Said last time I would post pictures of my clay figure if I could.
Step 0 -- Hamster test: Made a simple clay model of my hamster icon to ensure all the techniques I planned on using would work out. Fishing line can withstand temperatures around 275 degrees Fahrenheit without incident. However, polymer clay cannot withstand the uneven heat of a toaster oven. Hamster came out a little toasted.
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| Clay hamster with fishing-line whiskers. Looks like the 8-year-old me painted it. |
Step 1 -- Wire and Foil Armature: Sculpey clay is not supposed to exceed a thickness of 1/2 inch for baking purposes, so the foil helps bulk out the body. The wire also makes the character more durable. If a limb were to break, the wire would keep the figure together.
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| Front view of armature |
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| Side view of armature. |
Step 2 -- Base and 1st Baking: I wanted the legs to be solid clay so the character would have a heavier base than top. I modeled the feet and put a skeleton of clay on the legs and hips. This gets around the baking thickness issue because Sculpey can be re-baked. This also meant the character could stand while I worked on the top features.
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| Tin foil critter wearing pants? |
Step 3 -- Body, Face, and 2nd Baking: Bulked out the legs, layered on the torso, and sculpted the face and tail in their entirety. I wasn't really happy with the facial expression, I haven't mastered faces in clay. The body was done in white clay so the color could be painted on later. Essential details like nose, teeth, and eyes were done in colored clay. Whiskers were also added.
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| Side view of armless figure. |
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| Closer look of face w/ fishing line whiskers. |
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| Back view. Spiky tail turned out really well. |
Step 4 -- Arm Base, Mask, and 3rd Baking: Finalized the pose for the character's arms (though I wonder now if having the arms down would've been more dynamic). Added the mask.
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| Spitfire is not amused. |
Step 5 -- Tiny Ninja Weapons: Modeled Spitfire's iconic throwing knives, a pair of kunai, and one star. The star was the most fun to make, and the most difficult. All of these are about 1/2 inch long.
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| Miniature shuriken not recommended for actual use. |
Step 6 -- Arms, Clothing, and Final Bake: Layered on jumpsuit and added various gear including the Light Grappling hook Lift System (L.G.L.S.). Fun fact: Spifire wears his LGLS and weapon belt reverse of the other ninja characters because he is left-handed.
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| Side view of Spitfire. |
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| Front view of Spitfire. |
Step 7 -- Painting: In which I am still working on.
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