My hand made animal figures

[Garfield]

Here are my recently made animal figures, all more or less in Schleich/Papo scale. I'm a rookie in a clay sculpting so please write what do you think about it, and any professional tips ( like which clay/colors/fixative/armature to use, which books to read and so on) from those of you who sculpt animal figures are more than welcome.

Indian gharial. The first figure I've made from polimer clay


Aardvarks.

Orangutan male. The last for today and I believe the most successfull one.

[Kiryuha]

Wow, you seem to be very enthusiastic in sculpting!
I can't share any experience 'cause I don't make figures myself. But I can say that I like the orangutan the most!

[Helen]

I'm not a sculptor but find that your animals may not be perfect yet, but you have definitely captured their spirits and I like the lying anteater best. It looks as though it's having a great time.

[HKHollinstone]

They are wonderful! I really like the Aardvarks. You've done a great job with them.
I've never tried polymer clay, the clay I use is air drying, is that the case with yours too? Or do you have to bake it? I'd like to try out other types of clays.

[Garfield]

Originally Posted by Kiryuha

Wow, you seem to be very enthusiastic in sculpting!
I can't share any experience 'cause I don't make figures myself. But I can say that I like the orangutan the most!

Originally Posted by Helen

I'm not a sculptor but find that your animals may not be perfect yet, but you have definitely captured their spirits and I like the lying anteater best. It looks as though it's having a great time.

Originally Posted by HKHollinstone

They are wonderful! I really like the Aardvarks. You've done a great job with them.

Thank you guys.

I've never tried polymer clay, the clay I use is air drying, is that the case with yours too? Or do you have to bake it? I'd like to try out other types of clays.

I used for those a super sculpey polymar clay, and yes I bake it an oven at 130c for about 30-40 minutes (depending on figures size and format)... it's quite an easy to work with (like a plastiline) but is not cheap (about 16$ for a 1/2 kilo in Israel). After baking I paint them with acrillic and pastels.
Never worked with air drying clays, how is that?
By the way your figures are painted extremly well, which colors do you use to reach that natural effect? Do you use a fixative after painting?

[HKHollinstone]

Originally Posted by Garfield

Thank you guys.

I used for those a super sculpey polymar clay, and yes I bake it an oven at 130c for about 30-40 minutes (depending on figures size and format)... it's quite an easy to work with (like a plastiline) but is not cheap (about 16$ for a 1/2 kilo in Israel). After baking I paint them with acrillic and pastels.
Never worked with air drying clays, how is that?
By the way your figures are painted extremly well, which colors do you use to reach that natural effect? Do you use a fixative after painting?

The clay I use is called "Sculpt Dry" by Mungyo. When you've sculpted your model, instead of heating it up to harden, you just leave it to dry by itself, it takes a while, usually about a day, depending on how big the model is, for larger models it may take longer, if they are solid clay that is. I use Acrylics too. I don't spray a fixative actually, but maybe it's a good idea to. I like the sound of using pastels, never tried that either!
I mix my colours, one colour I use a lot and that's 'Burnt Sienna', I try to soften colours up as they don't look too good when they're too bright. You can paint a model just one mixed colour, but it's even better to add dark or light highlights after the basic coat colour is on, the highlights add depth and realism to the figure.

[Andy DC]

Great Orangutan, he looks very realistic and the colours are great!

[Garfield]

Originally Posted by Andy DC

Great Orangutan, he looks very realistic and the colours are great!

Thank you

Originally Posted by HKHollinstone

I don't spray a fixative actually, but maybe it's a good idea to. I like the sound of using pastels, never tried that either!

Now I'm actually thinking to stop using acryllics and pastels together, because I couldn't find sutible fixative that will fix them toghether and won't be gleamy. On the bigger aardwark I used fixative after painting and I didn't like the gleamy porcelane-like effect it gave to the figure. But I found matte fixative for pastels only, so I think I'll use it on future figures which I'll paint with pastels only. And on figures I'll paint with acryllic I won't use fixative at all.

one colour I use a lot and that's 'Burnt Sienna', I try to soften colours up as they don't look too good when they're too bright. You can paint a model just one mixed colour, but it's even better to add dark or light highlights after the basic coat colour is on, the highlights add depth and realism to the figure.

Thanks I'll try that one, I shall adopt the method too.

[Bowhead Whale]

Do you plan to make a bowhead whale?

[Etienne]

This is the only Aardvark, I have ever seen. Yours are a lot more active.