dragon sculpture

I began this project because I wanted to practice my modeling skills. I thought a dragon would be a fun challenge, due to the number of tiny details, and the pattern of the scales.

 

To create this model, I first made a wire armature with the rough shape of the figure I wanted to make. I then packed clay around that armature, using water to smooth the pieces into clear forms.

 

Next, I used sculpting tools to form the delicate pieces, namely the talons, the details of the head, and the ridges on the back. I then used a triangular tool to delicately impress scales into the clay, working from the head down. I made wings by rolling out thin pieces of clay onto aluminum foil that had been crumpled and then flattened, which created delicate veining on what would be the membranes of the wings. I carefully draped these sheets over the wire armature, tucking it into the body to create folds. Once baked, I used gold, red, and brown paint to bring the piece to life, and sealed the piece with a clear coat.

 

This was a complicated piece to make - most of my modeling to date has been for scenic design, so a figure like this was a challenge I enjoyed.