I saw the most amazing paper clay sculptures at a craft fair last year and they inspired me to try it for myself. After doing a bit of research online about the best technique I got me a packet of DAS clay and started a modest little project. You begin by making a basic armeture out of wire which looks like a 3D stick figure at this stage. You then crunch up tin foil and join it to the frame to add bulk. As a beginner I found this hard to judge as the final layer of clay obviously adds even more body and you can end up with a clumsy looking creature. Next comes the clay. It's quite tricky to work with and unlike normal clay it's not especially pliable due to its composition. You need to keep a small bowl of water near by to constantly dampen as you work as it dries out quickly and I found that pinching out small flat areas, wrapping them onto the foil and smoothing with fingers or a damp brush worked best. It's strange stuff as it feels dry and slimy all at the same time. I left him to air dry for a day (very restrained as I have no patience) lightly sanded the rough areas then coloured him with watercolour and plaited him a head collar from embroidery thread - he has a rather wild look in his eye and think he may be difficult to catch! I was really surprised at how long the process took (modelling the figure that is, not faffing about knotting thread!) and can't understand how some etsy sellers manage to knock them out ten a penny! Practice and more patience than I have probably!? Christened 'Erik' this little reindeer calf is languishing in a draw somewhere now as after one more attempt (lumpy fox this time) I lost interest in the whole shebang!
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