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 Sometimes you just have to have a particular headsculpt that isn't made , whether that is due to a particular custom figure you are working on , or due to a body that has a skin tone that just doesn't match any of your available spare heads . The solution can be easy if you have the skills to allow you to create a custom head of your own , and even if you are not a professional sculptor , creating a custom head is not as difficult as it may seem , much of it boils down to patience and practice . The human face is composed of simple shapes and planes , and once you have developed the ability to break down a head into these basic shapes , sculpting a realistic face is really just a matter of pushing the sculpting medium around in such a way as to capture a natural appearance . With perseverance and attention to the basic structure even folks with no formal training in art can create a headsculpt . If you are someone who has never sculpted before , use photographs to guide your hands and pay attention to proportional relationships , it's easier than you might think . Further instruction on sculpting heads can be found in an earlier tutorial Creating headsculpts  Preparing the base headsculpt for the finishing paint op is a slow process . While I have smoothed the sculpture prior to baking , the reaction of turpentine on the sculpey tends to result in some brush texturing so during my initial applications of gesso I begin to sand away these imperfections . The chalk components in gesso provide a very nice surface to accept paint , and the absorbancy of the gesso also helps the paint to adhere nicely . As I begin to build up the layers of gesso , minute imperfections are accentuated and because of the composition of the gesso , I can utilize the medium to fix these while continuing to smooth the surface of the sculpture . At this stage , it's very much like sculpting with paint , working in micro thin layers . The end result being a very fine smoothness to the sculpture that still provides an extremely stable base for the finishing paintwork .  When I sculpt a head , I typically sit down at the worktable and marathon sculpt until it's done . I spent around 6 hours sculpting the " fierce " countenance . Yet , despite being completed , the work doesn't stop there . As I continue the finishing work I allow ample time between sessions to simply review the sculpture during process . I do this in order to see it with " new eyes " , because during the course of a work session you can have the tendancy to develop " tunnel vision " so to speak . I do most of my work at night , under artificial light so one of the ways I try to step away from a piece to see it is to look at it under the natural light of dawn . There is an intangible " something " to the first light of day that helps me look at a piece from a fresh perspective . I also utilize the camera for this , and generally take a multitude of shots of a work during its creation just to see it from impartial eyes .  Probably due to my commercial training , I really only put the finishing work on those areas that will be seen , so the back of the head is for the most very rough and unfinished ( it will be covered by a wig so I don't bother finishing it to the degree that I put into the face itself ) . With the painting and sanding in successive layers it sounds like I am putting a great deal of effort into the work , but it is not quite as intense as it might sound . The sanding process is meticulous , but then I am only applying the sandpaper to those areas that need it , and some areas can get by with only a light touch . Nor am I sanding the entire sculpture all at once , I hit it in between gesso applications at key spots that require it . The reason this works is due to the viscoscity of the gesso , which as it builds up in thickness ; imparts a smoothing process of its own . By the time I have finished all the applications of gesso and completed all the required sanding I probably have indeed sanded every nook and cranny on the sculpture but since it has been done over a period of several days its not that mindnumbing .  Viewed side by side , the transformation of the sculpture through the process of painting preparation and smoothing is quite extraordinary . All told , I have spent around 15 hours to reach this stage . The headsculpt is quite close to being ready for final painting .  I wanted to insure that my new headsculpts would fit nicely onto a stock body and that meant creating a new jointing system . I decided to utilize the ball and socket segments from a BBi Elite Force Action figure stand , and set about cutting down the segments . The socket is sawn off at the center , and is the piece that will be cemented inside the headsculpt itself . The ball post is sawn off just above the center stem , and a dremel is used to drill out a center hole .  The top peg of the Soldier Story body is cut off leaving just the stem of the neck post , and the new ball and socket neck joint is slipped onto the post .  The headsculpt is slipped onto the new neck post to check the range of movement and to determine how much more adjustment needs to be made to the head's neck hole to improve the fit . 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