Norajean.com

Biz-Archive Tute-List

2003- June Highlights

Tailoring With Clay Index

 

06-18-03: Ramble to the MSATClayArt list about using pressed clay sheets as fabric, but only after you've sculpted a full body.

Tailor, we got a tailor in our midst, then you know how you grade
patterns, take a 10 and make it a 16?

With miniatures you're just grading the pattern downwards.

Folks, the reason why it is good to make a full body with your figures
is you can measure them out for clay clothing. If the hills and
valleys of the human body are there no matter what you drape over it
you'll have instant sculpting.

I just don't know why this has not taken off as a clay thing in the
mini world. Hanging hankies are just clay fabric samples on display.
Biz-Archive/Faux/abalone/abaPaces/002-HangHanky

What are some of the patterns you can get with cane slices pressed to
a background sheet? Well check it out,
Biz-Archive/Sheets/Group

Make the body head to toe, give it the hills and valleys it needs.
With arms and legs in the extended position you "dress" your figure
with raw clay sheets, pressed thin, cut like a tailor would do. The
sleeves on a sculpted figure is no different than the sleeve of a full
sized person, it's a matter of scale.

What I'm endeavoring to do with demos like the Leopard Spot Jacket
Biz-Archive/MSAT/ClayArt/WebCam/DemoPix-019h

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1751108&a=30357818
is to show that standard tailoring tricks of cutting patterns but
doing it with clay sheets. What the nifty and hippity ho thing that's
going on with pattern making and clay is WE DO NOT HAVE TO SEW. We
don't even have to GLUE.

Figures ready for scenes can be done in a day. From aluminum foil
armature, covering with skin clay, sculpting a face, dressing with raw
clay sheets... THEN pose the figure. You can do it. In any size you
want using the Easy Breezy figure making techniques.
BIz-Archive/Sculpt/AllSizes-thm
Biz-Archive/DollsFiguresFaces

I clothed Lex-Doll-1 in a morning, ok? It went quicker than doing
these little jackets on hangers. Invest a little time learning the
basics of measuring bodies and pattern making. You'll not only be able
to quickly clothe your figures you'll be able to measure full sized
folks and make stuff for them too. Patterns are just patterns with
tailoring, size is relative. And being Japanese my relatives are
short. Sorry, old joke.

Even if you didn't know how to measure a figure, sculpted or life
size, you can drape rectangles on your figures and still get away with
it. Most folk costumes are rectangles. Looms are narrow and nothing is
cut away. Kimonos are an example of rectangles used in folks costume
and continuing on a Japanese Theme... I should add that to the Japan
index, ya..
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1751108&a=30355994

Nursing Mommy is dressed in rectangles and sheet scraps
Biz-Archive/Sculpt/NursingMom/006-Thms

Can't forget the Madonna and Child in the Emu Egg, her outfit was left
over trim, his blanket was the hoarded last bit of an ammonite run.
Biz-Archive/Eggs/EasterEmu/005-MotherChild
Biz-Archive/Faux/Ammonite/Group

Having been a tailor and my leaning was more towards historical
theatrical sewing, like the Ren Faire and such all, coming into clay
is just a delight because dressing my clay figures was such immediate
gratification. Posing after dressing, keeping the clay body flexible,
is one of my favorite brain farts. But we'll natter about that in
another ramble.