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Barb:
Ok, deep breath, you ready?
Some of the differences you'll see in my figure sculpting tutorials is
I remind folks to use elastic properties of polymer clay and it's
color. I make effort not to be influenced by what I've seen "out
there" with sculpting figures because most of what I see is left over
stuff from traditional terra cotta techniques, including tools, and
that was just put on to polymer clay. What this does is totally ignore
the possibilities with color, with liquid clay, with the elasticity of
the clay, or with cane slices on sheets to make fabric. The very
nature of polymer clay is ignored and under utilized when terra cotta
techniques are used exclusively for sculpting. I have nothing against
terra cotta sculpting, that's where I got my start back in the day of
the dinosaurs, but polymer clay is a different medium that has a
million possibilities that earth clay does not. Apples to oranges,
different medium, different techniques, that's the trick of it.
Polymer clay is elastic and I think some folks forget that. Use
flexible armatures, then cover with skin clay, then clothe with clay
fabric, THEN pose the figure. If this stuff bends and is elastic then
let that work for you. With using the elastic properties of polymer
clay and the flexibility of an aluminum foil armature there's tricks
of bending the knee and elbow and then opening them up again to get
the indentation you need at the back of the knee and at the inner
elbow. The clay pushes against itself and makes instant muscle mounds
for calves and forearms.
As for "flesh colored clay" I don't bother to buy it. I never
figured
that one color could cover all the flesh colors that there are. One
old example of different faces - different races can be found at this
link
../Biz-Archive/Sculpt/FullFace/Full-face-grp.htm
as for mixing clay
to get
skin tone, here's a page that looks at skin tone and blends, an
experiment I still want to further
../Biz-Archive/Canes/Skin-Blend/Blend-Skin-001.htm
The trick with
polymer clay
is you don't have to paint the clay to get color, you mix your colors
to get the skin shade or eye color you need for your sculptures. I got
issues with "flesh colored clay", like the crayon that used to say
"flesh" in the crayon box always reminded me of a southwestern
stucco
house. People are not that color or one color only.
Just keep track of your skin tones with color cards so you don't have
problems with matching colors again.
../Biz-Archive/ColorCards/Samples/Card-Grp.htm
Also folks who sculpt figures all of one color and then paint them
can't get the design variations as easily for their "fabric" as we
can
by just pressing cane slices on sheets. I'm building a section on clay
and tailoring and here's the page that has the post I wrote about that
and it has links that are relevant to that batch of experiments.
../Biz-Archive/Sculpt/TailoringClay/06-18-03-Post.htm
I mean, if one sculpted a jacket of one color and then wanted leopard
spots on a background that went from cream to light brown, how much of
a hassle would that be? Lots. With polymer clay it's not a hassle it's
a blended ribbon that has snakes of spots laid in the fan folds. Slice
that cane, press to a sheet, cut out the jacket like a mini tailor and
connect the seams. It's been done in Demo with claymates watching,
it's not as time consuming as sculpting a jacket of one color and then
making effort to paint it.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/MSAT/ClayArt/WebCam/DemoPix-019h.htm
It also means NO BUYING PAINT anymore. The less "other" supplies we
buy the more clay we can get. Using raw clay fabric sheets makes the
draping fall in realistic ways that would have been a hassle to
sculpt. If the back of a blouse or sleeve is cut too short, polymer
clay fabric sheets stretch,
Prince
impersonating Elvis (before he got hair) wouldn't have been covered
properly in some places if I couldn't stretch the clay sheet.
thankyouverymuchandwelcometoMemphis
Check out how the cape falls.
Miniaturists...think
covered furniture in 1/4th scale.
If one wants a subtle blush on a cheek of a doll, full ruby lips, one
can still use polymer clay, use it as make up with Translucent Liquid
Sculpey as a medium in two meanings of the word. Medium can mean TLS is
a clay, as opposed to a water color. Since TLS is a clay it has volume
after curing. Medium can also mean that it is the thing that carries
pigment, like linseed oil carries pigment for oil paints, or water
carries water color pigment, or Future Floor Acryllic carries shaved
chalk dust (my earlier experiments proved that inexpensive combination
holds up to the test of time and abuse).
This page has some experiments in using TLS both ways, as a medium
that offers volume and as a medium that carries pigment.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Sculpt/TLSMakeUp/Index.htm
Eyebrows don't have to be sculpted and then painted, TLS and Clay
swirls and curls are BOTH color and volume. You can draw a line of
creamed clay over a brow and it's sculpted and tinted. The curls and
swirls are instant sculpting and hair used to be a hassle. Check out
what Translucent Liquid Sculpey and clay mixed can do for quick
sculpting hair and just think of the Rumpenselle possibilities that
could be sculpted as quick as frosting a cake.
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Sculpt/POF-ElvisHair-thms.htm
Mix your own skin tones, make eyeball iris canes that match the
outfit, cream on some TLS hair and Make Up. Take 10 colors and TLS and
there's not much you can't do, color wise. Fancy designs in draping
fabric used to be the exclusive rights to cloth dolls, but real fabric
rarely has the right fall to the draping in doll size. If you wanted
draping AND to show anatomy underneath, AND you wanted it to be sort
of see through, AND glitter
NoraJean.Com
NewProjects/FairyGuardDog/006
... just can't be done with cloth. If you wanted all that AND
intricate designs, to do that with one color polymer clay and paint
just doesn't utilize the properties of polymer and pigment.
Whew, so there it is and Welcome Barb and I'm on the "other list" as
well, checking it out per Denise's suggestion, but as you can see if I
posted this to "that" group, I'd get people's knickers in a twist in
no time.
NoraJean.Com/Biz-Archive/Sculpt/Index
These are some of what's been done for 2003
NoraJean.com/Biz-Archive/DollsFiguresFaces
these are the "How To" for sculpting that include the older
tutorials
the older the tute the more wonky the sculpture looks because it's a
process of experimenting, discovery and practice.
LOL
xoxo
NoraJean Stone (formerly "Gatine") |
The
difference with sculpting with polymer clay vs earth clay or one clay color
and paint.