I have been asked to make a great blue heron garden sculpture. I decided to make a cast resin piece that stands 27” high. I chose to model in oil-based clay, which I would then make a mold of in silicone. From the mold I will cast the final resin piece.
The base structure didn’t look like much to begin with. I started out with just a soda bottle and some pipe insulation.
I then built up the form using one of my favorite understructure materials, spray insulation (Great Stuff).
I then began building out the form in clay. This was a very time consuming part of the process as I had to soften the clay in order to work with it, and it always seemed I needed to add more.
Once the major forms were where I wanted them I began adding minor forms such as the primary feathers, tail, and beak.
After that the real fun began: Details! Here I’ve started adding the strand of feathers around the neck and belly and penciling in the detail on the head.
I really got into the detail work. More to follow soon.
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteGreat model, Very lucky to come across your website, I too am making a clay 3D study of a Heron. I'm from Ireland and doing my Junior Cert. this year. I love salmon fishing and often see these beautiful birds on the banks, in Ireland our native Heron is the gray Heron, slighty different in colour but very much the same! I built the body from news papers and chicken wire. Then attached this to two wooden legs standing up from a wooden base. The insulation foam is a very good idea! Its light and can be cut onto shape. Would have saved me hours! Anyay I have the shape I wanted cover with 7 layers of paper mache. I'm starting claying it this week and was just wondering how to make the bird look best with the clay, your site was just what I had been looking for! I love the way the neck feathers fall from the neck so realisticly and the feathers on the wings look so real! Are they made and then rolled or placed on the bird? How did you make the lower neck section? Its simply amazing and in my opinion the best part! Is there any chance I could get really close up photos of the bird? It would greatly help in the clay stage! Would really appreciate it! Also I would love to send on my photos of the finished bird. I also did a heron for my paited study, I have the bird done but yet have to do the backgroung!Will send on a photo! My email address is darraghmeaney@hotmail.com, would really love those photos! Great model.
Darragh, Ireland.