Imaginative Drawing - How To Be A Children`s Book

Imaginative Drawing
© Theresa Bayer
Making a Clay Model
Plastalina modeling clay: Comes in soft, medium or firm. You can buy it sulfur free. It
never dries out, because it is oil based. Plastalina clay cannot be fired in a kiln or baked
in the oven. The clay will soften up under the heat of your hands. Plastalina clay models
can be adjusted to different positions. Make them as rough sketches, not very detailed,
because handling them will spoil details.
These two drawings were made from the same plastalina gesture model, below. The
model was adjusted to make the dragon toss his head and wave his tail.
Plastalina models for the above drawings.
Dragon head model in plastalina.
Ceramic clay: I use this type of clay for models that have a lot of details, and don't need
to be adjusted. I prefer a stoneware that has sand in it. It has strength, but still allows
for detail. Ceramic clay bodies with grog, or clays that are entirely free of sand or grog
are harder IMO to sculpt with. Either the grog gets in the way of detailing, or the
extremely smooth clay doesn't have the extra strength that helps prevent sagging.
Ceramic clay is cheaper than plastalina or polymer clay. Your models will have to be
fired if you want them to last. Dried clay is extremely delicate, so if you cannot fire
them, take good care of them.
Attaching ceramic clay: when you add one piece to another, scratch each piece with a
little tool (toothpick works fine) and moisten it. Put the two pieces together and blend
them in. If you do not attach parts properly, the model will fall apart when it dries.
Air Bubbles: avoid getting air bubbles, or hollow spaces trapped in ceramic clay if you
plan to fire it. During the firing, the air molecules will expand, and will cause the piece
to explode and break it. This can also break other objects in the kiln and even damage
the kiln itself. Larger ceramic pieces are usually constructed hollow. You can hollow a
small piece sufficiently just by poking a hole in its underside with a clay tool.
Ceramic models.
Ceramic models, continued...
Here’s the ceramic model in the painting. The pansies are from a photo, and the frog is a
plastic frog.
Clay Tools: Toothpicks, manicure sticks, chopsticks, skewers, small knife, and wooden
clay sculpting tools. When using ceramic clay, have a water dish handy for attaching.
Armatures: Armatures are commonly used with plastalina clays. Just about anything
can be used: wire, wood, plastic, tin foil etc. Armatures cannot be used for ceramic clay
for two reasons: the clay shrinks as it dries and will therefore crack or break; also an
armature cannot be fired in a kiln. I've rarely used armatures because most of my clay
experience is with ceramic clay.
Altered Object Models: Add plastalina clay to existing objects made of plastic,
glazed ceramic, metal, or of glass--anything nonporous. It's oily and will leave a film, so don't
use it with anything nice that will stain. Try it with tools, toys, bottles, etc. You can add as much
or as little plastalina as you like.
Everyday objects as models
I used a salt shaker to create the basic proportions of this owl character.
Here he is in flight. I tilted the salt shaker to get the foreshortening. You can also foreshorten
somewhat on the computer by shortening the height of an image and leaving it the same width.
These birds were designed from a plastic squirt bottle.
Foreshortening tips:
1. A foreshortened object retains the same width, no matter how much it's foreshortened. A
tapered object will still taper, but not as gradually.
2. Draw the negative spaces to get the foreshortening right
3. Draw with a series of straight lines instead of curves. Hold up your pencil to match the angles.