tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76994744756928777512024-02-07T22:16:30.286-08:00Sculpting Mythical Creatures out of Polymer ClaySculpting Mythical Creatures out of Polymer Clay
Make a Gnome, Pixie, Halfling, Fairy, Mermaid, Gorgon, Vampire, Griffin, Sphinx, Unicorn, Centaur, Leviathan, and Dragon!
Dinko Tilov, Boris Tilovbormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-773477867715289952010-05-15T00:24:00.000-07:002010-05-15T00:24:00.342-07:00Chapter 11 - THE LEVIATHAN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4HXF6o0wQT6-144ddRXgSuumPIdQtytmrr7MozxnYMgdRKt0SznJy269TbpmrQXFGPu2GL7rIzREiBZMiBEuciP8JFfOc6ePH9x9QYAfHBtdZhqV-4_m2pdB2Jl0TfV3fHPSIGAI_HTs/s1600/BN-129-MC.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4HXF6o0wQT6-144ddRXgSuumPIdQtytmrr7MozxnYMgdRKt0SznJy269TbpmrQXFGPu2GL7rIzREiBZMiBEuciP8JFfOc6ePH9x9QYAfHBtdZhqV-4_m2pdB2Jl0TfV3fHPSIGAI_HTs/s200/BN-129-MC.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464343379099907186" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 166px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxJfLvliEYSzKPMOTt0jVp8wS85JSKXZA418SBsbzc_BeWeg7Ujhm44VD4mB1sCugu6LlGo4rbogOCQcAsTS9xDzVto-8RMlTRQdk4DSOwWVHuiO4Gf9qfeasmR_kUEHvXmmB5dRQP5Fq/s1600/leviathan.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxJfLvliEYSzKPMOTt0jVp8wS85JSKXZA418SBsbzc_BeWeg7Ujhm44VD4mB1sCugu6LlGo4rbogOCQcAsTS9xDzVto-8RMlTRQdk4DSOwWVHuiO4Gf9qfeasmR_kUEHvXmmB5dRQP5Fq/s200/leviathan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464343109838553442" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; ">In this penultimate lesson in the book we show how to make the sea monster Leviathan. Also, by way of "extension" here you get an extra mini project that is just as fun - we show how to make a ship (galley) full of viking soldiers, suitable in itself for the beginner level. The Leviathan - with his giant whale/predator fish body is in itself a project for the more advanced clayer, although it is too broken down into simple enough individual steps most people can easily follow.</div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-28140697458793412022010-05-05T08:54:00.000-07:002010-05-05T08:54:00.541-07:00Chapter 10 - CENTAURS - Abraxas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd42VMcIcs8k6nym3V7i7BlLvFUzvEMiv9eb0zKYR_nDLjW5scbb5C7Uxu0o_C07nNgsh_C1WXXGDR4YTKcE0G4TvEkPUsIDrEL4FxyIYuMXuyBQpAe3b3ixuhIbgwnziAatzZrkNXSWm/s1600/centaur.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd42VMcIcs8k6nym3V7i7BlLvFUzvEMiv9eb0zKYR_nDLjW5scbb5C7Uxu0o_C07nNgsh_C1WXXGDR4YTKcE0G4TvEkPUsIDrEL4FxyIYuMXuyBQpAe3b3ixuhIbgwnziAatzZrkNXSWm/s200/centaur.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463733167764250018" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">This advanced-level project will teach you how to make a Centaur, based on the skills you picked up with the previous project in the book - making a horse's body. What makes this a little more complicated is the fact that the Centaur has 8 limbs (4 legs, 2 arms, 1 head, and a tail) so it feels like making an Octopus while you twist the armature for the wire. But for those of you who like a little challenge, as long as you stick with the project (involves multiple bakings) the patience really pays off. We show how to make a semblance of an anatomically correct torso from a bunch of balls of clay of different size - a complex looking end result from a series of no-brainer steps. We made our Centaur a little buff, so you can use this project to make as an extension a Hercules.</div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-5394586030947010202010-04-28T08:37:00.000-07:002010-04-28T08:37:00.260-07:00Chapter 9 - UNICORNS - Igrif Belcon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOymBSbVQ_zqo9CjYw4UMdKBy8ZJB3iLummCcV9TCtz9wiDcfPx5R6VhLb_WVnBzNFLk621ix7eWcPsHwXTOKppIMKdUupIW6uF8OIwrngUd0tcQTeiIploXcmYPrFcyGQqKK1jyYhqJm/s1600/unicorn.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOymBSbVQ_zqo9CjYw4UMdKBy8ZJB3iLummCcV9TCtz9wiDcfPx5R6VhLb_WVnBzNFLk621ix7eWcPsHwXTOKppIMKdUupIW6uF8OIwrngUd0tcQTeiIploXcmYPrFcyGQqKK1jyYhqJm/s200/unicorn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463730489065713474" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In this chapter we show how to make a unicorn - which is, before you put in the magic, a white horse with a horn in the middle of his forehead. We show how to make a skeleton out of wire and tinfoil for a quadrupled creature, which will also come in handy for the making of the Centaur in Chapter 10.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will let you in on a little secret, an inside joke: the name we picked for this creature, although it has a somewhat Nordic ring to it, is actually a pun - Igrif Belcon means "playful white horse" pronounced with a certain Bulgarian dialect. We laughed our heads off when Boris came up with this, good times... The moral of the story is that when working with clay it's always good to try and have a good time - if the claying becomes too onerous, or you don't seem to get it right again and again, don't get frustrated, squish everything if you have to (that's how you get the grotesque look) and you can start over when your mood brightens.</div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-46600927217843144332010-04-24T08:16:00.000-07:002010-04-24T08:53:23.401-07:00Chapter 8 - THE SPHINX - aka the SPHINX<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PLNj6OEwzf17fyQKgcYAI8pJBU8fJTk3EZMzEKeC6QqepLHfCagZvqsvJRBWq-pUi2Njv9mvyXZ0zK3iimIZ7FXZniHelDUg4FIdpPUHNtwKOR5Ll4u6xh3ICtZF0D92X2u6abTDcQf7/s1600/sphinx.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PLNj6OEwzf17fyQKgcYAI8pJBU8fJTk3EZMzEKeC6QqepLHfCagZvqsvJRBWq-pUi2Njv9mvyXZ0zK3iimIZ7FXZniHelDUg4FIdpPUHNtwKOR5Ll4u6xh3ICtZF0D92X2u6abTDcQf7/s200/sphinx.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463724375235704850" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Sphinx is an ancient monster, a cross between a lion and a man. The body of a lion and the head of a man, to be precise. We were inspired by the the Egyptian statue of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamen">Tunakhamun </a>and the stone <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx">Sphinx monument</a> near the pyramids in Giza for the design of this guy. This is not a complicated project, although it looks like it consists of many parts. It will appeal to those clayers who dabble in millefiori, because we use some cross-sections here for the attire of the monster.</div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-83486125758488122282009-10-18T03:48:00.000-07:002009-10-18T07:37:21.420-07:00Chapter 7 - GRIFFINS: Orelav<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSEom3AzTFrBVFHMtGloDi5Z6kSsUj-W9-oBhS-uWKp9LZ3PW2C_r5cskPBuACiE5lS8KWrhlDQJjZl4bRgY-ZIA4p_i2nrWM5tcZsWkclfZ_V07d-8v9xwOWBAOJW7TAOQjhpjrliVOL/s1600-h/BN-039-MC.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 227px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393948711684181250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSEom3AzTFrBVFHMtGloDi5Z6kSsUj-W9-oBhS-uWKp9LZ3PW2C_r5cskPBuACiE5lS8KWrhlDQJjZl4bRgY-ZIA4p_i2nrWM5tcZsWkclfZ_V07d-8v9xwOWBAOJW7TAOQjhpjrliVOL/s200/BN-039-MC.jpg" /></a><br /><div>In this chapter you will learn how to make a cross between a roaring lion and eagling eagle.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrVTaO6jc9QzBcxbfRpe0y3HrH2ej0dupGQ_qstI7LJIGiksTgmQlSQlErqSfTaUnKYX0vFQQTFOl7rBkIPfB4sfGQQ8DmmHPhzvXxsYv0ETZoshWJkwOdR3LfVjrmGivBdaa9Dlny8St/s1600-h/BN-038-MC.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 196px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393948182497243634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrVTaO6jc9QzBcxbfRpe0y3HrH2ej0dupGQ_qstI7LJIGiksTgmQlSQlErqSfTaUnKYX0vFQQTFOl7rBkIPfB4sfGQQ8DmmHPhzvXxsYv0ETZoshWJkwOdR3LfVjrmGivBdaa9Dlny8St/s200/BN-038-MC.jpg" /></a> This is what they call a griffin, a magical creature that is very popular on coats of arms of all sorts.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSFwrdDk63n4RV6CVYcaMv7-wjmBe2sBNHuLZLVGPiSjP5Sz6KjURjtzERS-2FpDXMUkKo4GmSJdMnc09zQT9a3_dLrdSFZE1KYBzPI7EZXNKoHXOpHSX_5jsEwKh6elSCYC4AUY4XSRo/s1600-h/BE-25-MC.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-59915622497165974552009-08-27T08:40:00.000-07:002009-08-27T12:53:41.635-07:00Chapter 6 - GORGONS AND VAMPIRES: Medusa and Branduff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC3jJdYDSJMcprS7yhTU1gt6i1E3uVbJB-izWXlAvmuU8FcaKwlbOIvB9imxlFDFXmC2d0L7LTDciILt6C9CLSiBV07P2jU3IRrTAaYyGKWvxb9jYQ81Y9-zsZmK5_UfPlSEs8Z7bWJ7U/s1600-h/vampire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC3jJdYDSJMcprS7yhTU1gt6i1E3uVbJB-izWXlAvmuU8FcaKwlbOIvB9imxlFDFXmC2d0L7LTDciILt6C9CLSiBV07P2jU3IRrTAaYyGKWvxb9jYQ81Y9-zsZmK5_UfPlSEs8Z7bWJ7U/s200/vampire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374730874720933458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jEnl-jhaEHSylC8PuaSmGyvKuA1MTN0yOAsyXge0hMfudMSGX8zMVELHfGnlQ9arxT87kkOKwMyv3frwuDBGsxhfk8x2x6uUrByHloK1QkaELD8UnqPW5-7OnNqrvlYpzwI8edlvVd8H/s1600-h/gorgon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jEnl-jhaEHSylC8PuaSmGyvKuA1MTN0yOAsyXge0hMfudMSGX8zMVELHfGnlQ9arxT87kkOKwMyv3frwuDBGsxhfk8x2x6uUrByHloK1QkaELD8UnqPW5-7OnNqrvlYpzwI8edlvVd8H/s200/gorgon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374730747525803874" border="0" /></a><br />In this chapter we kill two birds with one stone; we show how to make two different characters using the same beginning. The Gorgon, the mythical female monster who had snakes for a hair, turns out to have a lot in common with the Vampire Branduff.bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-18961151346676137622009-07-07T23:24:00.001-07:002009-07-07T23:29:40.480-07:00Non polymer clay fun<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOMmY8fBUO4sZBS0Bo9i2HKM7ZWCq7WofMyqItG9H-qkVmBPx_EU-1sWEOhErfIouJ1ZQvPPVu75H4c-AH2EBW6ap68DUHanoYf8QK0YlWwaDKrsLRohQVzTjmnezJwb1UPswN2SykHI4/s1600-h/water.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOMmY8fBUO4sZBS0Bo9i2HKM7ZWCq7WofMyqItG9H-qkVmBPx_EU-1sWEOhErfIouJ1ZQvPPVu75H4c-AH2EBW6ap68DUHanoYf8QK0YlWwaDKrsLRohQVzTjmnezJwb1UPswN2SykHI4/s200/water.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355971529344239826" border="0" /></a>It has been quite a while since we last posted, but we were busy with some non polymer clay fun. Dinko and I (Boris) had to put some time in organizing the third annual Midsummernight's sprinkle - essentially a water gun fight which happens traditionally in front of the national theater in Sofia. It has been a cool event - again. About 120 people showed up and had a great time for about five minutes. With this over we are steadily returning to polymer clay and hopefully will post often on the blog. Oh, almost forgot - here are some <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo_search.php?oid=99475682136&view=all">pictures</a> from the water fight.<br /><br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-77215943792405148392009-06-16T09:32:00.000-07:002009-06-16T10:01:16.731-07:00Chapter 5 - MERMAIDS: Jambalini<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0oydXfbaetyfLgIbQqjseNcR3kHzXSEZwY42POQRkPbLS32Kw5siuxbs-8TI3tBT-FX0jstIXh35bNP475E1bmIGNa91k7tvwUtkgkKZTgYEDBdarjX4reun5Cxt0NKEeIn46c1-5EmC/s1600-h/mermaid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0oydXfbaetyfLgIbQqjseNcR3kHzXSEZwY42POQRkPbLS32Kw5siuxbs-8TI3tBT-FX0jstIXh35bNP475E1bmIGNa91k7tvwUtkgkKZTgYEDBdarjX4reun5Cxt0NKEeIn46c1-5EmC/s200/mermaid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347968087583297586" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In this chapter we show how to make half-fish, half - hold your breath - female character. A.k.a. Siren, Sea Maid etc. The reason why you had to hold your breath is that if you are already familiar with the type of character that Boris and I typically make, you will have probably noticed already that we tend to make clumsy trolls and goblins rather than delicate and effeminate forest and sea beings. And so we do not make female characters very often.<br /><br />We show how to make the upper body of a girl and the tails of a fish, in such a way that the tail and fin look like the dress and feet of the character. In the variations we take this concept one step further and make a mermaid with a more sophisticated dress. We really wanted to make a Merman too, bit skipped that part for some reason. You can make your own mer-dudes by using the torso portion of the Centaur (half-man, half horse creature) lesson, in one of the following chapters and the fish part from the mermaid character. You can make all kinds of mer-things for that matter. I personally wanted to make a Mer-Miaou character at some point, but you've gotta draw a line somewhere eventually... Don't let me stop you though.<br /><br />Another thing you can do, and I think I have seen a drawing like that somewhere, is to make a sort of inverted mermaid - the head of a fish, with the sulk and the bulging eyes, and the legs of a human. A visual pun of sorts. Applied to the centaur project, and I will sure mention it again when i get to it, this line of thought gives a human body and the head of a horse - which, if you think about it is one step away from making a Minotaur - the famous mythical monster in the Labyrinth, with the human body and the bull's head. To make a bull's head make the ears, lips and nostrils of the horse's head (that you will learn how to make in the Unicorn project).<br /></div><img src="data:image/png;base64,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" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index: 2147483647; left: 681px; top: 236px;" id="kosa-target-image" />bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-88793164092991581962009-06-08T20:23:00.000-07:002009-06-08T20:43:11.567-07:00Dinko's fan<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYaXzDMImXJNQ6k9Xwe70KxFF7SgogAWuVCY5LJFnfv7Kk_9BszKTPBFlIQXi-sDCovDa3DUexkcabPeRuX1ADLkyRUu9BXCcWRLLtozJgfj_gnl6rF2tEZqPxyoeFftvB67nXNwGK17U/s1600-h/dinkofan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYaXzDMImXJNQ6k9Xwe70KxFF7SgogAWuVCY5LJFnfv7Kk_9BszKTPBFlIQXi-sDCovDa3DUexkcabPeRuX1ADLkyRUu9BXCcWRLLtozJgfj_gnl6rF2tEZqPxyoeFftvB67nXNwGK17U/s200/dinkofan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345164479690068866" border="0" /></a>I (Boris) was really happy yesterday to see what Dinko's fans do. Susan Sherry Avarello set up a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/dinkoclay/pool/">Flickr group</a> for polymer clay creations inspired by Dinko's work. I have to say also that I personally really like Susan's work. Her creations can be found at her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5436868">Etsy store</a> and on <a href="http://www.artfire.com/users/FantasyClay">Artfire</a>. You must check out her work. I have to say too that the other thing I enjoy is the nickname she uses sometimes 'time4coffee'. For me personally it is always time for coffee. I drink almost 1/4 of a gallon of that stuff each day. Anyone who enjoys coffee and Dinko's work is in my 'coolest people' list.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-41609045788087884842009-05-18T09:51:00.000-07:002009-05-22T03:05:39.691-07:00Chapter 3 - HALFLINGS: Mr. Gladden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Q_nehP3m75VtrqA8gq2JBbszK4jgDybTBXjc4tvbLeeJloZ8WwQh__TyEsLldIM70fJJqeewr908H5nlYnov1rvZ9bsIMyru9vHsK1YsQZBGgflz1LCmUoiydAp-QYlDPiiAKxlgpecP/s1600-h/halfling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Q_nehP3m75VtrqA8gq2JBbszK4jgDybTBXjc4tvbLeeJloZ8WwQh__TyEsLldIM70fJJqeewr908H5nlYnov1rvZ9bsIMyru9vHsK1YsQZBGgflz1LCmUoiydAp-QYlDPiiAKxlgpecP/s200/halfling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337210088890197826" border="0" /></a>In this chapter we show how to make a hobbit character, although we never use the word "hobbit" itself in the book, because it was the name of a race of creatures in the Lord of the Rings invented by Tolkien, so we didn't want to infringe copyright. We used "halfling" in the end, instead of hobbit, because our legal department is too busy just now. :) Anyway, hobbit or not, it was made to look like one, as you will recognize.<br /><br />Again we build on the previous projects - a slighly more sophisticated face (and I don't mean that in the sense of "refined"), standing on two legs (two armature bits) etc. Based on the same design any human character can be built, if you vary the proportions a little.<br /><img src="data:image/png;base64,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" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index: 2147483647; left: 536px; top: 128px;" id="kosa-target-image" /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mythcritbook-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=books&banner=1N4P1140VP34Z6816KR2&f=ifr" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border: medium none ;" scrolling="no" width="468" frameborder="0" height="60"></iframe>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-26986146121456225522009-05-18T05:59:00.000-07:002009-05-22T03:03:22.612-07:00Taurus<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xEdYfrmRzLbPhEib80rqm-qmeUcNvwsBl3GonbxAvRwapT8zWg0Gwrm4YGhlIRe9CbcuQre0gvIHicBjFE49zI9bQuXghLslMdiIbvsrkgov2pCLHmkBzm76PoxGyN7DkXZeDIFt3kKb/s1600-h/cow3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xEdYfrmRzLbPhEib80rqm-qmeUcNvwsBl3GonbxAvRwapT8zWg0Gwrm4YGhlIRe9CbcuQre0gvIHicBjFE49zI9bQuXghLslMdiIbvsrkgov2pCLHmkBzm76PoxGyN7DkXZeDIFt3kKb/s200/cow3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337148204340805554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmJC_4Ek3a3uoh71QfqSAhoFqT-y4Q6MTmVxghe0lDGKPj0r6qrP_EjqMaGa3yWbJvburw1FjIUISnUrKsG-5JK67dbKMoV4MBKKztZnceJjFB78IAL9kSDqyTwU0wSTNVx5XBAH91GOl/s1600-h/cow2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmJC_4Ek3a3uoh71QfqSAhoFqT-y4Q6MTmVxghe0lDGKPj0r6qrP_EjqMaGa3yWbJvburw1FjIUISnUrKsG-5JK67dbKMoV4MBKKztZnceJjFB78IAL9kSDqyTwU0wSTNVx5XBAH91GOl/s200/cow2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337148153565353218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLwmjU2a9fcCP2a75_OMB6gOrRKKJtgHpJdLEWfRTaRMJKaG8rIiKEVo8up3-osYZNjEmayHJ3nPW7Kx7KhBqnqjSlUcYvpi9csUwOeHXCCrQidXzCDuYss7UZeHCEY-eSoJR_Po1-6Gz/s1600-h/cow1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLwmjU2a9fcCP2a75_OMB6gOrRKKJtgHpJdLEWfRTaRMJKaG8rIiKEVo8up3-osYZNjEmayHJ3nPW7Kx7KhBqnqjSlUcYvpi9csUwOeHXCCrQidXzCDuYss7UZeHCEY-eSoJR_Po1-6Gz/s200/cow1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337148097250255666" border="0" /></a>Believe it or not this is a Taurus. It is built for a friend of mine who will give it as a gift. Here are the specifications he gave me (Boris).<br />- it has to smile - check<br />- not very big horns - check<br />- dancing position - check<br />- sunglasses between the horns - check<br />- a bottle of vodka that has to be removable in case the person he intends the Taurus for gets offended - check<br />- a silver necklace - check, even though this is not exactly silver, but it looks like it, some old piece of broken jewelry<br />- silver trainers with pink stripes - check<br />- I love WV Polo inscription - check<br />So much for building custom ordered figurines. Hope you like it.<br /></div><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mythcritbook-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=books&banner=1N4P1140VP34Z6816KR2&f=ifr" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border: medium none ;" scrolling="no" width="468" frameborder="0" height="60"></iframe>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-15236716701462909802009-05-17T02:49:00.000-07:002009-05-22T03:04:20.020-07:00Chapter 2 -PIXIES: Brice the Pixie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt2uqagqHAeFbHKLsELYSy2bcFeyH6aEM1mpuqddJwcdC8pnby06JMKXM0yGlz28XCY1FiwosG6wEKp-gY0Ms_co8WUO-BF4H6uKHmSuZ3N24_sLHJ6Q87ROHgCBGmdxesVotzbemvQ85/s1600-h/pixie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt2uqagqHAeFbHKLsELYSy2bcFeyH6aEM1mpuqddJwcdC8pnby06JMKXM0yGlz28XCY1FiwosG6wEKp-gY0Ms_co8WUO-BF4H6uKHmSuZ3N24_sLHJ6Q87ROHgCBGmdxesVotzbemvQ85/s200/pixie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336728893076593570" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In the second chapter of the book we show how to make a pixie. This project is tailored to beginners as well, and is intended to upgrade a notch the skills practices with the gnome. We show one way of making a slightly more sophisticated face and introduce the basic building block of wire armature to make some upstanding creatures. If you are into mythical creatures, you have probably seen over a dozen different images of what artist thought pixies should look like. That's just the thing - it has been so long since anybody last saw one that few people remember what they look like exactly. The general consensus seems to be that they are blue in color, so based on that we show how to make a pixie looking the way we think ought to look. We called it Brice.<br /></div><img src="data:image/png;base64,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" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index: 2147483647; left: 459px; top: 164px;" id="kosa-target-image" /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mythcritbook-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=books&banner=1N4P1140VP34Z6816KR2&f=ifr" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border: medium none ;" scrolling="no" width="468" frameborder="0" height="60"></iframe>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-39125735852338128262009-05-12T22:06:00.000-07:002009-05-22T03:03:03.791-07:00Our friend Alexander<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WBcGkJsMuFg3nvwMI1m9MmupXcQTKCuWwREY0VXRUE3ZFzMbA7JrDe9mD1dGfBeGynCwC5Hl8hfs2xR1GFYHV5wKRhoXTe0vPRYLJLVoQBPIPCL9amS8UzLURetYqzxCEOrV8ISUAy-V/s1600-h/sasho.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WBcGkJsMuFg3nvwMI1m9MmupXcQTKCuWwREY0VXRUE3ZFzMbA7JrDe9mD1dGfBeGynCwC5Hl8hfs2xR1GFYHV5wKRhoXTe0vPRYLJLVoQBPIPCL9amS8UzLURetYqzxCEOrV8ISUAy-V/s200/sasho.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335171092491082978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0KsQYVPut6T4LOHzFsaGjDaVD7qDwFfqrP_BZuVAw1wfCgJkiA7lbE3zlnZ-rMxXk45hYhNW-OcZoBH4pJbcTJ2_PNiM_8x3RD8nNGYhAukhqw-igKk8kYI3NUyTau6sgXgog5QebHHa/s1600-h/sashognome.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0KsQYVPut6T4LOHzFsaGjDaVD7qDwFfqrP_BZuVAw1wfCgJkiA7lbE3zlnZ-rMxXk45hYhNW-OcZoBH4pJbcTJ2_PNiM_8x3RD8nNGYhAukhqw-igKk8kYI3NUyTau6sgXgog5QebHHa/s200/sashognome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335170999764351026" border="0" /></a>This is our friend Alexander playing with his son in the park. On the next picture is the gnome Alexander made. I (Boris) like a lot Alexander's attitide towards polymer clay. He uses it for purely recreational purposes, without building a stock of tools or clay. As you can see he did not adhere to the color scheme of the gnome. 'Those are the colors I had at hand' he says. He changed the hat a bit - instead of it being pointy, he made it curved at the top. The beard of his gnome has several colors, instead of the one color beard shown in the book. The head of the creature is smaller in comparison to the body than the ratio in the book project. Alexander doesn't care much about smoothing surfaces or making things look perfect, he uses the polymer clay sculpture to relax. In that respect I think he shares one of the main ideas Dinko and I had writing the book - polymer clay is for fun.<br /></div><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mythcritbook-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=books&banner=1N4P1140VP34Z6816KR2&f=ifr" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border: medium none ;" scrolling="no" width="468" frameborder="0" height="60"></iframe>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-21606878631181844532009-05-09T01:22:00.000-07:002009-05-09T01:33:05.682-07:00'Polymer clay fans are growing in numbers'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRXnQFSYob3_RYA05TXQwOtdVoWMu568DsGJ8IrRTvPVf5Y00Y95mtPQgaOMuBaMfG-KKUZ77-vrd25eTf4ABD_VDdt9OEMKw3dF75Vv9x_bmBRKCOen6STSmJQrsv_u57YCrkTG2jkZI/s1600-h/hawainew.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRXnQFSYob3_RYA05TXQwOtdVoWMu568DsGJ8IrRTvPVf5Y00Y95mtPQgaOMuBaMfG-KKUZ77-vrd25eTf4ABD_VDdt9OEMKw3dF75Vv9x_bmBRKCOen6STSmJQrsv_u57YCrkTG2jkZI/s200/hawainew.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333737148512663490" border="0" /></a>'Polymer clay fans are growing in numbers' - this is what the sales lady told me yesterday when I (Boris) went to buy some clay from my favorite polymer clay suppliers <a href="http://www.dekar-m.com/">Dekar M</a>.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">She told me about these nice ladies that make jewels and jewelry boxes. She tried to find their catalog and since she couldn't, she told me she'll have it the next time I pass by. So I left. She then found the catalog and ran after me togive it to me. The paper catalog actually is much better and with more products featured than on their site. Plus - the site is in bulgarian only, but anyway here it is <a href="http://www.sugar-and-candy.com/">http://www.sugar-and-candy.com</a> and the work has a really fresh vibe that I quite like.<br />And even though it may be nothing special<span style="font-style: italic;">, </span>it is a fellow clayer and what is more a countryman/woman/women in this case and I am quite happy about it.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-65686798809803432622009-05-08T01:01:00.000-07:002009-05-08T14:39:53.636-07:00Project 1 - GNOMES: Rollieball Dropletson<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9nWfmsfjp7FUSBMiR2iCRYyJJNDLmLF_XL7DC0tkP2bBYMFjRlmvI-4HLdlItMCBUQfUorgyeRizQ1PWtVYELntHHu7tJpMa1L7JTxqcqAHih-hhWkqIQTqaqX78Hm477_4wcJM5hCR2/s1600-h/gnome.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9nWfmsfjp7FUSBMiR2iCRYyJJNDLmLF_XL7DC0tkP2bBYMFjRlmvI-4HLdlItMCBUQfUorgyeRizQ1PWtVYELntHHu7tJpMa1L7JTxqcqAHih-hhWkqIQTqaqX78Hm477_4wcJM5hCR2/s200/gnome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333570782624421986" border="0" /></a>Starting today we will do an extensive sneak-peek/ preview of all the project characters in our latest book <em>Sculpting Mythical Creatures out of Polymer Clay</em>. We start small, by showing how to make a gnome character – Rollieball Dropletson. Boris designed this character as an introductory project that requires very little prior skill or experience with clay, and next to no tools. You really need to know only two things – how to roll a ball, and how to make a rain-drop shape (also derivative of the simple ball). The idea is to make it comfortable for beginners to practise how to combine simple shapes to produce complex-looking results. At the end of the project we show several variation ideas and tips on how to make different gnome characters by varying facial hair.</div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-87718597153188543422009-05-03T04:17:00.000-07:002009-05-03T04:17:02.009-07:00Making of the dragon - part 2<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAxTVaz6cjPZfK32C1Dv40ySHuySjE48RfrZbMjBQVOgGrWNbTcu-fMARe0SY6PqbwL3pYknqeQINg7hRuDWEXkwIXnot5Ba3NmXg5E9SXg36fLtkQEw8os0vQVULGkBLD6lGQQFav7xU/s1600-h/colordragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAxTVaz6cjPZfK32C1Dv40ySHuySjE48RfrZbMjBQVOgGrWNbTcu-fMARe0SY6PqbwL3pYknqeQINg7hRuDWEXkwIXnot5Ba3NmXg5E9SXg36fLtkQEw8os0vQVULGkBLD6lGQQFav7xU/s200/colordragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331185085695122642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9FN-NDQi5L9WyFPgZZP5vTUaSdF6p0K3A4tAecBEMUSzNxXDEm56bkK9eoTC03mRdwv0sf4RTNVU3HiQhC0p8mqUMJmHv9wrnX7VTVAYn_rXEzPsaIA1tT1LIqpbCvJELuzj7HURr3Wo/s1600-h/reddragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9FN-NDQi5L9WyFPgZZP5vTUaSdF6p0K3A4tAecBEMUSzNxXDEm56bkK9eoTC03mRdwv0sf4RTNVU3HiQhC0p8mqUMJmHv9wrnX7VTVAYn_rXEzPsaIA1tT1LIqpbCvJELuzj7HURr3Wo/s200/reddragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331185020161851234" border="0" /></a>This is the boring story how the dragon in the book became what he is. Once it was decided there has to be a dragon in the book, I (Boris) decided that I want to make it. So I did some research about dragons. Learned that there are many varieties of them and finally concluded that I will revert to the commonly known stereotype - fire breathing, scaled, big, winged. The red dragon is the first one I made. Although he is a magnificent beast there are several things about him that made him not suitable to be featured in a book project: he looks evil, he is too big - about 14 inch long and about 5 inch tall, and fat, too fat in fact. A project like that would consume time, lots of time. I work fast but he took me 2 days and several bakings to make. Another shortcoming is that you'd have to work with red only, which on a too big of a project is rather boring. So he has been measured, weighted and found unworthy to be the main character of the chapter. Next I proceeded to make the colorful dragon - did not change the size, left the wings out and tried to make him look friendly. Colorful scales took even more time and without the wings he looked a bit strange. At this point I knew: <span style="font-style: italic;">the dragon has to be all one color, he has to have wings and a friendlier expression, he has to be smaller</span>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdImXter7dvL_VaBDl-dO-Ln5QtY7mMMTRWumTbvrDhzJkHFTab-bcNgY_5b81AByduDfUYzGuiOkVIszmyf2GEH94gOkcLSXpr7Q5GnMZImZp0fdRbRzyuzY3oj_h3YGx7N3jVh4as6YO/s1600-h/greendragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdImXter7dvL_VaBDl-dO-Ln5QtY7mMMTRWumTbvrDhzJkHFTab-bcNgY_5b81AByduDfUYzGuiOkVIszmyf2GEH94gOkcLSXpr7Q5GnMZImZp0fdRbRzyuzY3oj_h3YGx7N3jVh4as6YO/s200/greendragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331293371582734626" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The matter of size had to be tested too, so I made another dragon. It may not be obvious from the picture but she is much smaller. I say she because this dragon has the looks of a female dragon. And this is how the question of gender is resolved with polymer clay dragons - if the dragon looks male, male it is. If it looks female, female she is. It is a purely subjective decision you take. It is also a decision that is always correct no matter what you decide.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-3811353439105622072009-05-02T01:34:00.000-07:002009-05-02T02:08:57.287-07:00Making of the dragon - part 1<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK8CiWC1wPzxNaAM-WlGMwy7Vq6ughZ3-7R89WPsvEAIXJTRHe9s00_b_OMznhb9LfcGYoXPDmLO4GIuZNo37_VWVCzV0bzSdl-Zfxrrr7h-Q6Hr7untWbxH4ODX0YKqLUNk66XXYJ_xB/s1600-h/bonphone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK8CiWC1wPzxNaAM-WlGMwy7Vq6ughZ3-7R89WPsvEAIXJTRHe9s00_b_OMznhb9LfcGYoXPDmLO4GIuZNo37_VWVCzV0bzSdl-Zfxrrr7h-Q6Hr7untWbxH4ODX0YKqLUNk66XXYJ_xB/s200/bonphone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331145520721530018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SeNqmYTEgAN3wuldf23bilBKVG6GB43tvzMPzLjYA_YNao6f2eBVnnN1R8d-nhBFUN58Tuf7XO0Ejojo7oNU6AKJsXRWMVnruNabf7KjA23nxRky9N1oQIrJO_RxUzUrUGegvQdGT1u3/s1600-h/bdragonwork.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SeNqmYTEgAN3wuldf23bilBKVG6GB43tvzMPzLjYA_YNao6f2eBVnnN1R8d-nhBFUN58Tuf7XO0Ejojo7oNU6AKJsXRWMVnruNabf7KjA23nxRky9N1oQIrJO_RxUzUrUGegvQdGT1u3/s200/bdragonwork.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331143250785012338" border="0" /></a>These are pictures of my dragon making Dinko took. The book will explain what happens in between the first picture and the last one. he first picture is of me (Boris) discussing with someone, don't remember who now, something, don't remember what now, something obviously important enough to stop working on the dragon. The second picture is again of me, it could have been a picture of any bald dude, but it is of me, preparing to take a brake. As you can probably see I prefer to work sitting on the floor. The comment I have to make here is about workspaces. Any workspace you feel comfortable with is fine, there is no rule that you should have a studio or a specific work area or anything like that.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFPw2YdSHM5e0adLCyhDPIzBhihSFJ3pHB4n-DcC1z9c_Q6Z-B-T4Z2CXnKTNP2nO-gExEDTA7ppz6Nn2QdFbz4jcAngzvL-A-IQuvsELZiMHGoK5XaP9wXKRdJLb6S3Uho68wYkWfYnv/s1600-h/bonphone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFPw2YdSHM5e0adLCyhDPIzBhihSFJ3pHB4n-DcC1z9c_Q6Z-B-T4Z2CXnKTNP2nO-gExEDTA7ppz6Nn2QdFbz4jcAngzvL-A-IQuvsELZiMHGoK5XaP9wXKRdJLb6S3Uho68wYkWfYnv/s200/bonphone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331143574239434450" border="0" /></a>This is the picture of the dragon that is in the book. Mention has to be made of the dragon variations. In order to be able to present a step by step instructions for his dragon I made several different dragons before this one. Sometimes making several versions of a figurine before making the final version works better. However there are times when the final version of the figurine is the first one you make and only after that ideas of variations rush into your mind. Both approaches work equally fine. In my opinion when you feel inspired (and inspiration is a mysterious thing) the second approach comes into place. At times of logic and cold blooded craftsmanship the first approach seems to work better.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-44777743905415193552009-04-30T23:28:00.000-07:002009-05-01T00:52:41.851-07:00The 'old bone' look.<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUdlA9ZA6gk6G-j-yTnePA5Z3uS6AwZ7hJezH1oNjWkuuntN45Mi77xdf99SFBp1HFarmdU1o7hjQHt2mDbB0ulkqGElyDbwxh3Cc4MssGmYIsy7gvj7kUpWHz9V1V4aghxQwkA6yN4cO/s1600-h/whitepawn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUdlA9ZA6gk6G-j-yTnePA5Z3uS6AwZ7hJezH1oNjWkuuntN45Mi77xdf99SFBp1HFarmdU1o7hjQHt2mDbB0ulkqGElyDbwxh3Cc4MssGmYIsy7gvj7kUpWHz9V1V4aghxQwkA6yN4cO/s200/whitepawn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330742266404331458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PAB65XjuOTQfgGj_aTaSqEUjgRHBhVNrPMansbjdRn37wlZJW8OZp3msTLAOcfT1_Tsp-UWvFfIo_gdaNiR2LjlI9R2LhUC-ynXhDYyhVV9J67zKD9V9ISHsxU2uLVddnsWP8Ibp3ENj/s1600-h/varnishedpawn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PAB65XjuOTQfgGj_aTaSqEUjgRHBhVNrPMansbjdRn37wlZJW8OZp3msTLAOcfT1_Tsp-UWvFfIo_gdaNiR2LjlI9R2LhUC-ynXhDYyhVV9J67zKD9V9ISHsxU2uLVddnsWP8Ibp3ENj/s200/varnishedpawn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330742162980356946" border="0" /></a>I(Boris) had to explain again to a fellow clay enthusiast how I give the figurines I make an old bone look. So here is what I would normally do description. The first two pictures are of the same not varnished and then varnished figurine. Keep in mind that the same effect can be used not on one color sculptures only. It can be used on colorful sculptures too. You just have to keep in mind that the varnish will make the colors darker and in some cases slightly change them.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcUg2DHaaHF_NPXiYf869aSX-bl74N8ed36AGQq6_9-hlBXWVKFCe87Mrh3iPKHnmLC2CrwnxVneH0hjAc5yA88adaUkw41utE1dwqCkvg9cyKnlB49OBzyQtB166b1zx3WCzfIMOy20z/s1600-h/Parental+Advisory+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcUg2DHaaHF_NPXiYf869aSX-bl74N8ed36AGQq6_9-hlBXWVKFCe87Mrh3iPKHnmLC2CrwnxVneH0hjAc5yA88adaUkw41utE1dwqCkvg9cyKnlB49OBzyQtB166b1zx3WCzfIMOy20z/s200/Parental+Advisory+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330738838938952850" border="0" /></a>There are two different ways to achieve an old bone look for figurines made of white clay only. One way involves working with brushes gouache and water - this way is suitable for kids. Better results are achieved working with turpentine, asphalt varnish, brushes and old rags - this way is not suitable for children. So here is some info about materials. I feel it is important to read before continuing.<br /></div><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.talens.com/english/products/detail.asp?subID=12&mc=004&artikel=0816...2"><span style="font-size:100%;">Gouache Extra Fine Quality flacon 16 ml</span></a><br /></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Turpentine</b> (also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, wood turpentine, gum turpentine) is a fluid obtained by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation" title="Distillation">distillation</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin" title="Resin">resin</a> obtained from trees, mainly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine" title="Pine">pine</a> trees. It is composed of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terpene" title="Terpene">terpenes</a>, mainly the monoterpenes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-pinene" title="Alpha-pinene">alpha-pinene</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-pinene" title="Beta-pinene">beta-pinene</a>. It has a potent odor similar to that of nail polish remover. It is sometimes known colloquially as <i>turps</i>, but this more often refers to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turpentine_substitute" title="Turpentine substitute">turpentine substitute</a> (or mineral turpentine).<br /></div> The word <i>turpentine</i> is formed (via French and Latin) from the Greek word <i>terebinthine</i>, the name of a species of tree, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terebinth" title="Terebinth">terebinth</a> tree, from whose sap the spirit was originally distilled<br /><br /><b id="glosred">Asphalt varnish</b>. Asphalt varnish is composed of asphalt pitch that is heat-treated with Gilsonite and thinned with mineral spirits or naphtha. Varying degrees of flexibility and toughness are obtained by varying the ratio of pitch to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilsonite">Gilsonite</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Giving an 'old bone' look - for kids</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwoQE7OWBUU3qUHC-2sSAPUk5cd7DZ5PfRGlRkAhOFP6DUca0YpH_QdLFSlz6gbmqwbYGnn0xWVEYqA2nNZfo5u4AEUqUjBgrLz5NqXamUPdPYUXhZlcbKYLiXVJH7sTBNHKPWH_30FOZ/s1600-h/water.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwoQE7OWBUU3qUHC-2sSAPUk5cd7DZ5PfRGlRkAhOFP6DUca0YpH_QdLFSlz6gbmqwbYGnn0xWVEYqA2nNZfo5u4AEUqUjBgrLz5NqXamUPdPYUXhZlcbKYLiXVJH7sTBNHKPWH_30FOZ/s200/water.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330744958508398578" border="0" /></a>These are the tools needed to give the creature the 'old bone' look. Two bottles of gouache, one ochre and one black. A small plate to mix the gouache. If you don't have gouache but have tempera paint at home it will also work fine. It is good to have several brushes of different sizes. Those don't have to be expensive - ordinary brushes that kids use at school are perfectly fine as long as the hair of the brush doesn't fall.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The process is as follows - imagine (at this point imagine) you have the pawn or the pawns baked. Take some ochre and some black and mix a dark ochre color. I missed to ad that you will need some water to work with the qouache, but I suppose you already worked that out. After you have the color ready paint a thick coat of gouache over the entire figurine. Be careful to paint all over the pawn, don't miss even the smallest and hardest to reach places. Let the paint dry for several hours. Then with a brush dipped in water start to wash off the paint. Most of the paint will wash off but some of it will change the color and some of it will remain at places. This will make the outlines of armor and other body parts better visible. After you have finished let the pawn dry. At this point it must be varnished one more time with a water based transparent varnish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Giving an 'old bone' look - for adults</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzROYgE9veXN-Rr_qhtLqP2M1btKo_SIpoCJEooHhKaNzoXg1_CwCMpY0bXO4hXETKySQHmvUmKqCX9MXrWp7CVIXbBnCMM-M-3SR_V384kkgnTDLlG8xAxSfQ9n5E148BopJXMAGa-i4/s1600-h/asphalt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzROYgE9veXN-Rr_qhtLqP2M1btKo_SIpoCJEooHhKaNzoXg1_CwCMpY0bXO4hXETKySQHmvUmKqCX9MXrWp7CVIXbBnCMM-M-3SR_V384kkgnTDLlG8xAxSfQ9n5E148BopJXMAGa-i4/s200/asphalt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330746656057131378" border="0" /></a>These are the tools needed to give the critter the 'old bone' look. A small bottle of turpentine - this one looks green because the manufacturer's label on the other side is green. Some asphalt varnish - here it comes in quite big bottles so one bottle can be shared between artists, that's what I did so my asphalt varnish resides in an old coffee box. You will need a wooden stick (sculpting tool in my case) or a spoonlike tool - you must have one since the asphalt varnish is quite thick and when small quantities have to be moved from one container to another such a tool is needed. A small dish to mix the turpentine. Several brushes. At this point is is good to remind that after finishing work with the asphalt varnish one must not forget to carefully wash the brushes.<br /><br />The general idea is to paint the piece with the varnish, let it dry for about 20 minutes and then with a brush dipped in turpentine wash off the asphalt to the necessary point. I realize this is not explained in detail, but it is best to show the process and not describe it. I will be showing that process as soon as possible - as soon as I find someone to assist me and film it since it is a messy process and it is not possible to film and work at the same time. Another reminder when speaking of asphalt varnish and working with it is to remind those of you that have sensitive skin to work with gloves. And a reminder for everyone is to work with open windows or if possible outside your home - asphalt varnish and turpentine don't smell good.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-27433929698576768502009-04-30T22:30:00.000-07:002009-05-01T00:45:01.659-07:00The Book is Out Today!<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1592535143?tag=mythcritbook-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1592535143&adid=0KJ0A70Q5GKYQHTA9S6M&"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330725027400479346" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 236px; height: 312px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnt1ZV2gMBGvDwbI2dFQcVrGiPG3Z8RmFsDWi9OLMBLn_BnssHJ1-aDs7zLuKlvuYoQqPcbsuFl2cPVna2KHkq2VR8S-BMxMCxio06ho15N3h3S6n8UQrMsY5qE7Lp6tOYUNFnbizJrBi8/s320/bookcover.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today is the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWdlCj-nUaCDalqgMkt05-QOZkAeeMjxR-cORqy_JrGoaPtUhyUfJIoLKRVnihRNEEOzSfAc5EL8mU0ZiQwyM-jH4d2sUrTGWQTg8HAwdGJ0GaNI6aHacxGygdqBi2bHCIsPKeO9W4MtE/s1600-h/pixie.jpg"></a>big day - Sculpting Mythical Creatures is officially out! We are very excited that we finally get to share our recent work and new set of ideas with you guys. We hope you will enjoy and share your feedback.<br /><br /><div align="justify">More about the book: it's how-to book with step-by-step picture instructions on how to make mythical characters out of polymer clay. We show how using simple techniques, materials and tools you can get some sophisticated-looking critters. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-78781527916327124472009-04-28T02:32:00.000-07:002009-04-28T06:18:08.438-07:00Bunnies on aution and sale<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMz3ONl9HvVXEfhMeoRF1qOBobjmdLZW6Oh-fM3d_fCZn9UYYCVY64QonxfRzoYF6JIHmjCxj_9NBiBWipA6tC9auLdc0n-3hZHqb-9bG20-fpJn7Lj1pMqRiedhjnE3xYWOq7G6cuy7Rv/s1600-h/ebaybunnies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMz3ONl9HvVXEfhMeoRF1qOBobjmdLZW6Oh-fM3d_fCZn9UYYCVY64QonxfRzoYF6JIHmjCxj_9NBiBWipA6tC9auLdc0n-3hZHqb-9bG20-fpJn7Lj1pMqRiedhjnE3xYWOq7G6cuy7Rv/s400/ebaybunnies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329677619275563794" border="0" /></a>These three bunnies are auctioned on ebay with a starting price of 0.01 usd. On the right side of the blog there is a widget that will link to the auction listings. Here is another <a href="http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/bradatko">link</a>. Those bunnies are variations of the bunny <a href="http://mythcritters.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-make-easter-bunny-summary.html">video tutorial</a> that was posted here some days ago. The price is reduced to a minimum hoping that these fine animals will find an owner who would keep them until next Easter when their skills will be needed again. The rest of the Easter bunny bunch (the friendly bunnies are on sale too on our <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5067569">Etsy shop</a>).<br /><br />The bunnies on the second picture are the ones that are featured on our <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5067569">Etsy shop.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivBD6CpZRzVYLkh4H5V_lTNBEvzdVQtFvi2TL1gDL-QKs7_PGbFX-78KTTERzP1mK6OiD3w4vN-g5mFzoKJc8xiOv_3OfrjIHQR3gO6ZFuEGBbWPkwflNZGKUbJ2C56oPQXJ-G7sxl0fP/s1600-h/etsybunnies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivBD6CpZRzVYLkh4H5V_lTNBEvzdVQtFvi2TL1gDL-QKs7_PGbFX-78KTTERzP1mK6OiD3w4vN-g5mFzoKJc8xiOv_3OfrjIHQR3gO6ZFuEGBbWPkwflNZGKUbJ2C56oPQXJ-G7sxl0fP/s400/etsybunnies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329713495554901938" border="0" /></a>And to return to one of the usual themes of this blog - the variation. With these animals it is pretty obvious - their color, the things they hold in their hands, but most of all the ears are their most prominent feature. Changing the shape and the posture of the ears is what contributes most to giving each bunny a distinct character.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-10315091707915486192009-04-27T11:22:00.000-07:002009-04-27T11:22:01.108-07:00How to come up with a mythical critter idea<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMU2M57_ji6qq1bPfyypdNy4Fr-nSU5xx3MtzwOJx5V4ih54ejc72n79yLUCcQcuXCqvIQowokiTKX_aw2Zoz1Cd8WTYv6pfyePZzrRTIxGO0uVoKOoNIx_PWTga8QvGV06WRY5XnIUO8L/s400/wikipedia-logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329067512682165170" border="0"></a>When you start making mythical creatures every once in a while you get the desire to make one. But which one, there are tons of them? No need to get nervous wondering what creature to make. Wikipedia always helps. Here is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_species_in_folklore_and_mythology">link</a> to a particularly helpful list of species in folklore and mythology. They are listed alphabetically and there is an image provided for most of them which makes a good starting point for a mythical creature polymer clay project.<br />On another note learning about the myths and legends of other cultures is really, really fun. Well, at least for me (Boris) it is. You may discard some of the listed creatures as too complex to make, or too easy to make, or not enough interesting to make, but anyway the list is huge. I am quite sure you will find the creature you like and then start playing with the clay.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-31908264892537819672009-04-26T11:34:00.000-07:002009-04-26T12:20:25.865-07:00Where do the Easter bunnies dwell<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6d48JeEPzPGz_QSZOP_jC22PrsL9B7j_DtAM3X70myjssFSS08AOwWohZqZOGp5jPyn3qIXVXVyRq2nU5zb8kBx5CEDxSXY0VBDizovjMyXP_kPObjPUASafY6WaCX1m9t4-MfFmr5Am/s1600-h/irina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6d48JeEPzPGz_QSZOP_jC22PrsL9B7j_DtAM3X70myjssFSS08AOwWohZqZOGp5jPyn3qIXVXVyRq2nU5zb8kBx5CEDxSXY0VBDizovjMyXP_kPObjPUASafY6WaCX1m9t4-MfFmr5Am/s400/irina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329070536817001746" border="0" /></a>Those of you who have kids and are already working with polymer clay know that it is hard to determine the natural habitat of the polymer clay creatures. And even though they are most likely to reside in your studio if you have one, or on a shelf somewhere in your work area, sometimes they have strange dwellings. In this instance it turns out that three of my Easter bunnies inhabited my four year old daughter's slippers.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Several hours later one of the bunnies was living in a kitchen drawer, another one behind the couch and as for the third we don't know yet. 'Daddy, he went in the forest to see some friends.' she says. I am inclined to believe that it rather went in one of her toy boxes or on a strange trip around the house and some of these days I am going to find a bunny at the most unexpected place.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-38575371121154762102009-04-21T12:20:00.001-07:002009-04-26T10:28:29.003-07:00Just a cool picture<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYzFFHtY7TmefAFe-ixhFfNJOLVZ2MP8Y-mgoTqw-hu09jCvweBqRacMbfz_Msiv1Y-6eHHq9e3cHfceOBR3J0ZfpIlKqfKqFu4stgl4bxBxmYCQWmCNHOrCHXsfnT0hRp-DR8Jz9fEPM/s1600-h/doubledragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYzFFHtY7TmefAFe-ixhFfNJOLVZ2MP8Y-mgoTqw-hu09jCvweBqRacMbfz_Msiv1Y-6eHHq9e3cHfceOBR3J0ZfpIlKqfKqFu4stgl4bxBxmYCQWmCNHOrCHXsfnT0hRp-DR8Jz9fEPM/s400/doubledragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327226879510498962" border="0" /></a>Someone took a camera and looked into the wizard's glasses made of magical glass. What did he see - nothing definite alas. Some ghosts that passed, memories of the past, spaces tiny and vast. Charcoal, coal, fire and blast, images that changed too fast. The big teeth of a creature of a strange breed, stories of valiant deeds. Legends, fairy tales, a white nightingale, a long sharp and deadly tail.<br /><br />There was nothing specific that prevailed, so it is impossible for the description of the vision to be detailed. Now that I think of this story it seems to be tragic. I wish I knew how the wizards do their magic.<br /></div>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-60324841176314591432009-04-20T07:37:00.001-07:002009-04-20T07:42:59.280-07:00Wire<object width="340" height="285">This is a video showing one of the little tricks I (Boris) use when I make skeletons.<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N88ykFVT87Q&hl=en&fs=1&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N88ykFVT87Q&hl=en&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object>bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699474475692877751.post-25019163187193311982009-04-20T05:58:00.000-07:002009-04-20T07:06:57.371-07:00Gargoyles<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZDvydAUMu05V2rtImvdugMiwX0aHFfuzwCfWoEU8VY8vsCQR-BJY2SFkPgsXiXz7piILbaDVB9g5nS9CDp7Jgil6yUwfn_3jA2BDzPaHg031iWAIIJdPoAY1JhlCFp9qorlSsQr6Dms3/s1600-h/MVC-847F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZDvydAUMu05V2rtImvdugMiwX0aHFfuzwCfWoEU8VY8vsCQR-BJY2SFkPgsXiXz7piILbaDVB9g5nS9CDp7Jgil6yUwfn_3jA2BDzPaHg031iWAIIJdPoAY1JhlCFp9qorlSsQr6Dms3/s400/MVC-847F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326764037594487138" border="0" /></a>I (Dinko) did some heavy scholarly research on the fascinating, and highly academic too, topic of gargoyles - the grotesque stone-carved creatures you see on the outside of Gothic cathedrals and some other buildings. Why they put demons and monsters to drain rain-water form the rooftops of churches, when they could have just as easily put angels with hoses, and other sprinkling devices (a certain fountain in Brussels comes to mind), is not exactly clear to me to this very day. There are theories of course, but we won't dwell on them here, for lack of conclusive evidence.<br /><br />The research technique I employed borrowed heavily from train-spotting and bird-watching, fascinating hobbies in their own right. So I went places, I saw gargoyles, and I took pictures, looked at them for some time, shook my head violently, and made <a href="http://funclay.com/Galleries/Gargoyles%20and%20Chimeras/index.html">these deranged-looking creatures</a>. I guess it's all the dripping water that made them crazy.<br /><br />"But what does that have to do with mythical creatures and their sculpting?" some of you may ask. Just about everything, I would say: gargoyles, and chimeras (the ones that are just statues with no water draining function) are often depictions of mythical beasts, and beast cocktails -1/2 part lion, 2/5 snake, 1/8 man, stirred not shaken etc. In a nutshell: If you are looking for some interesting ideas about mythical creatures, Google "gargoyles" and you will find some century-old and tested material.<br /></div><br /><img src="data:image/png;base64,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" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index: 2147483647; left: 411px; top: 92px;" id="kosa-target-image" />bormarborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09137391353242301775noreply@blogger.com0