How to Create a Clay Unicorn

This is a step by step tutorial by IndigoOcean to create a realistic unicorn (or a horse if you prefer).  Tutorial is in PDF format and includes lots of photos.   The artist takes you all the way from concept drawing, to creating an armature, sculpting the horse/unicorn, creating a mold and casting the sculpture.  You can skip the mold creation/casting process if you prefer, it's not a necessary part of this tutorial.  Just create your own one-of-a-kind sculpture instead!

Because the artist plans on creating a mold, he is using Plasteline clay, which is an oil-based clay which does not harden.   The Plasteline figure will be discarded after casting.   The author says:  "I'm not narrowing down the materials too much. The actual sculpting medium you use is entirely up to you, and this tutorial will focus on my process more than anything. I sculpt using many materials- polymer clay, air-dry stoneware clay, wax, plasteline, paper clay, and epoxy putty- but for all of them the techniques used vary little. This tutorial centers around designing, sculpting, molding, casting and finishing a piece."

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 7 of 7: Wig & Base

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, we've been following Olga Egupets as she shows us her techniques for making armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting the doll and creating clothing.  This is Part 7, the final video in the series.  Olga finishes her doll by adding a wig using needle-felting techniques and wool roving.  Then she creates a leather-look display base from wood and paper and the doll with her new black dress is done!

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 6 of 7: Making the Clothes

Finished doll

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her techniques from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.   This doll has a sewing machine on her lap because she has just finished sewing herself a little black dress. This is Part 6 of 7, 'Making the Clothing'.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 5 of 7: Making the Props

Painted doll at end of Part 4

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her techniques from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.

This is Part 5 of 7.  Please go here for Parts 1 and 2.  Part 3 is here and Part 4 is here.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 4 of 7: Painting

Stage 3 finished!

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her techniques from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.

This is Part 4 of 7.  Please go here for Parts 1 and 2.  Part 3 is here   In the first 3 steps, Olga created her armature and body form, coated it with a layer of papier mache to give it bulk and gave it a smooth finish with a brushed-on top coat (finished doll at this stage is shown above).  She also finished modeling the face, hands and feet using LaDoll clay.

Creating an Art Doll, Olga style, Pt. 3 of 7: Sculpting

papier mache stage complete

In this multi-part art doll demonstration, Olga Egupets shows us her technique from start to finish, demonstrating armatures, modeling faces, body parts and props, painting, wigging and creating clothing. When making her dolls, Olga uses a variety of materials, including air dry clays such as Creative Paperclay, LaDoll, Plastiform, Efaplast etc.

How to Make a Poseable Hand

This air-dry clay tutorial from Minenko shows us how to model thin, delicate, but strong fingers.  It is loosely translated below from Russian to English.   Please go to her website for step by step photos and full hand modeling tutorial.

Minenko says the materials needed for this project are:

1. Wire to build the frame of the hand (any thin: copper, floral,) 
2. Floral tape (sticky paper tape in various colors, sold in florist shops) for covering wire
3. Your choice of air-dry clay (LaDoll or Creative Paperclay suggested)
4. Creative mood 

How to Make Perfect Ball Joints for BJD

I found this tutorial on a Russian website for making a perfectly round ball using LaDoll clay.  The artist will use the balls for the joints in her BJD dolls, but I bet there's other uses for a perfectly round clay ball!  This technique may also work for other brands of air-dry clay (such as Creative Paperclay).  You'll have to experiment.

Sculpting Head and Face for BJD

~ click photos to enlarge ~    

Linda Macario, the Italian doll-maker, has written a wonderful tutorial for creating the head for a BJD (ball-jointed doll) .   LaDoll air-dry clay is suggested.  Creative Paperclay would also be suitable for this project.   Lots of photos demonstrate how to sculpt the Styrofoam core, apply the clay, model the facial features, hollow out the head & insert the eyes and also create the head articulation.

Sculping a Head with ADC

Bebi shows us her technique for sculpting a OOAK doll using air-dry clay (LaDoll Premier).   First she shapes a Styrofoam ball to use as head armature, adds eyes, covers everything with a layer of clay and then adds more clay to detail facial features.

How to Sculpt a Fairy Head the Hannie Sarris Way

Great photo tutorial from the late* Hannie Sarris showing us, step by step, how to sculpt a fairy head.   Hannie used LaDoll for this tutorial but says this sculpting technique is suitable for other air dry clays.
http://www.hanniesarris.nl/page.php?page=sculpting_fairy_head&lang=en

Hannie says the basis for the head is a special type of Styrofoam, also used for coffee cups (but, I suppose if regular Styrofoam is all you can get, it'll work also).   She inserts a small dowel or stick completely thru the foam and coming out the top of the head.  This just makes things easier to handle while sculpting.  The hole in the head can always be patched later or covered with hair.

Example of completed fairy below:

Psyche by Hannie Sarris

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*Hannie Sarris passed away suddenly and too soon due to complications from pneumonia on May 2, 2010