janimations: August 2007

Monday, August 27, 2007

THE EMPEROR'S NIGHTINGALE

This is Courtier 5, George, (they're getting names now), ready for plastering. The shims are cut from plastic tubs.

So, on Friday I had the first disaster with making moulds. I had finished the first Dragon relief, modelled in clay, for one of the doors, and made the mould for it in the same way as for the clay heads, in Plaster of Paris with the various release agents. Then I added the glass fibre mix to it and let it dry. And then tried to get the glass fibre out of the plaster mould. No way!! Finally I broke the plaster mould, which is what I have been doing with the head moulds, and the glass fibre shattered in several places. End of the Dragon.

I have started sculpting the Dragon relief again, in Plastiline, and will make a silicone rubber mould for the flexibility, and the need to make more than one cast from the mould. Hey ho.

I do like sculpting in clay for the heads, though, shapes come out of the clay at you, and clay is so soft for the modelling tools.

The photo shows the beginning of the second Dragon sculpt.