Day 263 - 365/2014

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Three

I was thinking today that maybe I could use a head from a plaster cloth guy that I started a long time ago for the head of the male mannequin (that I got yesterday at the non-garage sale).

I took a photo of the mannequin and also of the working dog and the tiger-like guy.  Then I printed them and cut them out to see if they looked like they might work.

I like the tiger-y head a lot, but I was happier with the dog head for this so I thought I would cut it off of its base and try it out on the mannequin...heh...not as easy as I was hoping.

Wow -- there was much more resistance once I cut through than I was expecting!

It just didn't want to give in!

Ah...this is what was causing me problems...a second neck inside the first one.

Gah -- AND -- masking tape over a plastic bin.

HAH!!!  I won!

Then I took the head out to the back porch to see how it looked.

No...this dog head is not quite right...it looks more like a dog/pig hybrid...it needs a lot more work than I want to do AND that will make it too big for this body.

Then I had a "duh!" moment...what about "the goat-ish guy that I'm building from scratch in the basement" (that will most likely not be a goat after all anyway)?  THAT would be even better!

But -- of course, there is always a "but" -- I need to cut away that roundy part.  Gah -- more sawing!

Man -- that really wore me out...and it is about to rain...

Dammit!  I will have to figure out what exactly is inside of this guy...but for this second, I think I can balance the head on the shoulders for one more quick photo before the skies open up...

Okay -- here comes the rain.  I will probably have to really come up with a new neck, and the shape of the head needs more work,  but I think I like this much better than the dog.  This is going to be a massive project!

2012/365 - Day 33

sometimes you just NEED to hit something with a hammer...

Today I had the overwhelming (and I mean overwhelming) need to get the hammer. I could feel the weight of it in my hands. So strange...every time I went into the studio and sat at my desk I could feel myself swinging the hammer.

Finally it all came together. I was walking out of the studio (the feeling was really strong) and I looked at the Working Dog. That was it! I had to knock his ears off -- the ears were the problem.



Here he is, totally unaware of what is about to happen.

















Oh my gosh -- it was SO satisfying. I felt like I'd done it before. It was exactly what I needed to do.

And it was pretty gratifying that it was a little difficult to knock them off...it meant to me I had attached them correctly.
















Wah waaaaah...poor little no ears.















Now to try and shape his head...make it a little rounder and more even with the paper rags and masking tape.











Ready for the plaster cloth!



































He is already looking better. I like the shape of his head more now.









onto the ears...

But how to make the ears??? I looked at a lot of pictures of dogs. I prefer standy up pointy ears but I have always drawn my Working Dog with floppy ones. I tried making a shape by folding the paper rags together (like I did for the cat-ish guy's tail a few days ago) but it wasn't working. I went back to the pictures of dogs and tried to understand the shape of the floppy ear if it was folded out straight. But man -- those in those dog pictures the ears were so wide at the base...how was this going to work?

I cut a sheet of typing paper into a couple of different shapes...mostly triangles. I tried manipulating the paper. Then it became clearer. I modified the shape a couple of times and got the paper rags. I used a piece made of two sections, folded at the perforation and put the typing paper shape inside. I taped the edges together, held it up to the light and cut around the shape. I held it up to the Working Dog's head and it seemed like it would work, so I made another one.









I had to work with everything too quickly to take photos of the steps. I was thinking if the first ear worked, the second one would be a little easier and I would have a few seconds where I could take quick shots.

And wow -- I really like the results!








I am telling you, working with the plaster cloth is truly a collaboration with The Universe...I could NOT do this without the guides dropping in.














Okay -- ear #2.

I put the prepared ear down on aluminum foil so that the surface I was working on would be plaster dust free and could get wet and hold the water.













I learned from the first ear that I should complete one side of the ear then flip it over and complete the other side. I will have to work in some tight spaces to add strengthening layers to the first ear.















This section is mostly for my own reference so that I can see how I did this.

This is the completed first side, Took.








I had to take the pictures fast...that is why they are a bit blurry.

This is side two of ear #2, probably the top of the ear. I will be able add to the top of the ear fairly easily so it doesn't have to be totally complete.

I flipped the floppy edges over and plaster cloth'd this side.













The ear, ready to be attached.

This was much thicker and more completed than ear #1. That was good and bad. Good because it was easier to pick up. Bad because the plaster cloth was setting up quickly. Good because it held it's shape with the support piece. Bad because it was harder to get the plaster cloth triangles to cover the edges and blend the edge of the ear shape. (I will know what all of that means if I read this again.)








Stopping to take photos was not that great of an idea -- but it will probably be helpful to me at a later date.

I propped the ear up with a piece of wood that was on the table. (It's a leftover section from the wolf-ish guy's leg.)







This is the inside of the ear where it attaches to the head. I will smash some plaster cloth triangles in there and then lay a piece over that to smooth it out. MUCH easier on this ear than on the first one.














This was one of the bad effects from the ear being complete...the part where the ear attaches to the head had a thicker edge...harder to blend on. The first ear is smoother.










Wow -- what a difference. I am liking the Working Dog now.















The view from my desk.

2012/365 - Day 27 part four

working again on the working dog

As has been previously mentioned in this blog, I am pretty challenged when it comes to making a canid. This poor dog. I just don't know.







the working dog, before





Actually I think it might be something about how I feel that I should make a dog or dog-like creature...I should at least try. I am much more comfortable and familiar with cats and cat-creatures -- at least I feel like I am -- and I think that probably has quite a bit to do with it.



So here we go again...


















I filled in the masking taped areas and then tried to add more to the ears. I think the ears were the worst part or the part that was throwing this guy off the most. There are many things wrong with this guy, I am aware of that...LOL...












...but I have too much invested in him now to just trash him.

















(he hears something)







I will keep working on this guy. I am kind of looking forward to the rest of the parts -- I think my sister should come over and give me some ideas -- she's the dog person.

Still, you know...he isn't all that bad for an experimental guy.

2012/365 - Day 15

working on the working dog

The Working Dog's head/face have been bothering me lately and I needed something to do for the blog post so I decided to try to fix it a little.


I have some leftover pieces of chicken wire sitting around so I tried to re-shape his head.



























































And since I cannot tell anything by looking at and through the chicken wire, I covered it with masking tape.

















Now some across the bridge of his nose.


















a little more














That looks a bit better...but still not right.













some more chicken wire to round off his nose area













My hands are telling me to quit for now...so I am going to.













His ears need adjustment, but I need to plaster cloth the additions first.











Yeah...a little better.














He looks better in person than he does in this photo.

Plaster cloth and adjustments to his ears will help...but I am not doing it tonight.










Here is a peak at the cat-creature -- that is what I have been working on for most of today.