Modelling Animal Figures
Senior 3 · Fine Arts
Modelling Animal Figures
Lesson 2 of 4
25 min
A clay cow 25 cm long can weigh well over a kilogram. Four clay legs no thicker than a pencil cannot hold that weight while the clay is soft: they bend, the body sags and the figure slowly sinks. In Senior 1 and Senior 2 you built armatures for a still life and for a human head. An animal armature has a harder job, because it must carry a heavy body high above the ground on thin legs. In this lesson you will design and build one.
Definition
Armature: an internal frame that supports a sculpture while it is being modelled, like a skeleton.
Armature wire: soft aluminium wire, about 2–4 mm thick, that bends easily by hand and does not rust. Galvanised (zinc-coated) steel wire is stiffer and cheaper.
Bulking out (padding): wrapping the armature in newspaper, foil and tape so that less clay is needed and the figure is lighter.
Air-drying clay: clay that hardens as it dries without being fired in a kiln.
Firing: heating clay in a kiln to several hundred degrees Celsius or more, which turns it permanently hard.
| Your material | Armature that suits it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plasticine or air-drying clay, not fired | a permanent wire armature, fixed to a base | the wire stays inside forever and gives the most support |
| Potter's clay that will be fired | no metal left inside: a temporary prop, or a core of crumpled newspaper that burns away in the kiln, with a small air hole | clay shrinks as it dries and fires but metal does not, so a wire inside cracks the clay |
The rest of this lesson describes a permanent wire armature for a standing animal. If you will fire your work, use the same plan but make the legs thick and solid, prop the body on a block of wood while it dries, and use a newspaper core only in the body.
Worked example 1: how much wire?
Kayitesi's goat will have a head loop needing 4 cm of wire, a neck of 6 cm, a back of 20 cm, legs of 8 cm and feet of 3 cm. Wire 1 is folded in half, so every length is doubled. How long should she cut it?
One strand: .
Folded wire: .
Allow for twisting: twisting uses up length, so add about 10%: .
Cutting slightly too long is fine, since extra can be trimmed; too short means starting again.
Worked example 2: a sagging armature
Mugabo's dog armature leans to one side, and the back sags in the middle when he presses on it.
Diagnosis. The two strands of the spine were not twisted tightly, so it bends; one hind foot was not fixed, so the figure leans.
Fix. Retwist the spine with pliers, or bind a third length of wire along it; staple the loose foot; then check level again from the front.
<em>Sculpture Armatures: Make Stronger & Easier Clay Animals with DIY Wire Supports</em>, from Creative Kristen Taylor. Watch how the wire is twisted for strength and how the legs are fixed, and compare her method with Figure 1.
Warning
Sharp wire. Cut ends can scratch skin and eyes. Point cut ends away from your face, wear eye protection when cutting stiff wire, and bend or tape every sharp end.
Metal in fired clay. Never fire clay with a wire armature inside; the clay will crack and may damage the kiln.
Tip
Twist tight, fix the feet, pad small. A strong spine, four fixed feet and padding a little smaller than the final form make modelling much easier.
Practice
What is an armature, and why does a standing animal need one more than a lying animal?
Give two advantages of aluminium armature wire.
Why must a wire armature not be left inside clay that will be fired?
Wire 1 for a cat needs one strand of 35 cm. How long should you cut the folded wire, allowing 10% for twisting?
Why should the padding be about 1 cm smaller than the finished form?
Uwase's armature looks right from the side, but from the front the legs splay out at different angles. What has she forgotten, and what should she do?
Build task. Build and pad an armature for your animal, fixed to a base, and photograph it from the side, front and above next to your full-size drawing.
1. An internal frame that supports soft clay while it is modelled. A standing animal carries a heavy body high on thin legs; a lying animal rests its weight on the ground.
2. It bends easily by hand; it does not rust; it is light.
3. Clay shrinks as it dries and fires but metal does not, so the clay cracks around the wire; heat can also make the metal expand or damage the kiln.
4. , and .
5. So that a layer of clay about 1 cm thick can cover it evenly; padding that is too big pushes through the clay surface.
6. She has not checked the armature from the front. She should compare it with the real animal from the front, bend the legs to match their spacing and angle, and fix the feet again.
7. Check: firm twists, four fixed feet, level spine, padding smaller than the final form, and three photographs.
Press gently on different parts of your armature. Where is it weakest, and how will you protect that part while you add clay in the next lesson?
Sources and credits
