Modelling Clay

[Corrupted Unicorn]

I've been feeling like getting my hands on some modelling clay...  My art speciality doesn't need an extra plane, and thus sculpting is not my "thing", it's more of my BF's. Yet, sometimes you just want to squish some clay or modelling paste for fun 

As a fun fact, my avatar is made out of modelling clay, actually some Play-Doh I got my hands on time ago. I was trying to emulate notoriously clay-based videogame Hylics, that's why it's dithered and a bit messy-looking (that didn't require effort  ). I like to joke my favourite NPC from the game is "guy someone stuck a finger on his face and called it a day" 

Anyway, my little avatar wasn't meant to last in real life, that's why I took photos and then put together the best looking ones, resulting in this animation you see everytime I post.



Years later, my BF would sculpt me the same character in plasticine. He knows a bit more about modelling than I do, and thus he used toothpicks to help it stand up. He says it's not meant to last forever, but I've been trying to take good care of it, fixing its arm when it drops, and I even modelled it little headphones.

I love making these clumsy little animations...

With that said, are there any people who regularly use clay (or similar) in their craft? Or anybody who doesn't, but wants to give it a try? This is the tipic to discuss kinds of sculpting material, how to model it, how to bake it (if it needs baking), how to paint it, etc... professionals and amateurs and hobbyists welcome! 

[Twigz0n]

I’m not really an experienced or regular clay modeller, but every time I get to use clay I have a pretty fun time. I used to make lot of very crummy clay animal sculptures back when my school still had funding for the arts lol

I think the last time I’ve touched clay was in either January or February this year during the 3d sector of my art course. There were no rules on what we could or couldn’t create so long as we did “research” (finding visual inspiration mostly) and talk in depth about the process. And so I abused that position to make one of my furry ocs real lol

Her design is predominantly inspired by late 2000s/early 2010s furry animation memes, mainly in the emo haircut because everyone’s furry ocs just looked like that back then. I also wanted to give her big funny alien/bug inspired eyes, because I think they’re funny and cute.

I sculpted her using air dry clay, as that’s just the clay my course had available. I remember being pretty doubtful when I started sculpting the head and the hair but I fell into a flow state soon after. I think I did have to remake the head once though because the head to body ratio was unbalanced, but it was just a quick fix really. My process or techniques aren’t really anything special or complex. I remember I sculpted very faint lines in the hair to give it a unique texture but I think that texture got lost when I painted her unfortunately. I also did the torso and front legs separately I believe, so I had to stick the legs on with water and alot of hatching so that the clay would stick together. Same goes with her head, hair and collar. I think adding the spikes onto her collar almost gave me carpal tunnel in my fingers, it was very finicky… Painting her wasn’t a super difficult or exciting process lol, I painted her fully in white first so that when I added other colours later on they wouldn’t be dimmed by the colour of the clay. Pretty basic stuff I guess. Looking back I wish I had done more with the colour palette but because of how fast paced my course was I had to come up with something fast.

But even so I had alot of fun making her. I honestly really like using clay even though I’m not good at it lol. Maybe one day I’ll buy some cheap air dry clay or plasticine and brush up on my skills, techniques and knowlage.   It can be really fun to bring one of your little guys to life through a physical medium. 

[Corrupted Unicorn]

Hey @Twigz0n , I just want to drop by and say I really like your sparklecat sculpture, and to thank you for showing her here  She has very pleasing colours and it's so interesting to see a sparkleanimal outside of its natural habitat, the digital world. I especially like how the inherent texture of the paint looks on her eyes and the tip of her paws.

And would you look at that, I found a chunk of clay in my room!  (while looking for something else  ). White airdry clay, or so it says. I'd like to make myself a few figures of my characters with it, but I'd also like to leave some clay aside for... some sort of wearable thing. Like beads, or a centerpiece for a necklace, tho I'm not very sure of the specifics yet 

[Twigz0n]

Hey @Twigz0n , I just want to drop by and say I really like your sparklecat sculpture, and to thank you for showing her here  She has very pleasing colours and it's so interesting to see a sparkleanimal outside of its natural habitat, the digital world. I especially like how the inherent texture of the paint looks on her eyes and the tip of her paws.

And would you look at that, I found a chunk of clay in my room!  (while looking for something else  ). White airdry clay, or so it says. I'd like to make myself a few figures of my characters with it, but I'd also like to leave some clay aside for... some sort of wearable thing. Like beads, or a centerpiece for a necklace, tho I'm not very sure of the specifics yet 

Awh thank you!! I really appreciate it! ^w^ I hadn’t thought about how I was kind of brining something that only existed online into irl until you brought it up, that’s a cool way to look at it! Also I like the sound of your ideas in particular! I think having your own customised charms for brackets or necklaces is such a cool and freeing idea personally. I’ve also been thinking in the back of my mind about making my own tiny charms for my kandi bracelets as that’s a hobby I’ve picked up recently. I think getting to own something physical of your own characters is so cool too. I think that’s the reason I really loved clay as a kid, was being able to bring the characters that I doodled in class into irl!!