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Just
Ask Winter 2005 By Deb Hayes |
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Welcome to Just Ask. I am here to answer your questions…if I don’t know the answer, I will research it with our team of experts and give you THEIR answers. Email me at: Deb@pcPolyzine.com. |
Dear Readers, | xxxxx |
The topic featured in this issue of Just Ask is a good example of how I research a question when I don't know the answer, or parts of the answer, myself. I received a question from Carol about using real horse hair with polymer clay. Jeannie Havel (the pcPolyzine publisher) recommended I contact North Carolina equestrian artist, Linda Douglas for some expert advice. Hopefully Linda's detailed response will answer Carol's question and any you might have about horse hair, too. Deb PS - Look for
the
link at the end of this article to view the polymer clay art of Linda
Douglas.
Hello, I am fairly new to the
exciting world of
polymer. I have made 3 unicorns to date. The last I did was a bust. I
added
real horse hair to it. My question is how to add the hair? The glue was
messy,
hot glue left a residue. I read about folks rooting it. Can the hair go
into
the clay then the oven? Will it fry it there? What is a better mane and
where
can I buy the mohair? Carol
Adding hair for manes and tails on horses is a little more complicated to do than for human figures. The doll/fairy artists have a few options for incorporating hair, but most make a central hole in the middle of the back of head, bake the figure, then glue the hair into place, then style. Some artists wrap a piece of raw clay over the ends of the hair and place into the hole, baking again, then separating the hair around head as they style. The last option is a true "rooting" process that embeds the hair into the clay. Usually the entire figure and front of the ace w/ears are completed (to the hairline) and baked, so details are preserved. Then the back of the head is added as a ball of raw clay, and beginning at the outer hairline the strands of hair are pushed deep into clay and hair is added towards center. Many considerations go into sculpting standing animals and I make my armatures of "very" heavy wire to support body weight plus clay on thin legs, then bulk with foil much thinner overall especially in the neck area. I sculpt from the bottom making and baking legs first, then up the body to (the withers) where the shoulder blades meet the neck at the top of back with several bakings, not to lose muscle definition when handling. I sculpt up the neck to head/ears and all finishing details (skipping both sides of neck just below the mane area) then bake again. Now we are
ready to "root" the hair and I roll two snakes of clay the length from
the poll (between ears) to the withers (end of neck). The snakes
are the muscles of
the mane.
I flatten them and set them aside until later. I like to lay out
enough mohair (check how long for mane) then cover the entire
length of
one snake
pressing small amounts of hair into the clay and a separate piece
for the
forelock at the end of the snake between the ears. I use a
small
scissor to trim the excess hair ends. Next I roll over the
snake with
a brayer flattening/widening it further which allows a little clay to
curl/fold over and encasing the ends of the hairs inside the
snake. I do a
quick cleanup of loose hairs, then lift the hairy snake and place
on
the neck, then press it down carefully blending in the
raw snake
over the baked neck clay. What materials
make the best manes? I
find that the size of the strand in natural horsehair is much
thicker for
manes on a full body sculpt and is way too bulky much less trying
to apply
it to a tail. Most of my horses/unicorns are 14" or more and
even the
natural human hair is a little thick, making it harder to
work. Mohair is a thin fiber and allows full coverage
without being
bulky. Mohair can get
pricey
from dollmaker suppliers, but it is available
on-line at some polymer clay supply sites. I get all my
supplies from ClayAlley.com
and
the owner, Karen Rhodes always has "excellent"
friendly advice, as well as fast shipping service. Tell her
the NC Horse Lady sent ya and I hope this helps your
horses get
a handsome hair do!
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Linda L.