Project designed by Barbara McGuire.
Materials:
three blocks of transparent polymer clay Fimo 01
few drops of mineral oil
1/8 block of polymer clay in the following colors: white, black, brown, blue, red, flesh
1 block of yellow or brown polymer clay
1/2 block black or brown to outline hair
work surface
pasta machine or acrylic brayer
polymer clay blade, modeling tools, small dowels, toothpicks
tracing paper and pencil
Note: In the beginning, the clay for the face will be approximately one inch thick. It will reduce to a long cane about six inches in length and one inch in diameter.
Steps:
- Draw an outline of a face complete with hair on a piece of two-inch wide by three-inch long tracing paper. Draw the face freehand or trace from a magazine or a book.
- Trace the face on the reverse side of the paper so the outline is clear on both sides (figure A).
- Condition and mix any color of all clay needed for the project. Tint two blocks of the translucent clay with the flesh color and add a few drops of mineral oil to make it softer.
- Prepare ultrathin sheets of brown and black clay to outline the feature and jaw line of the face. You will need approximately two sheets of black and four sheets of brown. You will also need five sheets of flesh to wrap around the features. This is so the outline of the features is smooth. Set all the clay sheets aside to use while constructing the face.
- Shape two-thirds of the flesh-colored clay into an oval shape proportionate to the head. Place a traced drawing on the clay, press it on, then peel it off ( figure B). This will transfer the drawing to the top of the clay and serve as a guide throughout the entire process.
- Slice through the entire facial block sectioning the face into quadrants, across the eyes, the brows and lips (figure C). Section the insert for the nose, also. Set aside. After steps 6 and 7 below, sections of the face will be removed to insert facial features.
- Make the eyes about 1/2-inch diameter and approximately two inches long. You will need a snake of blue, a tiny snake of black, a teeny-tiny snake of white, and a white oval snake for the corners of the eyes. Assemble one eye, then outline in black or brown clay, and wrap with flesh-colored clay (figure D). Cut the eye in two pieces.
- Assemble the lips. You will need a snake about 1-1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch in diameter. Cut this snake of clay in half. Roll the other half into another round snake shape and cut in half. Assemble the lips, then outline with brown clay, and wrap with flesh-colored clay. Place a little wedge of flesh-colored clay between the top lip indent to help hold the shape of the lips.
- Prepare the cheeks by adding a smidge of red color clay to the flesh-colored clay and roll a cylinder about 1/2-inch diameter by two inches long. Wrap with outer layer of flesh-colored clay.
- Using the face block constructed in step 5, remove quadrants of clay with drawings of eyes, mouth and cheeks. Insert the eyes, mouth and cheeks made in steps 6 through 8 (figure E). Manipulate the face crevices with a dowel to accommodate the inserts.
- Place the whole face together: eyes, cheeks and lips. Don't worry about the jaw line or the forehead--these can be adjusted later. The final step is to add the nose and the brow. Make thin strips to be inserted and wrap with a thin layer of flesh-colored clay. Split the face again to accept these inserts. You may have to slice out the appropriate thickness to create a gap for the inserted pieces.
- Once the face is assembled, pack together and trim the jaw and forehead. It may be necessary to add as well as subtract portions of clay. Outline the jaw in brown by adding a thin sheet of clay under the chin area. Add shapes for the neck and ears if applicable. Build the hair as desired by adding waved stripes or curl-type spirals.
- Reduce the entire cane by applying equal pressure from all sides and by pushing the center outward. Squeezing the cane firmly will accomplish this (figure F). Rotate and flip the cane frequently to assure even pressure. Slap or pound the cane to transfer the momentum through the cane. If the cane is round, reduce it by rolling.
- Once the cane is finished (figure G), slice it thinly to apply to various surfaces. Remember, the flesh-colored clay is transparent and will pick up the color of what it is placed on. Also, it is recommended to bake at the temperature suggested on the package. Baking temperatures may be lower for opaque clays.
Resources Foundations in Polymer Clay Design
by Barbara E. McGuire (ISBN: 087341800X)
Click
here to order this title.
Krause Publications
Website:
www.krause.com
Pasta-Ezee pasta machine electric attachment (Model #: PE-1000)
This attachment fits onto a standard pasta machine, making the mechanism electric. It is manufactured by AEPI for A.I.T. and available in select gourmet specialty stores. Contact local gourmet specialty stores for availability.
Guests Barbara McGuire
Art-Forward
Website:
www.barbaramcguire.com
Also in this Episode
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
