same way.
There are many kinds of putty. The modeling putties are very good to sculpt shapes and details and they are quite strong once hardened.
Their application can be a bit more difficult compared to vinyl glue in some cases, but we can sculpt details on their surface and refinish it in many ways.
However paints and primer can be also shaped during their drying, once completely dry we can cut, file, carve and sculpt the surface with the right tools.
The different applications of thicker materials, fluids and liquid ones can be very useful in some situations.
They can all be used in various ways, changing the dilution from liquid to very thick, to create layers and steps, strings and complex shapes.
A very thick paint or primer can be used as putty and vice versa. It can be very useful to apply a liquid drop and work as it would be putty while it quickly dries.
For example, a line of tiny pointed drops of thick paint or primer (still liquid enough to be applied with a small pointed brush) may become bas-relief buttons or rivets once dried.
In the same way with larger brush strokes we can create rounded circular or linear protrusions, thicker or more liquid will create more or less flat and rounded shapes.
Some parts made with paint and primer can be fragile, but we can build them over some supports or add some superglue on the surface to increase their resistance.
A good general rule to follow about support structures, add ons, clothing shapes andposition of folds , especially in the case of complex clothing with complicated folds, it is better to make a precise plan and draw some sketches to follow instead of improvising, with the risk of getting confused and making mistakes.
EXAMPLES :
In this first figure I used copper wire from an electric cable to build the edges and make some support to the clothing.
I rolled the wire around the figure, fixing it with superglue at some points, trying to follow the shapes of the clothes I had in mind.
Then with thick vinyl glue I created the surfaces and filled the gaps.
I applied some glue also over the clothed parts, to make a difference with the rest of the uncovered body and to smooth out the protruding shapes of the wire.
Once dried the glue became transparent, so I applied some primer to make visible the work done.
Then I applied some further lines of liquid glue where the cloth folds are supposed to be.
Once again I applied the primer over the clothed parts, the shapes look right but the details are still not clear enough.
In fact, for this reason I applied plenty of primer to create a thick layer, particually in some areas.
Once dry, I engraved the edges and enhanced the folds with pointed and rounded tools directly on the surface, to make neater details and edges.
Finally I modified the hair applying a thick layer of primer. While it dried I shaped the hair on the surface with a sharp pointed tool.
On this figure I used tinfoil.
First I wrapped the figure with a tinfoil strip, right where the clothes should be, sticking it in some places with drops of superglue.
Then I crushed the tinfoil to shape the cloth over the body, and made the cut on the front.
I applied some superglue on the tinfoil to make it harder and stronger, especially on the weakest parts like the edges that remain separated from the figure.
At this point I painted the skirt with primer to increase the thickness, to smooth out the folds and protruding sharp corners on the tinfoil surface.
I wanted a more draped dress, so I put another strip of tinfoil around the neck and on shoulders, sticking it with superglue and shaping it to create some folds.
With some thick primer I sculpted the hair (which I had removed from the original head), just on the front part (forehead) that will remain uncovered.
I made the veil with primer as well, because it is a small part and the shapes have to be well rounded and not very thick.
By "pulling" a string of thick primer I made the veil edges and covered the whole area with a thinner layer of primer.
Then I applied some liquid primer all over the tinfoil parts to give an uniform color and to be able to see clearly the work done.
Finally with some tools (blades, points, files) I engraved and carved some folds, enhanced the details that had got covered by the primer and refinished some edges.
With these two other figures I used mix of everything.
I glued a drape of tinfoil on the arm of one figure.
Then I attached some copper wires and rolled them around both figures along the clothes edges.
On the female figure I placed the wires downwards between the arms and the body, then with a round curve I bend the wires back upwards as the cloth edges would do.
Then I cut the wires behind the arms and with tinfoil I added the drapes falling down on the front.
Like on the other figures I applied some vinyl glue over the copper wires.
At this point the usual final primer layer, enhancement of existing folds and engraving of some others with various tools.
And of course the man ears (removed from the original within the hair…) are made with two drops of primer which is then shaped while drying and the womans hair engraved.
On this last figure (with removed arms to be later replaced) I used the copper wire once again, placing it more carefully this time, following a planned scheme of the clothing. This improves the end result.
This time I didn't used vinyl glue but just the primer to cover empty spaces and increase the layer over the clothing, both thickness and visual effect are different.
Then I prepared a waved cloak with 4 layers of tinfoil to make it stronger, otherwise most of the folds would have flattened when I glued the tinfoil on the figure.
With a long pointed tool I flattened the tinfoil edges, rounding them over the shoulders.
I covered with plenty of primer to smooth the edges of the tinfoil on the shoulders, and "pulled" a strip of it around the neck to complete the cloak on the front.
I brushed some more primer all the parts to cover the gaps and to smooth the sharp bends and rough parts on the tinfoil surface.
Again I applied some primer with a brush where I planned to make the main folds of the cloth, and making thicker the remaining flat areas where I'll carve and engrave the other folds.
Once well dried on the surface, I improved the shape of the main folds with rounded smooth tools and engraved the other folds and edges with sharp or smoothed pointed tools and blades.
At this point I added the arms, I put a temporary trumpet to correctly position the hands.
Finally, after having removed the base, the usual final primer application to make the color uniform in order to see the work done and the hair sculpting.
I hope this tricks are interesting and hopefully help someone.
P.S. Thanks to Paul for the corrections on my broken translation!
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