Sculpting Continues

My polymer clay sculpting lessons continue with arms and hands. If I thought head's were difficult I'm in big trouble now, because arms and hands haven't come with any ease. I spent 2 weeks making, smashing and remaking arms and hands with nothing to show for it at the end of that time. It seemed to go well, until trying to bend the fingers. My long, delicate fingers turn into fat, ugly sausages every time.

My frustration also come from not having a single head that I think is worthy of getting arms and hands, and eventually being made into a finished doll. I suppose that part of the class process is to just have fun learning the techniques, but I loathe to make things that are just going to lie around the house once the class is done. I think what I have to do is pick the head that I think has the most potential in a whole piece, and not criticize its individual parts.

I tried following Marilyn's sculpting directions, and found it very frustrating. I decided to make hands with a wire armature, only to have all the wired fingers crack once baked. Makes sense I guess, metal expands when heated....

13 pairs later, I finally made a set that I was willing to live with. I wouldn't call them "good" but I was happy enough to live with them. Sure, they're long and spindly and gnarled, but I can work with that. They are the same size at least. However, right after taking the photo, the middle finger of the right hand broke off, so now I'm off to do it all over again. I think that was Karma getting me for when I threatened the hands with posing them in rude gestures if they didn't cooperate.

So back to the drawing board, or the sculpting table as it were. Hopefully I'll have a success story to share with you soon.