Colleagues,
After several weeks of trial-and-error and practice, here's the method I have worked out for my Bounty launch figures, for anyone who is interested. I made some prototype 1/24 scale versions of hands with forearms, feet with lower legs, and heads with torsos, using Supersculpey and baking for 10 minutes at 250 degrees to harden them. I then pressed these into blocks of regular Sculpey clay to make molds, which I also baked and hardened. I then used the molds to make multiple "body parts" out of Supersculpey, which could then be individualized with respect to hand position (grasping, pointing, etc.), foot position, facial features (beard, no beard, mouth open, etc.), and hair (balding, pigtail, bandanna on head, etc.). After baking these body parts, I added extra detail (sharpen up individual fingers, clean up ear shape, etc.) with a Dremel tool and very fine bits. The next step was to sculpt pants out of colored Sculpey (usually white) into which were inserted the legs with feet as well as the torso with head. The position of the lower body and torso was then individualized for a certain spot on the launch, and the assembly baked to harden it. The last step was adding a colored Sculpey shirt on the torso (tan, light blue, or navy blue), with sleeves into which the forearms and hands were inserted, again positioning the arms for the spot in the launch. The whole figure was baked again. The hair was painted last, and some final touch-ups were done with the Dremel fine grinding bits. The use of colored Sculpey for the clothes minimizes painting, and the stepwise construction of the figures allows a little more leeway in determining the final positions of the limbs. The clothes are relatively simple, based on the British able seamen's dress of the late 1800's - baggy pants, loose-fitting shirts, often tied at the waist, bandannas around the head or neck, and the occasional hat. Bligh was dressed up a bit, with an officer's navy blue coat. I have 11 of the 19 figures made, and the later ones are much better than the first few. I may go back and re-do the earlier ones. It takes some practice. I'll post some pictures of my figures, if I can figure out how to do that on this list, the instructions aren't too helpful. Any help with that would be appreciated.
JMN