Step by Step Sculpting in Paper Pulp 1

So, cracking on really well with the latest new sculpture, following the theme of hand balancing. It should be completely sculpted by...maybe late this evening as I won't get much done before I leave for work. It then needs a good look; turning it slowly in all possible angles and looking at the outer edges to make sure it's all properly balanced and see where it needs filing and smoothing. I'll also firmly anchor the supports by squishing Milliput into the the holes where the skewers and supporting wires go-that will set rock hard and keep it really steady (let's see if I remember to keep a bit spare to fill in the crack in the shower base).

So, stage 1 - making the armature. Really important to get this right in terms of initial placement and how well you secure it to the base. A solid sculpture isn't much good if the insertion point is loose enough to allow the armature wire to move about in it. I damaged early polymer clay ones because I hadn't realised there was a bit of play in the insertion point of an arm or foot and it created stress and cracked the wrists and ankles over time. However, with paper pulp that wouldn't cause any damage having that bit of flexibility.

basicarmature

Deciding on pose

Setting up for sculpting

So, the first fig. is just the basic structure. I make a few of these at a time when I have the patience and can remember how I did it. This is a stronger, more stable armature than ones I used early on. Fig. 2 is about bending and tweaking to get shoulder width where it's needed and to ensure the spine is roughly where it should be and fig. 3, with a head blocked in with tin foil to make sure I've got the angle of the head right. The legs and arms have extra bits of wire wrapped alongside the main limbs which bits fully until I'm sure I have the proportions correct. For the arms, the extra wires also extend to the edge of the base and drop into holes to just add a greater area of support.

Pulp ready for mixing

Finished head

Part complete sculpture

Fig. 4 is the pulp just before drizzling PVA glue over it. Once mushed up, it looks like tuna mayonnaise. If you've used orange or yellow egg boxes, don't leave this in the fridge...The metal tool is about all I use. The main working end is only about 6mm wide but it does the job. Fig. 5 looks like some creepy sci-fantasy mythical scorpion figure! It took about 4 hours to build up the head and get the face to look good, but I'm pleased with the result as I wasn't sure I could get that kind of detail with pulp, given the small size of the head. The blue and white fabric is...yep, kitchen J-cloth. You can buy special strips to use with Paverpol (the textile hardener I use for everything I can think of) for making sculptures but this is just as good. Once set it's really hard and helps to keep joints/armature stable and means the pulp isn't taking all of that job although it dries really hard and takes a sharp file or a craft knife to sand/slice of bits off.

And, fig. 6 is halfway in. From this angle you can't see what I see; the arms need more bulk and shape but the position is fine, the upper torso/lats area, waist and hips need widening on both sides, the upper back needs a bit more depth and the angle and slopes of rib cage and lower torso need a look too. But it's going in the right direction. The legs are the next major challenge, ensuring they are absolutely level and spaced correctly. If this part isn't done right it will ruin the whole pose. Next week will have the rest of the sculpting stages as well as the finishing and presentation. Not that I've actually decided what that will be yet.