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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Leprechaun (Warning contains elfen nudity!)

 The head has now got the back attached and is placed on the body to work the transition to the torso. You will note how the neck pretty much disappears under the waddle which is typical for older, heavy-set wee folk.
Again, the major structures of the torso are marked as a reference for shaping the body. During the head attachment, the face underwent more changes as well. More detailing of wrinkles, pushed the lower jaw out, etc...
 Blah, blah, blah, back.
 As he and I sat in contemplation of each other, he very quietly announced to me that he was actually a Leprechaun and not a Scotsman. After we discussed the ramifications of this statement, we decided to alter his pose to one of the traditional Irishman poses of jumping and clicking his heels.
Since the clay was not cured, this was a simple alteration. I grabbed his torso and gave it a big twist to the side so his feet wood no longer touch the floor. He then needed a new support so I slid a brass tube up over the arm wire till it hit his shoulder then bent it at the walking stick (Shillelagh) and cut it off to fit into the base.
 The bottom portion of the support is covered with clay and cured with the heat gun so the rest of him remained raw clay in order to keep sculpting.

 His hand is sculpted over the knob of the stick and his feet are sculpted to the shape of his shoes without the soles.
He got some major ears attached to the head which are down turned slightly so they don't keep his future hat too far up his head.
The walking stick was bent at the base to center his mass over the contact point in the base a little more.
You will note that the body needs only the basic shaping since he will be covered with clothing. Hands and exposed skin got detailed.

This last picture shows another change which was done after he was cured. The knees weren't bent enough so I cut them at the joints and reposed them. the surfaces then got wet down with liquid Sculpy and filled with clay. A final curing with the heat gun gets them ready for painting.







I have added a finished view of the face so you cans see the detailing of the skin.
More next time. Have a great day!



9 comments:

  1. O he's quite a character! I just love the way you allow us to follow your process! Especially when you make corrections.

    My dolls do the same thing! I have one thing in mind, but when I start, the doll tells me what he or she wants to be! They're usually right too... ; )

    Thank you!
    Lotus
    lootsvele@yahoo.com

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  2. I just love watching your process!!
    I'm always inspired by your unexpected poses!! You always seem to take things a step further than the expected!!
    Thanks so much for continuing to share!!

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  3. Mark, I really enjoy seeing how you make changes to your pieces, too! I've learned to not worry so much if mine aren't what I want or if I've seen things that tell me they need changed now. I know I can do it! Love how your work "speaks" to you, too. Mine does, too. Now I know I'm not totally crazy. LOL Blessings to you!

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  4. OH WOW!!! So GREAT!!! That really brought him to life. Wow!!! Your posts always leave me wanting to see more. Such a thrill. Thank you!
    xxx
    Morena

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  5. Mark, Thank you so much for sharing this work in progress. I'm learning a great deal watching the little chap taking shape. Jain

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  6. Awesome so far Mark! I'm a little bummed hes not a scotsman(being a Scot myself) but he looks great! Do you use a knife for the wrinkles? They don't quite look right when I do it.

    KayC

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  7. Thank you all. I assure you that I will do the Scotsman at a later time.
    KayC, The creases are done with the back edge of a 3in 1 Sculpting tool (www.artdolls.com. Be sure to round the upper edges back into the surface to give a softer crease or fold. You will have a hard time doing that with a sharp edged tool. Just for you, I will be showing the steps of clothing him as well.
    Mark

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  8. hi mark what clay r u using and do u mix yours thanks

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  9. Caroline, I use pure ProScult Baby clay.

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