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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Polymer Clay Fish Sculpture Tutorial


Step 1:
Make Skinner blend sheets at the thickest setting on your pasta machine or cut slices from skinner blend blocks.  These are small sheets.  Just 1.5" X 1.5".  You will need two sheets of each color.  This you tube video shows how to make these block blends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtxXtbd2vaw


Step 2:
Layer the sheets so that the dark and light ends are together.

Step 3:
Make two jelly roll canes.  One cane will start rolling with the solid colors.  The other cane will start the roll along the blends.

Step 4:
Form a fish body.  For this one I used a ball of clay 1.6" in diameter.

Step 5:
Use the jelly roll with the color gradient to layer slices on the body like scales.  Start at the tail and work towards the head.


Step 6:
Flatten the other jelly roll cane.  Slice it in half.  Sack the layers and repeat until you have a very short block cane with as many layers as you want.

Step 7:
Cut slices from the layered cane.  Gather and squish one end of each slice to make the fins and tail.

Step 8:
Cut slits into the body of the fish to insert the fins.  I learned this trick from a fellow member of the Tucson Polymer Clay Guild.  If there is someone else I need to cite please let me know!

Step 9:
Add eyes and a mouth.

Here are some variations.




12 comments:

  1. I have been thinking about trying my hand at doing a fish, and this tutorial looks fantastic! Thanks so much for all that you share, very inspirational.

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  2. So lovely..i have been looking for something similar.. got exactly what i wanted..Thanks!!

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  3. Thank you for sharing your tips and knowledge with all of us, regards from Venezuela!

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  4. I love this! I'm new to polymer clay, get your cane builders and just joined th AZPCG. I can't wait for our class with you in Februart!

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  7. I think your artwork is amazing. I hope you do not mind, I posted your artwork on my blog for others to see located here: ceramic artisan. Your work is very colorful much like the ceramic clay fish sculptures found here: bffart.com/clay-fish-sculpture
    Thank you for sharing and putting together a well written tutorial on how to make amazing clay fish sculptures!

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  8. Hi Meg,
    How do you flatten a bullseye cane? This is confusing to me??

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