just started sculpting a faerie

[jenjen1018]

hello, i was wondering if any of you could help. i am starting on my first faerie sculpture. i have the armature and the face already molded out of premo sculpey polymer clay. i have run out of clay so i currently have her wrapped in a sandwich bag. i plan on getting more clay, hair, and cloth to make her clothes tody at hobby lobby.

now my question is: Can any of you tell me how I am supposed to mount the hair on her head? and do i bake her before or after the hair and wings...? thanks in advance,
jennifer

[Steph Laberis]

Oh! Right up my alley!

To attach hair, I bake the head first. Then, I carve a groove into the top of the head where the part of the hair will be, usually with a good exacto blade. The groove doesn't have to be too deep but just wide enough that your hair will slip into it. I also cut a couple more horizontal grooves into the side of the head, usually two on each side and two in the back; that way she won't be bald if you lift her hair up.

If you're using mohair or some other loose hair, you can lay a bundle of hair on a flat surface and run a line of sobo glue across it to attach it. Then, snip the excess hair off along the glue line for a nice straight edge. Or, you can use a zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine (with a bit of tissue paper underneath) to secure your hair into neat little "sheets".

next, place a thin line of sobo glue into the grooves in the head and push your hair, straight edge first, into the groove with a thick needle to hold it in place. Hold it there for at least 5 minutes, then GENTLY remove the needle. Let dry for an hour just to be sure - once sobo dries, it holds REALLY well.

And yes, you CAN bake mohair in the oven, but it might get a little discolored and the texture may get a little wiry. Make sure you don't bake it over 250 degrees. I usually only bake projects with hair when I have to make a repair and the clay has already been baked. Sort of a last resort. The sobo seems unaffected by the oven as well.

If you are using plastic or synthetic hair, DON'T BAKE IT!

As for the wings, it depends on what they're made of. But to be sure, I'd say leave them until after she's baked, like the hair.

...did this make sense? Or was that rambling?

-Steph

[jenjen1018]

thanks so much! yes its makes good sense. i have been searching everywhere on how to do this so that it stays there. thanks. when you cut the grooves in her head after shes baked and you place the hair in there, do you add more clay, or is the hair supposed to fill all of the grooves? i just got back from hoby lobby and i got glue called Dolly Hair Glue and wavy wooly hair. hope it works! thanks for the tips again!

[Steph Laberis]

I'm not famliar with the dolly hair glue, but I'm sure it does what it's s'posed to! I dunno if it'll bake well in the oven, in case you need to fix your doll after baking. As for the wooly hair, if it is in fact wool, then light baking should be fine :)

Well, I didn't fill the grooves with clay afterward. Usually if your hair is full enough the groove won't be too noticeable. But, the grooves shouldn't be gaping or anything to begin with.

I am currently working on a wizard with a bald head and some hair along the sides and had to add clay to the groove so that there wasn't a "ledge" where the heir met the scalp. Everything went fine :)

If you want you can look at some of my puppets - they use the rooted hair system. Also, if you want to make an amazing investment, pick up "Fantastic Figures" by Susanna Oroyan (spelling?). The book taught me everything I know and shows you how to do costumes, hands, heads, armatures, painting, etc.

Here are the links to my puppets, btw:

Minh (http://flyingclam.com/bigpics/minh3.jpg)
Hagatha (http://flyingclam.com/bigpics/snow3.jpg)
Chloe (http://flyingclam.com/bigpics/chloe3a.jpg)

I can't wait to see the progress on your faerie! Post pics when you can!

[jenjen1018]

wow! those are awesome. how di i post a picture of mine in progress. i dont have a website to host the pictures.

[Scotty]

This is great....I think this info would be valuable to any sculptor...never know when you'll need it. I look forward to seeing this faerie completed as well.:)

[Steph Laberis]

Well, if you want, you can get an account (it's free) at deviantart.com. Unlike most free image sites, it's got damn near unlimited bandwidth. Plus, it's a huge art community and people can comment on your work. Just beware - it's overrun by teenage anime lovers (nothing wrong with anime, btw) who are kind of biased about the work there. But still, it's a place to put your art!

You could do a google search for free image hosting, but again, most of those sites have tiny bandwidth.

:)

[jenjen1018]

yes, im excited ive found a great new hobby! thanks for the website. i post an image of my faerie in progress. shes very pale now. heh.

[jenjen1018]

i joined defiantart.com , but each time i click on a link it tells me to check my email to confirm it, which i have done severl times.....

[Steph Laberis]

Do you have spam filters on? That might be the problem, at least it was for me. Just turn 'em off and check your spam.

Worst case scenario you'll have to sign up with a different SN once you set your spam controls.

[jenjen1018]

ok thanks. i actually got it working now, i just have to convert my jpg file to a gif. :evilbat:

[jenjen1018]

i cant figure out how to display her directly on this board, but the link should take you there. let me know what y ou think, any advice, ect. thnks!faerie (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/6677999/)

[Stitchface]

Hello jenjen1018,

Thats a good start you have, saw linked pic.
I have made a fairy a couple of years ago for my wife, she is a huge Brian Froud fan. I made her out of Super Sculpey, and her wings were made out of large trimmed feathers. Which were then airbrushed with acrylics. I baked her first then applied her hair and wings afterward. I made a socket for her wings, then glued them on with super glue. I attached her hair like willow-whisp did except I used liquitex matte medium. It works great for gluing on hair in layers, plus its dries dull and clear. I will post pics of her on my thread below, you can check her out if you want.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21524

Good Luck, and keep us posted on your progress!!!

[jenjen1018]

your art is awesome! so detailed. thanks for the comments, and advice. i have narrowed the faeries check and i wil post a new picture of her tommorrow. it is getting late. it is hard to stop sculpting once you start. my eyes tend to burn.:evilbat:

[Stitchface]

Hey jenjen1018,
Finally posted pics of the fairy in my thread, just click on link above.

[jenjen1018]

wow cool! what do you use? what type of clay? if you dont mind

[Stitchface]

I used aluminum foil and wire for the armature, then used Super Sculpey for the sculpt. I wish there was something I could do to treat this because Super Sculpey is great for sculptures but it becomes brittle after a few years, so be careful and smart how you reinforce it. If you noticed in the pict her upper left arm if cracked, I have yet to patch it.
Anyways, I baked her @ 200 degrees I don't remember how long though. Check out smellybug tutorial he gives you a better estimate. I used Pactra Model Paint (water based acrylic enamel) found at Walmart or Hobby stores using an airbrush. I bought the large white feathers at Michaels craft store, I'm sure if you look arround you could find other creative ways to make her wings, maybe cut out some dragonfly shaped wings from a sheet of acetate, maybe you could even find premade wings. The hair was glued on in layers using Liquitex Matte Medium which I added purple paint, to match the color of her skin. I want to try and sculpt another one, but I would like to see how yours comes out. Please keep posting your progress because I would like to pick up any tips you might discover along the way of making this. Keep on posting!!!

[jenjen1018]

thanks for the tips! i was curious how long the clay will stay in good shape. ive been using sculpey premo. i recently gave her a chest reduction as suggested by willow-whisp(i thought she needed one too, heh). i think she looks better. here is the link ---> faerie (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/6715649/)

i hope she is not too big. most ppl seem to make them smaller, but she just ended up big! you think her size is alright? any more suggestions i'd appreciate. thanks for your time

[Steph Laberis]

In terms of clay strenght, I've heard that Crnit is the best way to go. I've yet to find cernit in my area and from what I hear it's expensive. I really haven't had much trouble with my super sculpey getting brittle over the years, but then again my earliest pieces are 4 years old.

Don't sweat the soze f your sculpt so long as the armature inside of her is sturdy. it's good to practice on a larger size sculpt in my opinion, because you can really noodle with the details.

I'm gonna check your progress now :)

Edit: Looked at your work. The chest reduction has made a quite an improvement! I would pay attention to how her torso compresses in that position - her stomach is kind of flat and whatnot. Also consider how the shoulders meet the torso, they seem to hang limply on your sculpture at this stage. maybe add a little clay to imply a deltoid.

her proportions look a lot better. Great work so far!

[jenjen1018]

thanks! i thought i already replied but i guess i didnt. i took your advice and the faerie is looking much better! i defined her shoulders, chest, stomach and i made her hands and feet, which im gonna touch up on today. she looks way better now. i cant post a picture of her yet because i let my sis borrow my camera(shes outa state seeing her husband). i will have it back this tues and tak picture again. i have a couple more questions if you dont mind.

1) is she still going to be slightly soft after being baked, or is she gonna be fragle, like if dropped she will break?(that may sound dumb, heh)

2) will she get any darker after being baked? i used pearl premo sculpey clay.

3) after shes baked, is it ok to use my own blush to accentuate her features of do i need a special type? and are water based acrylic paints ok(for lips and eyes, and nails)?

that more than a couple questions, whoops.
thanks,
jenjen

[Steph Laberis]

Glad to hear she's coming along well!

To answer your questions...

1.) If you bake her for longer at a lower temp, which was suggested here, she shouldn't be as fragile. You can tell when a piece is fully baked when you tap it with your fingernail fresh out of the oven - if it leaves a dent, she needs more baking time. When she cools she'll be mostly hard to the touch but her limbs can still snap or break, so be very careful. If the occasional break does happen, I find that super glue gel works wonders.

2.) With pearlescent sculpey there is a chance she could get slightly darker, especially if you overbake her. Like I said, check up on the baking times and watch her carefully.

3.) I've been told you can use make-up or crushed chalk pastels to add a blush effect to clay. You need to apply it with a make-up sponge to the face BEFORE you bake it though - after you bake it, it'll rub right off.

Water based acrylics are fine after the baking. It's better to do several thinned out layers, like watercolor, than slabbing the paint on thick. This will reduce peeling. Also, a few layers of THIN gesso (as thin as milk) applied to the areas you're planning on painting can help reduce chipping and peeling.

Hope this helps, can't wait to see pics!

[jenjen1018]

thank you. that heps a lot!:D

[jenjen1018]

my faerie is almost ready to be baked. im checking proportions and doing some smoothing but i have problem! i tried puttin a dab of my blush on her and i some how smeared is so it looks streaky. i tried to remove with alcohol, didnt work, so i recoated her with another thin layer of clay. now shes back to palenes. but how do i do this blush thing without this happening again. and whn i bake her, will it further mess with the blush? thanks!

ps.wont have my camera till sat.

[Steph Laberis]

The blush thing is kind of a one-time thing - you need to be careful when putting it on. Try to apply it as carefully as possible... better too little than too much. If you really screw up you can bake her and then, with a VERY fine sandpaper, sand off the mistakes.

Like I said, I've never done this personally. You may have to seal the blush on with a spray fixative, but applying the blush into the clay before baking helps it stay on the clay better than applying it after baking. Just the same, don't go rubbing her cheeks deliberately when its done.

[jenjen1018]

ok thanks. that a good idea, sandpaper. in case i mess up too bad. btw, i saw your gallery in deviantart. its very good! i cant seem to get any comments on my work there. its so swarmed w/ artists i guess. no one has the time to take look at my work. i took most of it off of there. hehe.
anyways, thanks for ur help. i get so scared thinking im gonna mess her up after getting thi far. i had a dream my dog chewed her.

also a question. what color clay do you personally think is best for faeries?

[Steph Laberis]

Thanks! It takes a while to get people to notice your art on DA. I was on there for half a year before I got people to really comment and whatnot. The best you can do is to put up only your best work (quantity of art isn't everything) and to be patient. :)

As far as clay colors go, mixing super sculpey with a little translucent sculpey and a smidge of blue or purple works well for natural flesh. Basically, try to lighten super sculpey with translucent clay rather than white clay; white can make it look too creamy and just plain weird. Of course, with fairies, there are no rules with skin color. ^___^

[jenjen1018]

thanks for the tips!

[jenjen1018]

im baking my faerie!!!!!!!!!!ahh im scared. i checked her and she seemed hard. so far been in there 15 min. on 200 degrees. hope i don't burn her. i think itll be ok. i tested some clay before i put her in.:eek:

edit: i just took her out. now cooling her off! seems good! i started sewing the hair together. i dyed pink streaks in it. i just have to glue it in her head when shes cooled off and after i cut a piece of her head off!another eek! scary part. i look forward to it though, and painting her eyes and sewing her clothes and fixing her wings, which reminds me that i forgot to make holes in her back!omg! is it too late?

[Steph Laberis]

Everything sounds fine to me! Breathe now, breathe!

It's not too late to put in the wings. Sculpey can be drilled! Since she's a small figure though, I'd do this rather than drill:

Bend the wire on the end of the wings (the part you're sticking in the back) into a "u" shape, like a fish hook. Carve a hole into her back with an X-acto knife big enough to fit the "u" shape in - the deeper, the better. Then, place in the wire wings, fill the hole with clay and bake her again at 200 degrees. Sculpey can be rebaked with minimal to no discoloration, so long as you oven isn't too hot.

[jenjen1018]

whew, thanks!

[jenjen1018]

ok. i have a question(another one, hehe). well, i painted her eyes and lips.(eyes need retouch cuz i used too thick layers of paint, so ill fix that) her face looked clown-like. eww. but i think that is because i used to much paint on her face and the rest of her body is plain. so my question(s)....:
1) how do i do the lashes? can i use art pencils?
2) can i paint her body to give a more realistic skin tone? or is that not a good thing to do?

thanks! any info would be helpful!

[Steph Laberis]

Pencil might wear off for the lashes - try a watered down acrylic with a tiny brush. My puppets are small enough that I just imply lashes with a single ble-gray line of paint.

Painting skin tones can be tricky, and I could use someone to chime in here.

Some people use airbrushes since you don't want brush strokes on your work. I try to mix the skin tone as acurrately as possible with the sculpey then add lightly painted accents after baking. If you really want to make this an undertaking, you can do the thing with the thin layers of gesso and add thin layers of acrylic to the entire body, but in my opinion, just accent the color you have for now ^___^

[jenjen1018]

ok great ! thanks!

[jenjen1018]

how do i seal the paint on the eyes after painting them?