Your tool list – all of those Amazon tools are POTTERY tools. Some of them can be used for sculpting, but you will be wasting money on a lot of them – you’ll never use them. I’ll put a list of good tools on here after I answer your other questions.

1. How many pounds you need depends on the size of the piece you want to do. I think you’d be best-off working in some Sculpey product to start with, so you can bake it and have a finished product. With plastilene, you always have to have a mold and casting made, whether in resin or bronze or whatever. For a piece like the one made in that video, it probably took about 3-4 lbs, depending on how much support he created with foil other than inside the head.

2. That looks like a 6-8″ pipe. You don’t need to buy that armature set from Amazon. Go to Home Depot or Lowes or some local hardware store and pick out what you want. Or in these quarantine days. make a list – you want a 3/8″ floor flange, an 8″ long 3/8″ pipe, and you can use any board (not plywood, solid board). Here’s a tip – put two “legs” on your board (strips of wood at either end of a rectangular or square board) so the bottom of your screws don’t hit the table if they’re too long. Also, tip from me from personal experience, use bolts if you intend to ship it to a caster of some kind – screws can back out in transit. Been there, done that. Anyway, make your list and have Lowe’s or Home Depot do curbside pickup for you. I think they’re doing that. Spray your pipes with Clorox or Lysol sanitizing spray (or use the wipes) before you start using them. You can order a drill too if you don’t have one.

The “fire bottle” (cute name!) is called an alcohol torch. You put denatured alcohol in it, light the wick and squeeze the bottle to touch the place you want softened. That’s a jeweler’s tool, used for wax work, but it can be used with plastilene if you’re very careful. I don’t think you need it. I’ve never used it for clay in all my career. He also used a small butane torch. I’d stay away from both of those, honestly. You can join clay pieces with your hands. Walk before you run.

The thick wire is probably 1/16″ and the small wire 1/8″ – those are the most commonly used wires for such things. You can find them here: https://shop.sculpt.com/modeling-tools/armatures/wire/

Tools: https://www.sculpturehouse.com/p-591-artists-choice-clay-modeling-tool-kit.aspx I think this set would be good for you to start with. These are sculpting tools, made for working in clays like plastilene.

And above, I’ve just given you links to the two best sites for sculpture tools there are. Both shops are in New York City. They give classes there (in non-quarantine times) if you happen to be near NYC. You will go nuts shopping on those sites, they are veritable candy shops for sculptors.

There are tools with smooth wire on the ends, perfect for finishing work, those with serrated edges (rake tools), great for cleaning up after you’ve laid on clay, and tools with sharp-edged ends, perfect for cutting deeper in the clay. You will probably also enjoy a wooden tool like this:

This is my favorite wire tool: https://shop.sculpt.com/caselli-caselli-clay-loop-5c.html It isn’t always this expensive – these are special. What I like about it is the rounded wire smooths clay wonderfully. Mine is small, so I can get into details easily. One end is a loop, the other flattened on the end, so it’s really useful.

Did he say he used turpenoid to smooth his clay when it was finished? I use an orange cleaning spray (any will do – I use Fast Orange – that’s what my bronze foundry uses). Spray some into a small dish and use an artist’s paintbrush to paint a light coat over the clay. It melts the clay’s surface just a bit to make it smooth out beautifully. I like using orange cleaners because not only does my foundry prefer it, but it’s less toxic than turpenoid or other things you might try. Don’t use a LOT of it or you’ll mess up fine details. It gets the rake marks off the clay.

I think I’ve answered all your questions so far. Let me know if you have more.

Look on eBay for used tools, Here’s a set of new wood tools for $3.33: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Figurine-Clay-Sculpture-Wooden-Clay-Diy-Multi-Use-Kids-Craft-Diy-Tool-Clay-Tool/193343266176?hash=item2d04281d80:g:xBgAAOSw0rdcF0B6

And here’s a decent set of loop tools: https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Pcs-Set-Useful-Plaster-Soap-Pottery-Modelling-Carving-Wooden-Clay-Tool-Set-889/362597782376?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item546c831368:g:9X0AAOSwwPtcmG0F&enc=AQAEAAACYBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qUDXrFdWv%2BlNGs6BEKPX0sWJMsah3KMqowXOppRd%2FqOerHdN%2F4bb6juQCmcJD7XRTm2jtaHpERVTg%2Fef4E51BzeA4h%2BvW%2BYl9WsNy1NlDxdPYDIUB49qPb3aDADb6booz%2F%2FhYGWp%2F4VyUzIibTTZD77uvq6s1NAx4muj5GJ2A7qHMKSgD8FUE%2BmohqILaEYfkjISeYawpnJ60nSVS0qHyC%2FCTtuhx3lhp0k51zcHe3RHqj8EHFLF2FxY8A36y4Ph1GaMvxlPW77vtBgeAdYJIlQao7EsDT5sPi5%2BDxVQJaZi5kqONHUQioWPMuFPAbilKlLE3E0bGljtQ9%2FBMs0E5nu61UOxCDQZVwDGq8g4eJk9eQxJWFWCCZg5Q2q5FBgTmkPfy29%2FTBGmmz82Se5poESABtdEfk8NWSP4FdbqvTRCSYW55zebhwtJZvl16LgzJVoMJXXZo8grOE%2FE4i0g7RVoTH0Lul%2BkkmqYWq5IjCCd3BXNybdJpVrO88oGMObynalgZFd6Fr9voBCoZEFjuIhTY2dvP%2B7yRrNoxJW59CKaxx2BY3O%2FX5LBN%2B621cLg6wFNSjDx%2Btbxyktn2Kw6vAlsxqouL%2FV0nue7Yf8L9djsAfAor35aIDipLWBP3b3ikViSOkBX%2BRkF7zcMXy3uUbpZ5mZusK510PLsdkMc8hz%2FKUXZRpRBzngcfWIZUL9dCKON8XXinf4FvIG62ytV0X2aJvS6CzYjAHhdcZr1yM%2F4WgIeO%2FmVvkfjwv6negVoszQqRQsaIPyyLO8xb7nuKS8&checksum=362597782376b77331ba660a40dbad8036731e0a8cbd for $4,49 each. These were the first I found. You may find some better bargains if you look longer than I did.

You can use ANYTHING to sculpt plastilene. Plastic flatware, metal flatware (forks, spoons, knives), your fingers. You don’t need fancy tools to get started. I showed you what to aim for. You can buy plastic sculpting tools at Walmart or Michaels. Craft sticks can be carved or sanded into lots of shapes to make them useful tools. Dowel rods can also be carved and sanded into useful shapes.

Any orange spray cleaner should work – not hand cleaner, which sometimes has some kind of grit it (often pumice) which would ruin your clay. And only use DENATURED alcohol – that’s what the torch is made to work with. Other products might be too oily, too corrosive, too smelly, etc. Orange cleaner is safe and does the job properly without harming the artist or the clay.

You need to get more creative in your search terms. If you try searching for “orange spray cleaner” you’ll find De-Solv-It, which works just as well as Fast Orange. It looks like Fast Orange isn’t making the spray cleaner anymore. The hand cleaner has pumice in it, which would ruin your clay. Just do a search for De-Solv-It to see where it’s available, or you can go to their own site, https://www.desolvit.net/

I don’t notice any smell when I burn my alcohol torch. That’s one of the reasons I use it, since I’m allergic to lots of stuff and asthmatic and certain smells (like the sulfur in Chavant clay) really sets either my nose or my lungs off.

You aren’t supposed to consume denatured alcohol, hence the smell, but when it burns, it’s odorless, as I said above. And I don’t believe you need an alcohol torch right now. That’s for advanced sculptors and you’re a beginner.

You should watch more than one sculptor at work. Here are a few I like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3DTCgGFBuo This is Aquaman by Phillipe Farault. I have taken a workshop with him. He is an AMAZING artist. He only works in water-based clay as far as clay goes, but he has produced work in marble and bronze, as well. I visited his home and the gallery he has in there is full of his amazing work.

https://www.youtube.com/user/clayguy1 This is David Lemon, a British sculptor who does amazing work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnVgTSV-Kxg This is Jose Campos, who builds a wire armature, then uses Apoxie Clay (a self-hardening epoxy type clay) to build up his form, then uses the GRAY (I said brown before because that’s what I was told – I have since found out it’s Gray Super Sculpey Firm) Super Sculpey (bakeable clay) to do the surface. You’re only supposed to use 1/4″ of Super Sculpey thickness, so his building up the piece with Apoxy is smart. You can also build it up with aluminum foil (I’ve done that). Jose uses both Apoxie and foil to build up his Superman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sv4oXSTAms This guy (Dr. Garuda) uses foil and tape to build up his armature before applying plasilene. It looks like Chavant, but he gives it a different name, so he’s probably from a different country than the USA. This guy is awesome – h is Batman is spectacular. And he PAINTS the plastilene figure, something I’ve never heard of. So I guess there’s no harm in trying it. Use acrylic paints. I’m not sure why his Batman has wrinkles across his chest, which normally seems to be some kind of armor, but all the wrinkles he puts on the piece make it really dynamic. I really enjoyed watching this video and learned a couple of things! Cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fwQeefuYG4 This is someone making The Terminator in Monster Clay – they have a link to the clay’s site in the information below the video. It looks nice to work with, but I’ve never tried it.

If you watch all these videos (and as many others by these and other sculptors as you’d like), you probably will notice NONE of them uses an alcohol torch. Stay away from it, it may do your work more harm than good. You can see how these sculptors join their clay together just with their fingers – that’s how it’s done. There’s a different technique for water-based clay, but you don’t need to worry about that with plastilene or polymer clay.

Hey, Jin, I’m sorry I sounded snippy in my last post. I didn’t mean to. I’m happy to answer your questions any time, and I hope you will share progress photos of your work. I look forward to seeing your work!

Good grief. I posted a reply to this days ago. Where did it go??? Sorry about that. Trying again . . .

I’m a self-taught sculptor. I learned what I know from asking questions of professional sculptors, reading every book I could find on sculpting and taking some equine sculpture workshops. Every rookie has lots of questions – I’ve been there, done that myself. I don’t mind questions, that’s how you learn, and I pay it forward (to thank those who so patiently answered all my questions) by answering questions as well as I can.

And there’s no such thing as a “wrong” question. If you don’t know anything about a subject, you have to ask questions to “learn the lingo” (terminology) for that subject and start to get a feel for the culture of that subject.

“Culture” of the subject . . . since I am an experienced sculptor and jewelry maker, when I meet someone with a similar background, we can be off on long conversations in jargon other people don’t understand. This happens whenever I meet a fellow sculptor or jeweler (not jewelry so much, I’m not really a master of it). People walk by and shake their heads, not having a clue what’s going on, but they can tell we’re excited and having fun. Sometimes I make “instant friends” that last for many years through such conversations, which is fabulous!

So, you need to learn the language of sculptors, among other things. To do that, please go to your local library and look for books on sculpture and READ them. If/when you can afford it, buy some books. I highly recommend the books by Bruno Luccesi, Tuck Langland (his are a REAL education, start to finish!), and my own book which I can’t mention on here or I’ll get in trouble. Search on my name on Amazon and you’ll see it. These books I’ve mentioned are on the use of water-based clay (Lucessi and Langland), plastilene (Langland and mine) and polymer clay (mine). There are lots of books out there on using polymer clay, including directions on how to make little characters in colored polymer clays. Go to an art store or Barnes and Noble and browse. If I find one or two new pieces of information in a book, I consider it a good buy, but you have to decide on your budget for such things. I could write you a HUGE list of books based on what I have, but it may be best for you to see what appeals to you, what makes sense to you, what’s written in a way that you understand. Langland’s book is written at a Master’s Degree (in college) level because he was a professor in college for most of his career. The level of detail he goes into may boggle your mind.

There are also books on making monsters, anime characters, etc., rather than classical sculpture portraits such as those mentioned above. I’m not familiar with them, but I’ve seen them in stores and online. You should look for YouTube videos on the subjects that interest you – that will teach you a lot, including the language of classical artists (like me) or monster-makers. Both are valid sculpture subjects, but if you sculpt copyrighted subjects and try to sell them without being licensed by the company that owns them, you could get in legal trouble. Ask people in the monster making community how they are able to sculpt Wolverine (for instance) without legal trouble. And when you get an answer, share it with me! I’m endlessly curious and would love to know how they do that.

Speaking of copyright, that’s a subject artists need to understand. According to the copyright law, your work is copyrighted by you as soon as you complete it – it doesn’t even need a signature. However, it’s a good idea to have photos with the dates on them to prove when you created it. If you put a picture online of a monster (or whatever) you created out of your own imagination, you can put a watermark on it to help prove it’s yours, but that won’t keep people from stealing it. It’s best to only put low-resolution photos online so people can’t just print off a perfect picture of your work. And don’t use copyrighted photos as your model – take your own pictures so you don’t have a photographer suing you.

For an original monster, one you hope to create graphic novels about (for instance), it would be worth getting a legal, federal copyright. There’s plenty of information online about copyright. A book that has been HUGELY helpful to me is “Business and Legal Forms for Fine Artists” by Tad Crawford. He has legal forms in there in case you want to have some muscle-bound guy model for you, for instance – you have him sign a model contract so he can’t come back and say you cheated him somehow. That book is well worth the purchase ifi you get into work you want to sell or license.

I’m getting into the deep end of being a professional artist here and you’re a beginner. I just wanted to point out there is a LOT to learn about a lot of aspects of art, not only creating it, but protecting your creation. You also need to be aware of safety protocols with various products you use. Make notes about what warnings come in the package with whatever you buy and pay attention to them. Sometimes you need to work with a vent running nearby. Sometimes you need to wear gloves. Sometimes you need safety glasses. Be prepared and be safe.

All that said, I really want to see what you come up with! You can share your work in progress if you want and get critiques/pointers that may be helpful to you. If I were you, I would say in so many words, “This is my first sculpture. Please be gentle” so people mind their words.

I just finished sewing 32 masks for the workers and boarders at my daughter’s horse farm, so now I have time to get back to sculpting. Have a good time exploring our world and let us know if you have more questions!