Recently I posted a lens on squidoo about making an armature for sculpture. If you do much figure sculpting, you may want to check it out.
Making an armature for your sculpture is so important for various reasons. It adds structural support, strength, and durability to your final product, ultimately helping to increase the life of your sculpture.
Many sculptors use wire, but there are other products you can use, such as Magic Sculp. This is a two-part epoxy that air dries.
If you want to use wire, you can pick some up at your local craft or hardware store. 20-22 gauge usually works pretty well for most sculptures, unless your are making something more along the lines of a miniature. Then you may want to go with a 24 gauge.
Also play around with paper clay as an armature for your sculpture. Once it's completely dry, wrap with some masking tape before applying any type of polymer clay. I would still recommend using a wire armature underneath the paper clay for added durability.
I go into a little more detail on my lens about this, but remember, there are probably dozens of different ways to go about making an armature for sculptures that you complete.
As always, make sure your workspace is clean and dust free. Also make sure you have a good selection of tools, especially for cutting wire. A good, strong pair of scissors usually works well for smaller wires (22 gauge or less), but for the thicker ones, you'll want a pair of wire cutters.
Please feel free to read my lens on how to make an armature for sculpture, and leave any comments. Thanks for visiting!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sculpting Crafts With Natural Materials
A while back I decided I wanted to sculpt something that looked earthy, natural. If you want some ideas on sculpting crafts with natural materials, I hope this post will give you some inspiration and ideas.
At the time, I really didn't have a lot of money to spend on sculpting materials, so I went searching for things I had around the house. My friend had given me a "bouquet" of peacock feathers so I figured I could use some of them. I was also inspired by a really interesting sculpture I had seen of a creature that had twigs coming off the top of his head. I ventured out into my yard to find some natural materials of my own.
I didn't exactly want to copy what I had seen, but I liked the idea of using sticks and twigs for that 'earthy' look. What I came up with was an idea to band five small twigs together and use some clay to sculpt around that.
I used some rubberbands to fasten the sticks together, then filled the middle in with some paper clay for support and reinforcement. Once that dried, I built up my sculpture off the top of the middle clay piece. Two of the sticks protruding from the front became my sculpture's arms, and three in the back I used to attach three peacock feathers to. I secured the feathers with more paper clay, and on the front, I sculpted three small faces. I then painted the paper clay that was holding the feathers to make them blend in and look more natural against the wood.
My main sculpted piece in the middle became a "peacock goddess" that I dressed with beautiful greenish-gold fabric. From her "arms" dangle two blue beads. Here is the final product:
I really had a lot of fun making this sculpture, and it really wasn't difficult to make. The hardest part was painting the details on her face. I have recently been asked to contribute to a local art show fundraiser in my hometown. I am thinking of donating my peacock goddess to this cause.
Sculpting crafts with natural materials is a lot of fun, and is a great way to not only save money, but stimulate your creativity! Please feel free to comment below and share with me some of the crafts you've made with natural materials of your own.
At the time, I really didn't have a lot of money to spend on sculpting materials, so I went searching for things I had around the house. My friend had given me a "bouquet" of peacock feathers so I figured I could use some of them. I was also inspired by a really interesting sculpture I had seen of a creature that had twigs coming off the top of his head. I ventured out into my yard to find some natural materials of my own.
I didn't exactly want to copy what I had seen, but I liked the idea of using sticks and twigs for that 'earthy' look. What I came up with was an idea to band five small twigs together and use some clay to sculpt around that.
I used some rubberbands to fasten the sticks together, then filled the middle in with some paper clay for support and reinforcement. Once that dried, I built up my sculpture off the top of the middle clay piece. Two of the sticks protruding from the front became my sculpture's arms, and three in the back I used to attach three peacock feathers to. I secured the feathers with more paper clay, and on the front, I sculpted three small faces. I then painted the paper clay that was holding the feathers to make them blend in and look more natural against the wood.
My main sculpted piece in the middle became a "peacock goddess" that I dressed with beautiful greenish-gold fabric. From her "arms" dangle two blue beads. Here is the final product:
I really had a lot of fun making this sculpture, and it really wasn't difficult to make. The hardest part was painting the details on her face. I have recently been asked to contribute to a local art show fundraiser in my hometown. I am thinking of donating my peacock goddess to this cause.
Sculpting crafts with natural materials is a lot of fun, and is a great way to not only save money, but stimulate your creativity! Please feel free to comment below and share with me some of the crafts you've made with natural materials of your own.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Learn to Sculpt
Hello! Welcome to my blog, Dolls From Beyond. If you want to learn to sculpt, need advice on how to sculpt, or just have a deep appreciation for sculpting (especially the weird and unusual), you have come to the right place!
I have been really busy lately with some freelance writing and small sculpting projects, but I will continually work on bringing you valuable information on a regular basis.
I recently posted my first Squidoo lens, which you can check out here. I talk a bit about how I got started with this addictive art form. I also provide some brief information about the types of clay you can use, as well as valuable resources for learning to sculpt through tutorials. My hope is that someday soon I will be able to make my own tutorials and show you myself exactly what I do and how I do it.
For now, please be patient as I update this site regularly. In the mean time, you can check us out on Facebook, and as always, please leave your comments below!
I look forward to seeing you all on a regular basis!
I have been really busy lately with some freelance writing and small sculpting projects, but I will continually work on bringing you valuable information on a regular basis.
I recently posted my first Squidoo lens, which you can check out here. I talk a bit about how I got started with this addictive art form. I also provide some brief information about the types of clay you can use, as well as valuable resources for learning to sculpt through tutorials. My hope is that someday soon I will be able to make my own tutorials and show you myself exactly what I do and how I do it.
For now, please be patient as I update this site regularly. In the mean time, you can check us out on Facebook, and as always, please leave your comments below!
I look forward to seeing you all on a regular basis!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Dolls From Beyond is on Facebook
I have recently added the Dolls From Beyond page on Facebook.
If you're interested in the weird and unusual genre in sculpting, please check it out.
Dolls From Beyond
If you're interested in the weird and unusual genre in sculpting, please check it out.
Dolls From Beyond
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