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You can use a soft brush and either water or as pure as you can get rubbing alcohol. Mind you that it will smooth out very fast so be careful or you'll destroy detail.
If you bake it you can then just sand the rough areas smooth. You can add more sculpey to a baked area by first applying a thin layer of vasoline and wiping it off leaving behind a residue that helps the unbaked clay adhere to the baked clay as you sculpt, then re-bake.
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Now THIS is really useful information. I was starting to strongly consider baking him once I have the basic shape finalized, and then adding other details once it's set, but I was strongly concerned that adding unbaked clay to baked clay wouldn't let the 2 peices really bond well...
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You'll find all this info and more from that pm I sent you 
. I'll try to post more as I remember them. Also I'd really look in to buying Katherine Deweys book off of amazon.com (cheap there). It is priceless and a good starter guide even if you don't follow her armature creation step by step....I modify it so that I can add in some thick aluminum wire for better support.
Djeannie's Costume Creator Overhaul Wishlist
Carnie Base
"Once the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote" -Kosh
I'm probably somewhere around halfway done with my first sculpt - not counting painting, which will likely not take QUITE so long as the sculpting itself.
One of the problems I'm having is that I can only work so long in one stretch. After a certain, fairly small amount of manipulation, the clay begins to warm to a degree where it becomes far TOO pliable, and very difficult to work with. I remember this problem from when I was sculpting before, but having previously never made something bigger then about 5 inches tall, it was never such a problem.
I keep considering just scaling back, and making a bust afterall, but I figure...if all goes well, I'll have to be making full-models sooner or later, so I might as well get my practice in now. The most difficult thing on the sculpt so far, is the fist. Everytime I start sculpting it, I can't get any work done. It's just too small, and one solid lump of clay, every manipulation I do to it warps it out of shape...I may just have to redo it from the start with aluminum foil in the center, but I was expecting it to be small enough, it wouldn't be neccisarry...
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I'm probably somewhere around halfway done with my first sculpt - not counting painting, which will likely not take QUITE so long as the sculpting itself.
One of the problems I'm having is that I can only work so long in one stretch. After a certain, fairly small amount of manipulation, the clay begins to warm to a degree where it becomes far TOO pliable, and very difficult to work with. I remember this problem from when I was sculpting before, but having previously never made something bigger then about 5 inches tall, it was never such a problem.
I keep considering just scaling back, and making a bust afterall, but I figure...if all goes well, I'll have to be making full-models sooner or later, so I might as well get my practice in now. The most difficult thing on the sculpt so far, is the fist. Everytime I start sculpting it, I can't get any work done. It's just too small, and one solid lump of clay, every manipulation I do to it warps it out of shape...I may just have to redo it from the start with aluminum foil in the center, but I was expecting it to be small enough, it wouldn't be neccisarry...
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There are some things you can do to stop the clay from getting quite as squishy as you work with it. If you are not using the Grey Sculpting Compound (which is very firm), then you can buy a few small packets of Fimo, which is much firmer then standard Sculpey and mix them together to make the sculpey firmer. This is also good for smaller detailed areas.
Another trick is to stick your sculpt into the fridge for some time to help stiffen the clay back up, this does cut down on its ease of smothing but may allow you to rough out tougher shapes as the clay will have some stiffness from being cooled down. Perhaps 30 min will be sufficient. I would avoid the freezer though.
As to hands, well they are tough but a fist should not need an armature that is more then a thick wire or wire with a bent over end. Try the firmer clay / cold clay trick for the fist. Using some dental tools or something like a blunted toothpick you can probably shape the knuckles and basic fingers. If you are just trying to define a fist out of an actual ball of clay.
You can also do a rough flattened circle for the basic palm/hand and then use some short rolled tubes of clay for fingers, notch these slightly where the fingers bend and curl them all together for the closed fist and gently press so they stick to each other but don't lose their definition.
A magnifing glass on a rotating stand is good for looking at small areas of detail, or some of the glasses-headbands that jewelers wear.
Djeannie's Costume Creator Overhaul Wishlist
Carnie Base
"Once the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote" -Kosh
[ QUOTE ]
I'm probably somewhere around halfway done with my first sculpt - not counting painting, which will likely not take QUITE so long as the sculpting itself.
One of the problems I'm having is that I can only work so long in one stretch. After a certain, fairly small amount of manipulation, the clay begins to warm to a degree where it becomes far TOO pliable, and very difficult to work with. I remember this problem from when I was sculpting before, but having previously never made something bigger then about 5 inches tall, it was never such a problem.
I keep considering just scaling back, and making a bust afterall, but I figure...if all goes well, I'll have to be making full-models sooner or later, so I might as well get my practice in now. The most difficult thing on the sculpt so far, is the fist. Everytime I start sculpting it, I can't get any work done. It's just too small, and one solid lump of clay, every manipulation I do to it warps it out of shape...I may just have to redo it from the start with aluminum foil in the center, but I was expecting it to be small enough, it wouldn't be neccisarry...
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*....waiting.....watching.... 
Become a Fan of MarDun on Facebook - Follow on Twitter : MarDun_COH
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...Another trick is to stick your sculpt into the fridge...
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You know, I'm glad you mentioned that, as I had been considering it, but wasn't sure if it was a great idea...I'm sure the 100 degree weather around here can't be helping the clays firmness, afterall...
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As to hands, well they are tough but a fist should not need an armature that is more then a thick wire or wire with a bent over end...
You can also do a rough flattened circle for the basic palm/hand and then use some short rolled tubes of clay for fingers, notch these slightly where the fingers bend and curl them all together for the closed fist and gently press so they stick to each other but don't lose their definition...
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Also a good tip that I'll keep in mind - though I more or less finished the fist today - while I'm not 100% happy with it, for a first try, I think, it's pretty good, and furthermore, I don't want to push it, and tempt frustration, as I tend to put off work for weeks after getting really frustrated, and I don't want to do that this time...
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A magnifing glass on a rotating stand is good for looking at small areas of detail, or some of the glasses-headbands that jewelers wear.
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I know, I want one SO BAD, but I don't have one, nor can I afford one right now...but I'm looking in to it, for the future...
Mardun, that userpic is new...and very awesome. Can I see the whole piece, by any chance? Lots of good detail in there, that might get put to good use, at some point in the future, if you catch my drift...
You can buy a cheap vice that has a mag glass on it for like 10-20 dollars at a brick and mortar style store. Quite worth picking up....could be as low as 5-15$.
Here is an example I found on the web, they called it a Helping Hands. There is an image to show you what i'm talking about. Heavy Duty Helping Hands Image
Here is the one that I use, and you can get them in the US but I've not located an online seller yet. Just print out the picture and go to a few brick and mortar stores or a local hobby store and ask about them. Standard Helping Hand
Djeannie's Costume Creator Overhaul Wishlist
Carnie Base
"Once the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote" -Kosh
Sooo any update? How goes your progress?
Djeannie's Costume Creator Overhaul Wishlist
Carnie Base
"Once the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote" -Kosh
I just remembered another trick I've seen in some sculpting videos to keep clay firm. You can take a can of "dust off" and turn it upside down to gently spray the figure. DO NOT spray any of your bodyparts with the stuff. It is the cans of compressed co2? that they use for blowing dust and stuff out of computers.
Djeannie's Costume Creator Overhaul Wishlist
Carnie Base
"Once the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote" -Kosh
yes that makes sense. I've gotten frost burns by doing that to myself accidently :P
So anything happening with this?
Update from Jannus.
So...I'm still unemployed. And now I'm back in school, to boot. On top of that, I've faced some setbacks in the progress I've actually been able to make. This model is going to take forever to finish. I'm determined to finish it, though. Eventually. I also no longer have a CoH account, currently. Couldn't afford to keep it up any longer. Sadly, other bills take precedence.
Would someone watching this from the CoH forums (only TA, and Juggs, to my knowledge) do me a favor, and post a little message in my "Sculpting Question" thread on the forums there, and let them know of my delays, but that I'm still pushing (very, very slowly) forward? Also directing them to my DA page here, which is where all my updates will be from now on, since I can't post on the forums, without a game account? It would be much appreciated
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Update from Jannus.
So...I'm still unemployed. And now I'm back in school, to boot. On top of that, I've faced some setbacks in the progress I've actually been able to make. This model is going to take forever to finish. I'm determined to finish it, though. Eventually. I also no longer have a CoH account, currently. Couldn't afford to keep it up any longer. Sadly, other bills take precedence.
Would someone watching this from the CoH forums (only TA, and Juggs, to my knowledge) do me a favor, and post a little message in my "Sculpting Question" thread on the forums there, and let them know of my delays, but that I'm still pushing (very, very slowly) forward? Also directing them to my DA page here, which is where all my updates will be from now on, since I can't post on the forums, without a game account? It would be much appreciated
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what other forum is he on that you go this text from? He didn't post it from the sculpting forum i sent him to help his efforts.
Djeannie's Costume Creator Overhaul Wishlist
Carnie Base
"Once the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote" -Kosh
He was on the Deviantart site. He also sent me an email.
[ QUOTE ]
You can use a soft brush and either water or as pure as you can get rubbing alcohol. Mind you that it will smooth out very fast so be careful or you'll destroy detail.
If you bake it you can then just sand the rough areas smooth. You can add more sculpey to a baked area by first applying a thin layer of vasoline and wiping it off leaving behind a residue that helps the unbaked clay adhere to the baked clay as you sculpt, then re-bake.
[/ QUOTE ]
Now THIS is really useful information. I was starting to strongly consider baking him once I have the basic shape finalized, and then adding other details once it's set, but I was strongly concerned that adding unbaked clay to baked clay wouldn't let the 2 peices really bond well...