Work at home Course Part I
Starting Your Own Statuary Business
The pla
stiline model or sculpt of the hedgehog is shaping up nicely. For your sculpture, start by forming lumps of plastiline into the basic shape. Start slightly smaller, then build slowly and carefully by adding small amounts of plastiline to develope finer and finer detail. Keep your reference work handy and look at it often. I find that if I put the sculpt aside for a day or two,when I come back I see things wrong with it that I did not notice while I was working on it. Here I am using a wooden tool to sharpen up the detail and to delineate the quills in the Roma Plastilina. Tools can be a great help especially in putting in fine detial. A sculpture this size and shape will not need an armature. If your clay model is to have the arms or legs in an extended position you may need a wire armature or a foam shape to build on if your sculpture is large so that you will use less plastiline.
Hedgehogs are not the same creatures as ground hogs. Hedgehogs are native to Europe and Africa. They are much smaller than ground hogs, which inhabit North America. An adult African hedgehog may not weigh much more than a pound, while it's European c
ousins may reach the 3 lb. mark.
Hedgehogs have short spines or quills. When frightened, they roll up into a ball and erect their spines. They also sleep in a rolled-up position, though they donot erect their spines at that time. I have chosen this rolled-up position for my hedgehog sculpture. It makes for an interesting pose. The roundness will resonate with many people, but more importantly, it will be an easy casting to remove from the mold.
Sculpting Tip ... projections are problems
Well not a major problem, like running out of beer. More like a big headache... Actually running out 
of beer would be a big headache. Ooops!
When designing your sculpted model try to have as few long projections sticking out of it as possible.
Things like feathers and fins, arm and legs sticking out are a problem in the mold making stage.They are prone to break and can
cause mold making difficulties.
Michelangelo supposed to have said that you should be able to roll a well designed sculpture down a hill without anything breaking off. Whether or not that's true it's important to keep the entire manufacturing process in mind, mold making, casting and painting, right from the start. It can save you from having to go back and rework your model after you have made a mold of it.
What's the story on Copyrighting?
In an inconspicous place usually on the back, sign your name or put your company name,the copyright symbol © and the year. It informs the public that the work is copyrighted and helps to negate the claim of " I didn't know it was copyrighted" (innocent infringement). If you have sculpted the work yourself you are automatically protected under copyright laws. I am not a lawyer. Do not take my word for legal advice. If you have had someone sculpt it in your behalf you are still protected under copyright laws.
Check on copyright info at www.copyrightrule.com I do not endorse them. I just found a link for you. It's the first name I came to on the search engine.
Mount the Model on a Mold Making Board
The board for the model should be 3 inches larger than the model all the way around. Drill a 1/2" inch hole in the center of the board. If you are going to make a mold on a plaster model be sure the plaster is completely dry. If there is moisture in the plaster will adversly affect the rubber. Glue the model firmly to the board over the 1/2" hole. The hole will release gasses that may build up. I use plastiline that has been heated to a paste to attach plastiline models to pre-shellacked boards. Make sure the model is filled in all the way down tight around the base where it meets the board, you do not want rubber running underneath the model.
Next apply shellac(note: I use the amber shellac )to the model and board. After half an hour or so apply a second coat to both the board and the plastiline model. Let them dry at least 4 hours,overnight would be even better. You don't want moisture building
up under the rubber.I shellac my plaster models the same way.
This is how your model should look after 2 coats of shellac. Some people spray on a light coat of PAM at this time to help the rubber release from the model. Do not use petroleum based oil on the model or on the latex mold. Petroleum products such as motor oil will deteriorate latex rubber. Use only vegetable oil or castor oil. The model is ready to have latex brushed on.
Wow! You did it again. Great work!
