Six months ago Rascal the Rocking Horse was born, and his original pictures are still on the site. However, part of our most recent commission included a Rascal. So, Crow went about making another one. Her skill with the clay has improved drastically, her style is different and all the Clay Critters have been upgraded (as is evident by the newer pictures).
Making Rascal for the commission seemed, on the surface, a simple task. Build him from our design with newer techniques and better sculpting. What started as an afternoon project has evolved into a two-day process. Re-creating Rascal is not as simple as it first appeared.
Crow started this endeavor last night, working on Rascal's rails and body first... the rails were beautiful. They rocked where the first Rascal's rails do not rock well. She started molding the body then, shaping each leg and body individually. This went well - until she realized she was putting fingerprints on the white clay.
Now rails and body were created, Crow tested Rascal against his rails. She set Rascal on the rails. He was too big. His front hooves touched the furthest edges of the rails, making him look like he was Skiing Rascal and not Rocking Horse Rascal.
Given the choice of destroying her work or starting over, Crow decided to start over - she has a naked Rascal body lingering on her desk. I think that body might be devoted to a new Clay Critter - the first in our up-coming horse series! Or, perhaps another Rascal? Who knows the fate of the naked horse body...
She again built Rascal's body from the ground up, crafting each piece individually... this time he fit on his rails. More fingerprints appeared. Crow added a few minor details and then baked him. Once he was baked, she cleaned him and painted the white clay to clean up smudges and fingerprints.
Baked! Cleaned! Painted!
The mane was next. That was the smoothest in this lengthy operation. He has a bit more of a comb-over rather then the Mohawk-style mane of the original Rascal but it suits Rascal's new look. Individual locks of his mane are now visible.
Next came the torment of balancing. When he was placed on his rails, he fell forward, his head far out weighing his back end. Should I tell you the secret? A counterweight hidden in Rascal's tail! Crow spent nearly an hour attaching the strands of Rascal's tail, covering the counterweight completely. When sitting on a flat surface, his tail's tip keeps him steady. When hanging on a tree, he hangs evenly.
The saddle went on with ease. After she was completely finished, Crow realized poor Rascal had no hooves. She painted those on. A few spots of black paint wound up on the red rails. She started cleaning up the rails with paint - only to discover the red clay and red paint are drastically different hues. So she has been forced to paint all the rails.
We are, however, finally nearing the end. Once the paint dries, she will have only the glazing left. I'm tired just watching her!
Making Rascal for the commission seemed, on the surface, a simple task. Build him from our design with newer techniques and better sculpting. What started as an afternoon project has evolved into a two-day process. Re-creating Rascal is not as simple as it first appeared.
Crow started this endeavor last night, working on Rascal's rails and body first... the rails were beautiful. They rocked where the first Rascal's rails do not rock well. She started molding the body then, shaping each leg and body individually. This went well - until she realized she was putting fingerprints on the white clay.
Now rails and body were created, Crow tested Rascal against his rails. She set Rascal on the rails. He was too big. His front hooves touched the furthest edges of the rails, making him look like he was Skiing Rascal and not Rocking Horse Rascal.
Given the choice of destroying her work or starting over, Crow decided to start over - she has a naked Rascal body lingering on her desk. I think that body might be devoted to a new Clay Critter - the first in our up-coming horse series! Or, perhaps another Rascal? Who knows the fate of the naked horse body...
She again built Rascal's body from the ground up, crafting each piece individually... this time he fit on his rails. More fingerprints appeared. Crow added a few minor details and then baked him. Once he was baked, she cleaned him and painted the white clay to clean up smudges and fingerprints.
Baked! Cleaned! Painted!
The mane was next. That was the smoothest in this lengthy operation. He has a bit more of a comb-over rather then the Mohawk-style mane of the original Rascal but it suits Rascal's new look. Individual locks of his mane are now visible.
Next came the torment of balancing. When he was placed on his rails, he fell forward, his head far out weighing his back end. Should I tell you the secret? A counterweight hidden in Rascal's tail! Crow spent nearly an hour attaching the strands of Rascal's tail, covering the counterweight completely. When sitting on a flat surface, his tail's tip keeps him steady. When hanging on a tree, he hangs evenly.
The saddle went on with ease. After she was completely finished, Crow realized poor Rascal had no hooves. She painted those on. A few spots of black paint wound up on the red rails. She started cleaning up the rails with paint - only to discover the red clay and red paint are drastically different hues. So she has been forced to paint all the rails.
We are, however, finally nearing the end. Once the paint dries, she will have only the glazing left. I'm tired just watching her!
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