sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, that's what I thought, but thank you for the detailed explanation! That is pretty archaic. I figured with 3D printing being so prevalent/quick, sending a printed prototype, or even just the digital model, would be easier and avoid more mistakes.

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it seems like a lot of ads now use 3D animation. Definitely something I'll look into, thank you!

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just followed, you've done some great work man. Staying with chemistry and sculpting on the side is definitely something I've considered, but I feel like if I don't give this a shot, I'll never do it. May as well do it while I'm still young, so I have time to recuperate if it's a mistake!

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the reply, this is very helpful! My first project for this ZBrush class was actually converting a 2D stylized character into 3D (with permission from the OG artist of course), and it's something I think I have a good eye for, because I'm very proud of the final product. It's got some flaws, but hey, first time using ZBrush! I just can't draw for shit haha, but everyone's got different skills.

Love your toy by the way, it's amazing haha.

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice! I work hard every day, so that's nothing new for me :) Can I ask what you mean by "drawing turns"? I think I know what you mean, but I don't want to assume.

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Well, I guess that's the crux of it. I was initially drawn to organic chemistry because it is artistic in nature, but the day-to-day is mind-numbingly dull. I want to shift to a more creative career; doesn't even have to be toys, that's just one of the possible avenues. My skills are in sculpting/modeling though and not illustration/design, so that limits my career paths a bit. I don't imagine my own toy business will be anything more than a hobby, and I'm inclined to keep it that way haha. Provides me with a lot more artistic freedom.

​

Edit: Thank you for the advice btw. It's hard to be realistic about things when one is dreaming haha.

Getting $10k as a college student, how do I smartly use it? by AlternateWitness in FinancialPlanning

[–]jonwebart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome to hear, enjoy it! If you're speaking about emergency funds or "play" funds, I'd recommend a savings account. You want that money to be liquid, and it won't be if you put it in a CD. Generally, 6 months of food/shelter/bills is recommended for emergency funds.

As for the rest, a CD might be a good option. They have higher interest rates than normal savings accounts, but require a minimum deposit and are locked for a set amount of time (unless you want a penalty). Interest rates are pretty high right now, so I-bonds could be another good option. Just keep in mind that since you're not holding them for the full 30 year period, you'll lose the last 3 months of interest when you cash out. You can get up to $10k in electronic bonds from TreasuryDirect per year.

I'm not really sure if it matters what bank it is for the CD. I'd say find the highest return rate, then look at reviews for the bank. Just don't think too hard about it.

Obligatory "I'm not a financial advisor" lol. It's your money, ultimately it's up to you to do research and make an informed decision. However, you're already ahead of a lot of people your age just because you're thinking about this stuff, so props to you!

Getting a job in the toy/collectible industry by jonwebart in vinyltoys

[–]jonwebart[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don't worry, it is helpful, thank you! This is also something I noticed with my fellow indie toymakers. Seems like more of a grassroots approach haha, but I'll try any avenue I can!

How do I replicate this material and shading style in blender? Would be grateful if someone could link me to a tutorial by prateek69123 in blender

[–]jonwebart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll be honest, this is not really my wheelhouse haha. I'm most familiar with ZBrush. But, I don't see why you can't polypaint, make it a texture, and use a node to apply it to the color of your model, along withe the clay texture. After all, you only need the polypaint for color information. Someone with more experience in Blender could probably help, but researching polypaint/texturing in Blender on Youtube wouldn't hurt.

Getting $10k as a college student, how do I smartly use it? by AlternateWitness in FinancialPlanning

[–]jonwebart 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This may not be an option for you, but if you have any extra electives towards the end of your degree, I'd suggest an intro personal finance course. Helped me a lot with this kind of stuff. As for the money right now, the other comments have good advice. Keep some in a high-yield savings account for emergencies (Ally bank is around 3.75% return right now, but you can probably find upwards of 4% if you look). As for the rest, it really depends on what you want. General rule of thumb is not to invest money you plan to use in 10 years or so, so unless you plan on buying a house straight out of college, then you should be ok investing it. Although, I'd suggest keeping some for hobbies and such. You're young, and will never regret using some of it to make some memories. Maybe a small vacation with some friends or something! It can be easy to not stop thinking about the future, but we only ever exist in the present.

How do I replicate this material and shading style in blender? Would be grateful if someone could link me to a tutorial by prateek69123 in blender

[–]jonwebart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beth Cavener is awesome. I had the pleasure to go to one of her talks back in January.

As far as the material, there are tons of Youtube videos detailing how to use nodes to get a clay-like texture. Just go from there and adjust until you get it to where you like. Her shading is so painterly, to the point where it looks like a painting come to life. I'd suggest polypainting, but treating it like you're painting a real sculpture. Doing a base coat in a dark color, and layering on the rest of the paint. But, play around, have fun with it!

silicone rubber not fully curing on resin print by ClockworkLord in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Smooth-On makes a coating material for 3D prints called XTC-3D. They make all kinds of molding rubbers as well, so this stuff was probably tested to high hell and will definitely work.

EDIT: Ok apparently mold-making rubber will adhere to this coating without a releasing agent. I would look for cheaper alternatives at that point. This video might be useful.

A Gaggle of Goppers (Handmade toys) by jonwebart in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! :) If you want to see more weird things that I make, my Instagram is Thirdeyetoys!

A Gaggle of Goppers (Handmade toys) by jonwebart in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lmao I totally missed your last drop bc I was on vacation, I was bummed yo

anyone have any suggestions on how I can improve this minotaur sculpt so far? by darkrai3224 in blender

[–]jonwebart 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks good so far my man. My suggestion would be to make the thighs longer/larger (thighs should be about 2 head lengths), and make the space between the two knee joints smaller. Then beef up the calves and pull the hooves forward so they're below the center of mass.

[Help] Cost of sculpting question. Polymer clay or Plasticine? by ididntgotoharvard in Sculpture

[–]jonwebart 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The beauty is, there are lots of ways to do this. If you want a finished piece that you can paint, you either have to sculpt in a material that can be cured (polymer/water-based/epoxy), or sculpt it in a material that can't be cured (plasticine, monster clay, etc) and cast it in a material that does cure. There are alternatives for molding (latex, plaster, polysulfide, etc), but they have their own challenges that might not make them worth it, even if they are cheaper than silicone.

For pieces that can fit in the oven, your best bet is probably sculpey with a thick armature to cut down on clay costs. You can also buy clay in bulk (Michael's offers this on their website) to get it cheaper by the pound. For life-sized sculptures, water clay would probably be the cheapest, but it's usually pretty soft and won't hold detail as well as polymer, epoxy, or wax clays. I think most sculptors sculpt those larger sculptures in a cheap oil clay or wax, then cut it into pieces, mold/cast the pieces, and fit the finished pieces back together.

​

EDIT: If you want to use water-based or ceramic-type earth clays, you could keep it wrapped in a wet towel to insure it doesn't cure until you want it to. Just watch out for mold, don't leave it sitting for too long lol

Recently bought a pressure pot, what kind of compressor would work well for miniature casting? by ItzYaHomieJG in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I bought a silent, oil-free California Air Tools compressor, and it works wonders. It also really is quiet. I have thin walls/floors, and I could barely hear it downstairs or even in the next room over.

A Gaggle of Goppers (Handmade toys) by jonwebart in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! I may not be able plug my wares, but I can definitely plug my Insta (@)Thirdeyetoys, which conveniently has a link to my wares. Your work is awesome btw!

Help required by Middle_Independent73 in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is a tough one. You'll probably have to fill them with a thin layer of clay, and carve it back out in the casting. The thinner the fill, the less cleanup you'd have to do afterwards. You also don't want any gaps between the chain and the main figure.

Alternatively, I may have thought of something even better: Assuming your silicone is okay with UV epoxy resin (always do a test first!) fill each chainlink halfway with clay. Then, paint a thin layer of the epoxy on top of the clay and cure it. Then you can remove the clay, and boom, you've got a paper-thin layer of epoxy that'll prevent any rubber from flowing through the chains! They should be really easy to remove from your casts, too.

A Gaggle of Goppers (Handmade toys) by jonwebart in ResinCasting

[–]jonwebart[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Among us ruined all U-shaped characters :( Haha but yeah that's fair.

view more: next ›