2107 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 5

For week five of the #2017PCChallenge I decided to try something new. I added teeth.

First Attempt at Teeth

My first head with teeth looks a bit skeletal so I will be adding more clay to her to "flesh her out". You will see her again.

I am very happy with how my second attempt turned out.

Before Color

With Color - Pre-Bake

Baked

I struggled with her eyes and nose but over all I am very pleased with her. I am always amazed at how much the color lightens once it is baked. A little clean up in her eye, some eyebrows and hair and she should look great!

I think next weekend I may have to put hair on all of this month's sculptures. I can't wait to see how hair changes their personality.

Thanks for stopping by!

2017 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 4

This is a quick post to show you my week 4 sculpture for the 2017 Polymer Clay challenge. I have additional pictures to post later. Been crazy weather here and I'm a bit behind :0)





Week 4



I'll share more later.


Have a great day,


Debbie

Polymer Clay Challenge Week 3

I can't believe that we are in to week 3 already! This is my 3rd sculpture for the 2017 Polymer Clay Challenge (#2017PCChallenge) hosted by Katie Oskin of KatersAcres

I am really happy with my week three project though I didn't realize until I put ears on him that he was a boy.

It is always fascinating to see the figure emerge from the clay. If you have followed my blog for any length of time you know that I do NOT fight the figure that emerges :0) I did that with my very first sculpture, I wanted a pretty fairy and ended up with a figure that looks like Mick Jagger in drag (Sorry Mick!), anyway, I learned my lesson, whoever emerges is who I get. (For a peek at my very first sculpture click here)

Here is he, week 3...

Skull

Eyes

Lids and lips

Nose

Ears and Color

Ready to Bake

Baked

I am really happy with him. More work needs to be done around the eyes but overall I like him!!

The Eyes Have it

Last week I was irritated that I didn't have many eyes already made and had to use a pair that just didn't go with the figure and it showed. I was not happy with week 2's eyes at all but I used what I had because I can't paint eyes in the sculptures that I make. My own eyes are old and the figures I make are often very small, so I make eyes out of clay. 

This is a new technique that I found on Pinterest and I like it. It is a YouTube Video from SugarCharmShop. Here is link the video. If you like miniatures plan to spend a few weeks or months on this YouTube channel - so many amazing projects! 

It is very similar to what I have been doing but I thought it would be worth the time to see if I liked them or not. Overall I am pleased with them. You will see them used in my week three #2017PCChallenge sculpture tomorrow. There are a lot of colors in these eyes which you don't really see because of how much I reduce them but I was impressed with how they look and the technique was easy to follow. 

I'll be making more eyes this week. I like to have lots of variety on hand. These are mostly brown and are for 8-12 inch tall figures. 

As  you can see I did bake a few large irises rather than reduce them. Later I'll add the white to them and make a creature. This year I am working on several larger (24"-30") figures. Since I decided to bow out of the craft fair I decided to make things for my house and yard. I want a large house elf for my laundry room. He'll be holding a bank to collect all the change I find and he may just have a bag for stray socks as well! I'll post him as he develops.

2017 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 2

I am trying to get on a Sunday posting schedule for my challenge so I sculpted two heads in a matter of days.

This one is a bit larger than the first. I'm happy with her face though the eyes are too close together. I only had the one pair of eyes completed and ready to use so my options were - 1 pair. Not how I like to work and it made a difference. I had a much harder time with her eyes than I normally do.

The rest of this afternoon will be spend making more eyes in different colors. I like have them baked and ready to go in multiple colors and sizes so that I have what I need.

So... here is week 2:

Eyes

Lids - she looks angry

Color - Pre-Bake

Final - Post-Bake

If her eyes had not been so close together I would have been happier. As it is she will still make a nice kitchen witch or angel. I'm very happy with her lips. That has been an area that I've struggled with. I also struggle with ears. Hers are too flat but I was a bit lazy and didn't get my reference pictures out so I am not going to whine too much about it and when I put hair on her I'll make sure they are covered!

Next weekend I am sculpting with friends. These little girls just may get hair! I'll definitely post pictures once they have hair and bodies. 

The Flickr album is live. There is a link on the left side of the blog or you can click here to visit it. 

2017 Polymer Clay Challenge Week 1

Well I did it! I finished my first sculpted head of the new year. Her eyes were made using the technique I developed from Lisa Pavelka's Smoosh cane which I'll be sharing later this year.

Since 2017 started on a Saturday, my plan is to share my 2017 Polymer Clay Challenge sculptures on Sunday's.

Week 1 down, only 51 more to go! She hasn't revealed her name to me yet, she'll probably do that once she gets hair. It really does make a difference.

Here she it:

Wow! Look at those crazy eyes

Eyelids and a Chin

 

Nose, Ears and Lips

Some color - Pre-Bake

 And here she is, my baseline for the year, baked and ready for hair. 

Notice that the color becomes less intense once it is baked. I learned to use regular makeup and Pan Pastel's on my figures from the amazing Kate Church. This is now one of my favorite ways to add color to human-link sculptures though I still prefer to paint my creatures!

I already see some areas to work on but overall I'm happy with how she came out. 

Until next week ;0)

2107 Polymer Clay Challenge

Once again I am participating in the Polymer Clay Challenge being hosed by Katie over at KatersAcres.

The challenge is to complete one polymer clay project of your choosing per week. This year I am committing to complete one sculpted head each week.I can't wait to see who emerges from the clay this year.

Last year I noticed serious improvement in my sculptures after just a few weeks. Definitely due to constantly working on my skills.

Once I complete my first project I will post a link to my #2017PCChallenge Flickr album. I'll also post pictures here but I am excited to see the changes that I believe will result in my skills and seeing the pictures from start to finish will definitely show it.

Stay tuned! I hear the clay calling ;0)

Debbie

Happy Belated New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope you and your family enjoyed a safe holiday season. I had a wonderful time. My middle son and his family were visiting and I had a 3 year old in the house for Christmas for the first time in about 16 years!! Getting back to my regularly scheduled life has been difficult.

Having a small child in the house, seeing the magic of the season through her young eyes, has been a gift. Sometimes it is easy to forget the joy and wonder of things. I like all of the holiday trappings, the decorations, the music, the food...oh man the food! This year was just a little extra special with my son and his family sharing the days with us. It was great for my youngest son as well as he got to hang out with one of his siblings this year.

Now that January is here and the children have gone home things are slowly getting back to normal. I've set aside time each month to write for my blog so you'll see a bit more of me this year. I am looking forward to a productive 2017 with my art. Details on upcoming plans and projects coming soon.

Thanks for stopping by...

Debbie