The Hobby Phase: Sculpting Beards and Hair

Last time on The Hobby Phase, we looked at how you can sculpt tattered cloaks, or even banners. This time, we'll be looking at how to sculpt beards using a similar technique. You could even use this same process to sculpt a full head of flowing hair, if for some reason (do you need a reason?) you wanted to add Fabio to your elven army.

General Tips for Working with Greenstuff:

• My main tip is to keep a dish of water nearby to wet your tools and your hands as you’re working to prevent sticking.

• Patience! There are times when I’ve been tempted to add just one more detail to a model before the greenstuff is fully cured, only to ruin what I’ve already sculpted. Some details, like fur trim on top of a cloak, are best added the next day. 

• Practice makes perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever begun a sculpting session without messing up my first attempt, so don’t be afraid to roll up your material and try again. If you need to step away from it for a while before trying again, you can always submerge your greenstuff in some water to prolong its curing time for a bit. 

Step 1: We’ll start by rolling a small ball of greenstuff about half the size of the miniature we want to stick it on’s head, although if you wanted an especially large beard you could add some extra material here.

Step 2: Then we’re going to flatten the ball of material against a damp surface, pushing into the rough shape we want, in this case a triangular shape for a longer beard that can convey a sense of motion on the model I’ll be adding it to.

Step 3: Now that we have the rough outline of our beard, we want to cut out a small V shape at the top like those prop beards you see every halloween, this is where the beard will be attached to the chin of the miniature. Note: keep the excess material as we will be using this later on. 

Step 4: Now to place our beard on the miniature! This part can be a bit fiddly, but I recommend using a damp sculpting tool to move it into place before using the sharp end to poke it around the edges once you have your placement, this is to make sure it stays in position while we add the texture. 

Step 5: With our beard fully in place, it's time to add a mustache to complete the effect. To do this just roll out a small piece of excess material into a small cylinder the size you want. Some cutting and reshaping may be necessary depending on how big or small you want the mustache to be, then gently place this on top of the beard, leaving a gap where the miniature’s mouth is. 

Step 6: Now that we have the shape done, we’ll be using the same technique we used on the cloak to add our texture. First lightly score the beard all over with downward cuts using a damp hobby knife or thin sculpting tool, then repeat the same motions using a bit more force to drag the material a bit more and you’ll be left with a fibrous looking texture. 

There you have it, now what are you waiting for? Go sculpt some beards fit for a dwarven thane! Stay tuned for the next Hobby Phase, where I will most likely be taking a look at creating a battle standard bearer for my high elves army, but who knows, hobby inspiration is as fickle as are the winds of magic!