Finished Greenware Stage:Why did you pick the animal that you did?
I picked the desert rainforest frog because I think they’re super cute! I wanted to pick something I would have fun sculpting and that I was passionate about. A few weeks ago I found out about these frogs and I thought that they were adorable. I also thought that the round form of the frog would allow me to catch up in this class because I was starting this project later than most people (I took a long time to finish my llama mug) How is it constructed? Explain your process. I started constructing my frog by making two large pinch pots. I then put the two pinch pots together to make the main, round body, while still keeping the frog hollow. I then molded the clay to make the body as round as possible, and to distinguish the head. Next, I made two very small pinch pots and attached them to the body to make the eyes. I added some small coils to the eyes to make the lids, and then smoothed them out into the body. I used a needle tool to define the eyeball and make the thin pupil shape. I also used the needle tool to add some nostrils, and cut the opening for the mouth. Next I attached some coils to the body for the limbs, and used the needle tool to cut some toes. Finally, I used the bottom of the handle for the needle tool to lightly dot texture all over my frog! What did you have difficulties with and how did you overcome it? I had difficulty when sculpting the eyes of my frog. I kept adding coils to the eyeballs to make the lids, but I had difficulty keeping the lids defined while still flowing into the skin of the frog. The bottom lid was especially difficult. It took a couple tries, but after I kept referencing my pictures of real desert rainforest frogs, I was able to get the look I wanted. I also had trouble getting the pupils to look right. I carved away the pupil using a needle tool once the clay was in the leather-hard stage, but it was difficult to get both pupils to have the shape I wanted. I overcame this by taking my time and making minor adjustments as I went. What do you find successful about your piece? I found the form of my piece successful. I think my frog shows the grumpy emotion I was trying to convey, and that the limbs of my frog are positioned to make him look like he’s about to move, giving him a sense of life. My frog’s right limb is tucked under him while his left limb is reaching out, as if he had been sitting down and was about to get up and move.
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So far in this piece I had the most difficulty sculpting the head of my llama. It was difficult for me to get the general shape of the head while keeping the head hollow, and it was hard for me to add clay while keeping as much of the head as possible hollow. Additionally, when I first sculpted the head, I had difficulty getting it to look like a llama. I overcame these things things by being patient and using the many tools available to me. I also consulted with Ms. Sudkamp and looked at reference pictures of llamas to make the head more recognizable. I also struggled with balancing the llama since the neck and head were so heavy, the mug kept tipping forward. I overcame this by listening to the suggestion of my classmate, and adding clay to the front legs. This elevated the front of the mug and helped lean the neck and head of the llama back to help balance the weight. I then added a small tail in the back of the mug to make my piece even more stable.
I've found the body of my piece successful. I believe the texture came across the way I wanted and can be recognized as fur even though it is not a realistic texture. I also think the body is a good size for the mug, and that it is the right height. If I were to create this piece again, I would try and bellow the mug out more in general to give the body a rounder look. I would also make the neck and head more proportional to the body, they're a little bit big. I might also experiment with the style and incorporate a handle. I would also try and incorporate my stamps if I were to do this project again. I could have made a blanket for the llamas back and incorporated my stamps into the pattern on the blanket. I could have also made a handle and incorporated some of my heart stamps on the handle. Name: Danica Grant
Grade: 12th I am excited to learn how to use the wheel! Last year I was in Visual Arts 3 and we had some AP art kids in our class that would use the wheel to make their pieces, and it seemed really interesting to me! I am good at swimming and videogames (but it depends on the game: I'm good at Slime Rancher but not Overwatch). I'm also good at drawing and organizing things! An interesting fact about me is that I love to travel! I've been to 11 countries, and my favorite trips have been to Italy and China! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2022
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