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The blue-footed boobies’ feet still aren’t blue yet, but we’re getting there.
This is the second video about sculpting blue-footed boobies.
- Click here for the first post. There’s also a link on that page for the free Booby pattern, if you’d like to use mine.
- And click here to see how the boobies were painted.
In the previous video I created the armature for the lady booby, and showed you how to create a wire sling with the legs and feet so she can stand up without a base. In this video, you can see how the feathers, beak and air dry clay was added to both Mr and Mrs Booby. Next time, they’ll both have blue feet.
After they’re painted, they’ll need a base, because Mr Booby is balanced on one foot. I used a suggestion from our friend Eileen Gallagher to help him stand up – there’s an extra wire that will be fitted into a hole in the base. I’ll show you how that works when I make the base itself. If you have any ideas for a design for the base, let me know in the comments below.
Great sculpt on those birds! You got the texture of the feathers spot on!
For your base, I have used layered corrugated cardboard before and it works but is a bit unstable if you are trying to glue that foot wire in, the cardboard shreds and doesn’t want to hold. You would have to use some clay to cover the base as well. I’ve done that and then just stuck the finished piece into the clay as long as the finished bird is not too heavy. You could also explore using styrofoam as the base using odd shaped pieces to mimic rocks. Of course you would also need to apply clay to that type base to cover the foam.
When using the wire method of putting the bird on the base, i have always used something solid, like wood or stone. Good luck, love what has happened so far!
Thanks, Eileen. I’m glad you mentioned that about the cardboard. I think I’ve decided to do it with foam. Partly because I have some in the basement from a home repair job I did down there, and partly because it would give me the chance to buy one of those foam sculpting tools. It looks like a fun toy. I assume I’d still need to dig a hole and fill it with epoxy clay, and then set the foot’s extended wire down into it go get a solid base. He is pretty heavy to be balancing on one foot, so I’ll probably have to prop him up somehow until the clay cures. A bit of extra clay or epoxy glue under the foot might help, too. But I’m not near that stage of the project yet. We finally had some decent weather, so I’ve been spending every minute I can getting the garden planted and the mess from the storm cleaned up. It’s supposed to start raining again, so I’ll have an excuse to stay in the studio and get the boobies painted.
I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend. 🙂
I never tried one of those foam sculpting tools either….sounds like fun! Just do it outside because those little balls get everywhere! Unless the foam is like insulation board. That is easy to cut.
I hear you about the gardening needing to get done. Just keep plugging! I remember the days when I could do gardening all day, be tired at the end of the day but turn around and do it again the next day. Now, I have to pace myself or I will be set back for a week! Ah , getting old!
You have a a good holiday too!