To make a creature head, one must first build an Armature. An Armature is like a skeleton for the Sculpt. It must be strong and stable. First you have to build a Wire Base with Armature Wire or Galvanized Wire on top of a wooden sheet with a block sticking up. Tightly cover the Sheet with a Plastic Bin Liner and strong Masking Tape.
Armature wire is a soft, flexible Aluminium Wire that can be found in craft shops; however, it is expensive unless bought online. Galvanized Wire is a low cost steel wire that’s been dipped in a bath of hot Zinc. This prevents the Wire rusting and scratching. It is a fairly flexible Wire which is good as this makes it easy to manipulate.
To build the Wire Base, create two U shaped Wires and then nail them into the block with Galvanized U shaped Nails and a Hammer. Take into consideration the shape of the creature head; where will the weight be? You must support it all so make sure to make allowances for the piece. After you’ve created a Wire Base, you then have to support it with thinner Galvanized Wire. Starting at the top of the two U shaped Wires, twist the Galvanized Wire around them tightly. Following that, start working around the centre of the four posts of the thick Wires twice, supporting the distance between the posts.
When you’ve finished building the Wire Base, you need to pack it out. There are many different materials one can use to pack out Armatures, the cheapest and most accessible being Aluminium Foil. Roll the Foil very tightly and fill any necessary areas. When you’ve finished packing it out, cover it with Mod-Roc and let it set or a good quality Masking Tape. This will ensure it holds its shape and (if you’ve used Mod-Roc) provide more strength.
Here is a photo of the Wire Base on my Armature.
Kait x
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