Clay toys have been made in Russia from time immemorial, passing on the molding technology from generation to generation. Even now, in the age of plastic and synthetics, love for dolls, whistles and clay souvenirs does not dry out. In applied arts lessons, children are happy to learn how to sculpt toys from pliable natural material.
It is necessary
- - clay;
- - water;
- - stack, toothpick, knife;
- - sponge;
- - gouache, varnish.
Instructions
Step 1
Find clay for modeling in nature, for this, explore the soil of a ravine, building or brick pit. Dig out the required amount of the substance, dilute it with water until the consistency of thick sour cream and wait until the stones and plant roots settle to the bottom, then drain the clay through a fine mesh and dry it in the sun for 12 hours. Alternatively, buy a clay powder or vacuum-sealed sculptor from the store.
Step 2
Knead the plastic mass by mixing clay with water. The sculpting material should easily come off the hands. Prepare a bowl of water to wet the clay when joining parts and when filling cracks that form when it dries.
Step 3
Mold the main part from clay, for example, the body of an animal, and attach small parts to it, such as paws, head and tail. At the joints with a stack, a toothpick or a knife, make notches, moisten the parts with water and connect, smoothing the joints with your fingers. Stick the smallest details like ears, eyes and nose last. In the process of sculpting, do not forget to measure out the details and make them proportional to each other.
Step 4
There is a second way how to sculpt toys from clay - plastic. It is used to sculpt simple silhouette figures: birds and animals. Take a piece of clay, roll it into a ball and draw out the details of the toy, for example, the head with the beak and the tail of the duck.
Step 5
Moisten the finished toy with a damp sponge, brush or cloth, filling up small cracks. Stack the pattern, if desired, until the clay is dry.
Step 6
Leave the clay toy to dry for 24 hours. After drying, treat the product with sandpaper. You can burn a clay toy, but during firing, the figurine can behave unpredictably and collapse, so dry it well in a warm place, for example, on a battery, wrapping it in a plastic bag with a hole.
Step 7
Cover the dried toy with two coats of white gouache and paint with colored paints. Dry the sculpture well and cover with clear parquet varnish using a foam sponge. Leave the clay toy to dry for another 1-2 days.
