Continuing the discussion from Battleborn Fancraft <3:
ELDRID Pendant - Polymerclay Tutorial / Workthrough
So, I finished my Eldrid Pendant and thought you may be interested how its done^^ So there.
Materials you need:
Golden and brown polymerclay, ovenhardend. Premo, Sculpey, Cernit and Fimo work the same here. Of course you can take any color you like.
-a simpel knife for cutting clay
-workingplate (I use books enveloped in tinfoil xD )
- Pizzaoven with ventilated air.
-Some patience
Start:
For the base first make a ball of brown clay, flatten it slowly until you´ve a round medal. You can use a cookie cutter to make it easier. Just roll out the clay like dough and stamp out a medal.
Attach a triangel of brown clay on top. Then it should look like this:
Roll out golden clay and cut out a drop in fitting size. Rework the edges with your fingertips to make the edges smooth. Also start to make rolls from golden clay for the further details. You´ll work step by step, trust me, its far simpler this way!
Take one roll to form the second bigger teardrop shape, which is embracing the center drop. Bend it in the middle and lay it in pose. Then you can mark the places you cut the roll.
The cut makes it far easier to make a pointy drop, otherwise you´d go crazy.
After you cut the roll symmetrically, fuse the edges together again
Smooth the fused line with a sculpting tool or with your fingertips - be patient. Its like the rule for brushes hair. A hundrets strokes make a good finish. Clay is evil and tricky, so be gentle^^
After you done it should look like this:
Yay! But, hell, now its to big for the rest you already sculpted! Crud, okay, so we´ve to cut it a bit.
Refine cutting lines and it should fit.
Lets test it and set the golden arc onto the base and arround the central drop.
Now we take a shortcut and start the outer ring. Make a long roll from golden clay with symmetrical pointy ends. Try if the length and form are okay by laying the roll onto the brown clay base
If it fits, mark the points you´ll cut it during the next steps.
Marks set, now ake it off the base again and cut the roll in three pieces, one tiny center piece, two long pieces for left and right framing of the symbol.
Like this
Set the three parts aside for later.
Now for the really tricky part - those nice sicle-like details holding the central drop. For the sicles make two roll of the same length, diameter and form
Then: Do the Bender! At best take measures before you do the Bender. Bend and sculpt the roll until it takes form of the desired sicle
For straight angles a knife comes in handy. Also flatten the roll a bit to give it the wished form. Smooth fingerprints with gentle strokes over the clays surface. Now try if the sicles have a good size. If not - cut and refine again. At the end it should look like this:
Now its nearly done and you can take the last steps: Setting on the frame parts you already prepared before. First set in the smaller middle triangel shaped piece. If its not fiting, no problem, just cut and refine. I had to rework it twice too^^
Then you can lay on the left and right rolls which frame. Maybe flatten the pieces a bit before you attach them on the base.
Almost ready for baking!!! /;o;/ Just to refine it at some points, smoothing out fingerprints and into the kiln with it!
On most clays its stated to bake the clay for max. 30min at a temp of 130°Celsius/260°F but I recommend a slightly lower temperature (I use 100°Celsius) and only 15-20minutes. This way the piece stays alot more durable and flexible.
After baking you can add varnish and paint if you desire. I did not. Why? This was my 3rd Eldrid Pendant, but the first that did´nt turned out crappy. Both earlier pieces got crappified due to bubbly varnish. Fear the bubbles!
If you´ve fingerprints on your pendant - use fine sandingpaper to smooth the surface and add clear acrylic varnish or PearlEx-Varnish.
I simply added two loops and a brass chain^^
Soooooooooooooooo I hope you like what you saw and that it may be help the one or other of you to get started with some badass fancrafts^^
If you have any questions about polymerclays, sculpting, painting, texturing or anything related to crafts just leave a reply or message me!
I´m glad you like it! I thought it might encourage some crafty fanlove^^
