Well, the video is done for tutorial #2, but it's not the video I had planned to shoot. My intention was to show you one way of building an armature that can be used on the modeling stand from the first video tutorial. Since making that video I've received a number of questions concerning just how large of a sculpture you can build using that design of modeling stand.

And the honest answer to that question is "not that large." It's a great design for anything up to about a twelve inch standing figure. Every bit over that you go, it's going to get a little wobblier, because that threaded rod is thin. Most sculptors I know switch over to building their armature stands out of galvanized steel pipes when they reach a certain size - the kind you can get in the plumbing section of a hardware store, and they custom build the stand out of various pipe nipples, couplers, and elbows for each armature.

In video tutorial #2, I show you an alternative design for an armature stand that gives you the strength of steel pipes, but maintains some adjustability and re-usability, though it's not as adjustable as the last stand we built. I'm not a big fan of having to do the same work any more than necessary, so I like this design better than custom-building armature stands for every sculpture. I'm not actually sure who came up with this design; I borrowed the idea for it from a picture I saw somewhere, but I honestly don't remember where I saw it or who posted the picture. If you know who's design this is, please drop me a line, as I'd love to give credit where it's due.

Anyway, the way you build an armature doesn't change substantially between the two different designs of armature stands, so I thought it made sense to show you this design before moving on to building the actual armature.

But I will get around to that soon, I promise. I know a few of you are anxious for that video, and if I could figure a way to eek out a few more hours in the day, I would have done that video by now as well.

I hope to get this one edited tonight or tomorrow and posted in the next day or two.