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Part 1 of a 4-Part Series:
Making the Three Wise Men from the Christmas story.
This is a mixed-media sculpture set, using Super Sculpey for the heads, hands, feet, gifts and turbans; and my Silky-Smooth Air Dry Clay recipe for the clothes.
There’s also a simple wooden base that I actually had to make over – you’ll see why in the next video.
The other videos in this series:
- Part 2: Changing the Base and Adding Two More Wise Men
- Part 3: Adding the Air Dry Clay
- Part 4: Finishing the details and painting the 3 Wise Men
If you’d like to see more figure sculpting videos in the future, be sure to let me know in the comments below. And I promise I’ll try to get more of the next video in focus – that’s always a big challenge for me when working on something this small.
I mentioned a few links in the video, and here they are:
- Air Dry Clay recipe.
- Patrick Keith’s armature diagrams.
- Debbie Court’s figure sculpting tutorial.
- Ace of Clay’s YT channel
- Josh Foreman’s portrait tutorials
- The painting I’m using as a model for the Wise Man’s head.
- The drawings I’m using as a model for his clothes.
- Link to Super Sculpey on Amazon.com
- Link to Magic Sculpt on Amazon.com
If you’re curious about the critters behind me in the video, you can find patterns for them here.
If you decide to make the Three Wise Men or any other Christmas-themed sculpture, I really hope you’ll show it off on the Daily Sculptors page. We would love to see it!
Hi juni thank you thank you. I’m new to your web site . Love it quick question to make the 3 wise men do I use your original recipe first and then super smooth recipe on top. Wilma
Hi Wilma. Yes, you can do it that way. It’s easier to cover the armature with the original recipe, and then add the details with the air dry clay. Have fun!
Hi Jonni. I have heard you speak about using the sculpey clay and also epoxy in your videos. I followed the links you provided (thank you) but since I live in Canada it took me to Amazon.ca. The prices on those products are really expensive here. Could you let me know the price you pay? I’m just wondering if we’re getting gouged or it really is that expensive. Thanks very much. Also, thank you for all the time you put into helping others make paper mache sculptures.
Hi Cheryl. Both the 3 pound Super Sculpey and the 1 pound Magic Sculpt are currently around $30 US on amazon.com. They’ve both gone up a lot since the last time I purchased them. Like everything else, I guess… 🙁
Thanks Jonni. Yes, everything has gone up a lot! The Canadian prices are higher than that but still may have to try it. Thanks for your help.
Hi I’ve been wondering I don’t know if it’s a dumb question or not but I was wondering do you ever use a pasta machine with your clay? I am getting really bad with arthritis in my hand and I don’t want to have to give it up so I was just wondering if you have ever tried it thank you for your time
LeAnn, I’ve actually wondered that myself. But I haven’t tried it. however, our friend Mark Smith made a nice video about using the air dry clay in a tortilla press. It’s kind of the same thing, so it might work with a pasta machine, too. You can see his post here.
Watching you form that face is so much form. The character pops out of him. Can’t wait to see his wardrobe. Thanks.
Ok, pop quiz….without looking it up on the internet, what are the names of the three wisemen?
Melchior, Balthazar and Caspar (cheated a little bit, I knew the first two, but had to ask my mum for the last one) 😉
Gold star to Isis! It’s funny, I remembered the first two as well but had to look up the last one.
Just a bit of trivia fun!
I think that might be a trick question, but before I give my answer I’d love to see what other people say. 🙂
Coward! LOL!
I am forever grateful to you for sharing all those wonderful sculptures you do.!. Each one is amazing.
Thanks! 🙂
Interesting way of attaching the feet to the wood. I have always just drilled a hole and put the wire straight into the hole, then built the feet up around the wire. Obviously, the wire would need to be longer than you need so you can do that, then I used a strong epoxy to stabilize the wire in the hole. My way works but your way seems so much sturdier! See, you learn something new everyday! I’ll bet you could even do bird feet that way….I’ll have to try and let you know.
So, the wise men carried gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So if you are having this guy hold a ceramic pot, I guess he would be carrying the frankincense??? Gold could go in a box, myrrh is an ointment of some kind, I think. Give it some thought since you want it authentic.
Fun project….different than your usual mask or wildlife figures.
Hi Eileen – I actually intend to do it your way for the next two. The wire I used for the feet is too bendy, although the Magic Sculpt should help stabilize them. I think I may do a hybrid – the longer 1/8″ wire going into the wood, with the bendy wire added at the right spot so they can be screwed in, too. No harm in overdoing it, right?
Following your advice, I just looked up the gifts they’re supposed to be carrying. Frankincense is evidently dried tree resin, so it could go in a box or a ceramic container. Myrrh is a resin from a different tree, and it’s supposed to coagulate quickly, so it would be similar to the Frankincense – but to be really confusing, there was a liquid version used in Jewish religious ceremonies. Would that kind come from Persia? (Doing the research feels a little like traveling down a rabbit hole – everyone disagrees with everyone else…) Anyhoo, we can use one ceramic vessel, maybe a wooden one, and how would we present the gold?
And yes, this is very different. I can’t remember ever sculpting a human figure. And certainly no tiny little heads. It’s challenging, but fun. 🙂
What have you been up to lately?
If you could do just the legs with a super strong wire like coat hanger wire, it will not bend. Then the wire could stand strong.
It is rumored that the myrrh that was given to Jesus as a baby was saved to anoint Him with in the tomb. Just a rumor to be sure but I kind of like that full circle thought. A friend of mine sculpted a nativity out of ceramic clay and I splurged and bought it. One was carrying an octagonal box(?gold) another was carrying a cylindrical upright container, the other a tall rather than wide container. I will personally email you with a pic of that as I don’t know how to send a pic in this format.
What have I been doing? I do have several sculptures to show you but have either been too lazy to take the pictures or my IPad has been acting up. Besides that, I’ve learned how to quill paper and best of all, we got a new puppy! (Will send pic as well) As you know, that in itself is almost a full time job!
Boy, puppies can take a house apart, if you let them! I’ve done so much puppy-proofing in the last three months that I can’t find anything – I was only supposed to hide them from the pup, but I seem to have hidden them from me, too. I hope your new pup is calmer and more civilized than mine is, so far. your pup is gorgeous, by the way. Nobody would be upset if you fill out the form and upload photo, even though he isn’t made out of paper mache. 🙂
I’ve been wondering what the family did with those very expensive gifts. For a working class family in Roman-occupied Galilee, having such gifts would make them the richest family in their village. Maybe they saved the other two items for later, too. 🙂
As always, Jonni, I love your detailed videos, links and information. Especially during this season and covid, I’m very grateful for you…your curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm. Hugs to you my friend.
Thanks, Judy! This certainly has been a trying year, but making things and keeping our creative minds working does seem to help. 🙂