With the paper clay layers finally dry, I dove into smoothing out the two larger sculptures I started back in January. I used joint compound and sanded between coats, repeating the process until I was happy with the shape—or until I accidentally left the lid off the joint compound and ruined half a bucket of it. Ugh. Rookie mistake.
Next, I made a crown and some pupils for the bird sculpture using Free Form Air epoxy clay. I found that this clay was much easier to work with for thin, detailed pieces compared to the paper clay.
I also revisited Pits, Pickle’s brother (who’s made from the same mold). He needed a fresh coat of paint, so I started with a base layer of yellow spray paint—note to self: stick to Krylon spray paint for consistency. After that, I added layers of acrylic paint and finished it off with a tiny dot of white in the eyes. Just like that, Pits came to life! He’s hanging out on my workbench right now, waiting for his glossy clear coat. I’m holding off on spraying until the humidity drops a bit.
Then, on a whim, I decided to use my printmaking tools to carve a design into a PVC panel. The texture I’m getting is amazing, and I can’t wait to paint over it!
And because I was craving some instant gratification, I made a mini Ish out of modeling clay. In just a few hours, I had a 3-inch creature that I’m pretty fond of. With a little refinement, he could be molded and cast—maybe even the start of a new line of mini sculptures? We’ll see!
