Creating my own toy line, need help
 

Hey guys,

I've been on TA for a while as well as being a long time toy collector. I've reached the point in my collecting where I want certain toys to come out, but of course they won't...

Anyway, I've been inspired to try and make some of my own toys. Now before you go and mention all the reasons and caveats why I shouldn't, here are a few things to consider:

1) I'm not in it for profit. I'll probably just make one figure for myself (unless in the highly unlikely event people actually liked them)
2) This is a LONG TERM project. Like...several years. It's designed to test all of my artistic abilities, from sketching designs, to sculpting molds to painting etc. So a lot of my time will be in the R and D department hashing this stuff out.
3) I just want to have fun. I'm not on a timetable, and while money is always an issue...I'm patient enough to save up for things and just do it right.

So now that you have my mission statement so-to-speak, here are some things I'd like to ask:

I'm still in the sketching phase, however, I know after this comes the sculpting phase, wherein I create a master cast for me to create a mold for me to pour in the plastic. This is a LONG time away. However, I'd like to start saving for the materials as I anticipate a lot of reckless spending.

-What is the best material to sculpt a cast for a figure?
-What tools should I consider using to shape the material?

I've done some research but I wanted to compare my results with the toy world and see if anything is similar.

Thanks