Getting a Bipedal Sculpture to Stand

[Sloas]

The armature is medium wire - a bit more flexible than clothes hangers - with aluminum foil and smaller wire making the bulk.
The subject is my Draenei Shaman.
My plans are to finish a naked Draenei, and then make removable armor and pirate suit. [She's a Bloodsail Admiral, for those of you that play it.]

As with all of my sculptures, I've done at least one thing wrong. Right now I have the clay from the lower legs off to try to reinforce the wire armature.

I have her torso, butt, upper arms, and upper legs done. But she's so shaky, she won't stand up properly.
I keep telling myself to get her head and arms done and it will balance.
But I don't believe me.


Also, sorry if this is the wrong place to post. First time here.

[Ilaekae]

You didn't tell us how big this thing is or how it's standing--legs apart or together, but....

Obviously, if it's shaking already, you're in trouble. The legs need to be strengthened with a good bit more wire, preferably as a unit that ANCHORS solidly to the base, travels up one leg, sharply bends to the opposite hip and then shoots to the base again, where it is again solidly anchored. The shaking can be from a number of things (not enough anchor strength at the base, not enough strength in the actual legs, OR not enough strength in the backbone/leg/hip area), so see if you can determine where the "flexing is actually occurring before doing anything, since strengthening the legs won't do anything if the junction to the upper torso is too flexible.

[Sloas]

Oh! So sorry! I was just nervous about posting..

She's about 15 inches tall. I think it's where her legs are so long.. They're like goat hind legs. And she's got them slightly spread with her torso twisted.

The wire in the armature is in only two pieces: one for the legs, head, and torso, and the second for the shoulders and arms.
I made sure to make the hips really sturdy.

I'm pretty sure that the flexing is coming from the bottom half of the legs. Because the top half is pretty thick.

Would it work to bake it for about ten minutes to kind of harden the upper legs up, and then work on the lower legs? Or should I poke some more wire in the legs, and maybe tie the legs together and bake them?
I dunno.

Thank you, though.

[Ilaekae]

off the top of my head, I'd say strengthen the lower legs as you mentioned first, then bake it. Make sure the additional wire is tightly wrapped to the original and extends up into the upper legs.

[Sloas]

Okay. Thanks. I just wanted to get a second opinion on it.

There should be pictures in a day or so. When I find my camera.

[ZeroDyne]

Is it gonna be nailed down to a base? I ask this cuz it would make it much simpler if it is... if not, you have to make sure that the stance you're going for is VERY natural and balanced... put yourself in the pose you want her to take and make sure that you can stand like that for hours without a problem (i know the legs are horse like.. just improvise ^.^). You can also try reinforcing the armature by wrapping a smaller wire on it but i doubt that would help as much as a good properly balanced pose.

Good luck