Terra Cotta Warrior in Clay
Materials:
1) clay (1-2 cases, bring down dry-ish clay if it's to hard to work with for the building stages, I will give you new clay if it comes up)
2) water cups/ water
3) toothbrushes (dollar store)
4) bamboo sticks (from general grocery store or JoAnne's)
5) paper towels and plastic bags
6) image(s) of figures to go off of
Schedule:
Day 1-2: layout basic figure
1) Start with basic shapes/forms. Such as box for torso (width of your pinky), rolled coils for thighs, calves, upper arms, and forearms. Ovals for neck and head. Attach using the scoring method with the toothbrush and water. Not too much water, otherwise difficult to work with. Make sure you smooth out all joints where you added new pieces, if you do not do this THEY WILL COME APART OR FALL OFF.
2) Establish stance if possible so you know it will not fall over.
-model head features before you attach outside of cleaning up lines.
3) if you don't finish, put damp, not wet, but damp paper towel around form. Then put bag around figure with little to no air in the bag.
4) If form basic form is completed, then just put bag around it with a little bit of air in the bag.
Day 2-4 (depending on your schedule): Details
1) details are easier to draw on when the clay is a little dryer, but hasn't turned white yet, and doesn't squish much anymore. It is very fragile when it turns white. If areas are, put damp to wet paper towels over form to bring it back to a moist state without shocking the piece.
2) look to see where areas are overlapping each other, use the bamboo sticks to carve away (like in the video) areas to make it feel beveled (or overlapping). Don't forget crease lines in clothing and armor details. Carve general fingers on hand forms.
3) use fingers and bamboo sticks to smooth out rough texture as you can. (believe it or not, it does get easier as it dries). DO NOT SMOOTH WITH LOTS OF WATER!! This only washes away clay and leaves rough texture from the sand bits in the clay. MAKE SURE ALL CRACKS ARE SMOOTHED OUT!! AS WELL AS ANY UNWANTED TEXTURES, THEY DO NOT MAGICALLY GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN.
Drying time/firing:
1) store project in bag with quite a bit of air, only put damp paper towels on really small pieces for 2-4 days (check on it from time to time)
2) pull bags off bring down to ceramics room. I, Mrs. Canavan, will fire them once they are totally dry to become ceramic.
3) you all will be able to come down to the ceramic studio to put an Iron Oxide Wash over the whole piece to make it feel more antique and will show off details and textures. I, Mrs. C, will fire them one more time.
1) clay (1-2 cases, bring down dry-ish clay if it's to hard to work with for the building stages, I will give you new clay if it comes up)
2) water cups/ water
3) toothbrushes (dollar store)
4) bamboo sticks (from general grocery store or JoAnne's)
5) paper towels and plastic bags
6) image(s) of figures to go off of
Schedule:
Day 1-2: layout basic figure
1) Start with basic shapes/forms. Such as box for torso (width of your pinky), rolled coils for thighs, calves, upper arms, and forearms. Ovals for neck and head. Attach using the scoring method with the toothbrush and water. Not too much water, otherwise difficult to work with. Make sure you smooth out all joints where you added new pieces, if you do not do this THEY WILL COME APART OR FALL OFF.
2) Establish stance if possible so you know it will not fall over.
-model head features before you attach outside of cleaning up lines.
3) if you don't finish, put damp, not wet, but damp paper towel around form. Then put bag around figure with little to no air in the bag.
4) If form basic form is completed, then just put bag around it with a little bit of air in the bag.
Day 2-4 (depending on your schedule): Details
1) details are easier to draw on when the clay is a little dryer, but hasn't turned white yet, and doesn't squish much anymore. It is very fragile when it turns white. If areas are, put damp to wet paper towels over form to bring it back to a moist state without shocking the piece.
2) look to see where areas are overlapping each other, use the bamboo sticks to carve away (like in the video) areas to make it feel beveled (or overlapping). Don't forget crease lines in clothing and armor details. Carve general fingers on hand forms.
3) use fingers and bamboo sticks to smooth out rough texture as you can. (believe it or not, it does get easier as it dries). DO NOT SMOOTH WITH LOTS OF WATER!! This only washes away clay and leaves rough texture from the sand bits in the clay. MAKE SURE ALL CRACKS ARE SMOOTHED OUT!! AS WELL AS ANY UNWANTED TEXTURES, THEY DO NOT MAGICALLY GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN.
Drying time/firing:
1) store project in bag with quite a bit of air, only put damp paper towels on really small pieces for 2-4 days (check on it from time to time)
2) pull bags off bring down to ceramics room. I, Mrs. Canavan, will fire them once they are totally dry to become ceramic.
3) you all will be able to come down to the ceramic studio to put an Iron Oxide Wash over the whole piece to make it feel more antique and will show off details and textures. I, Mrs. C, will fire them one more time.