GBHS’s Introduction to Visual Design class is creating miniature polymer clay sculptures with art teacher Laurel Haley.
The sculptures are made on a small piece of cardboard with a theme of the students individual choice. The students will use a variety of tool and techniques and are assigned to complete the following requirements:
- No more than 25% of the square should be of negative space
- Paint the surface of your cardboard
- Know the use of one polymer clay method
- Sticking to your initial plan
- Creation of the color palette
In addition, the students have two weeks to complete this project.
“I am actually almost halfway done with my project. I am at the point where I am making my fish. Then, adding some small details to the grass and rocks with the pastels,” Alvarez explained.
Freshman Paige Stacey is doing rubber ducks in a bathtub for her theme. She said, “My project is going well so far. I have like 75% of my work done on it, I have a bath tub, rubber ducks, towels, a bathroom mat, and a turtle so far. “
Some different techniques the students will use are polymer clay cutters which work by cutting a certain shape out with cookie cutters. Wire armatures work by creating shapes/forms from a wire base. Aluminum foil armatures work with using foil as a base. The next two are blending seams and using liquid polymer clay. Another technique is making hot glue molds. After the students have learned the different methods, they can start by drawing a planar analysis of the idea for their miniature sculpture. This planar analysis drawing will help the teacher understand what they’re trying to build when they ask for help.
Junior Laura Alvarez said,“I used the shaping method to make my fishes and the molding one to make my rocks. I also used liquid clay to make textured grass and flowers.”
Stacey said, “Some methods I am including in this project are the marbling technique, and brushing the pastels on.”
Alvarez stated, “My theme is a koi fish pond/fairy garden. Koi fish ponds have recently shown up on my pinterest. This summer I went to a Japanese garden in California and thought it was the prettiest thing I had ever seen. So I’ve been inspired by gardens recently.”
When the student is ready to cure their project, they can then put it in the oven for baking. After baking, they can add any final touches and detail their sculpture.
Students are able to work with UV resin to add a water-like/wet look to their design and acrylic paint to amplify their different textures.
