Pixie Gumnut Clay Figurine

This shows you how I made this figurine - starting from a drawing and turning it into a 3D figurine- that can be displayed and loved for years to come. It will hopefully appeal to adults and children. Great to have something from your imagination brought into the physical world - something that only existed because you sketched or drew it!

This also gives you the blueprint of how to do this yourself - come up with your own imaginary creature, sketch it, then draw it, colour it, then make it into a figurine. There is some planning involved to work out how the armature should be, dimensions, and making sure the figurine will be strong and balance. Cooking the clay is also a bit of an art (though it is a science!)

I have made figurines from TV shows I was interested in before, such as the Mandalorian, but I wanted to challenge myself to creating an original figurine, based on a figure from my imagination. Being in Australia (Perth), and doing some volunteer work on the weekends in a semi-bush environment - I have been inspired by the Eucalyptus trees - and the playful shapes of the gumnuts and leaves. I also like the idea of pixies and fairies for children's toys/decoration - so I kept this in mind when designing this figurine.

• HB pencils
• Coloured pencils
• White paper
• Wood off-cut (for base) - for example 150mm x 150mm
• Screw driver - basic
• Screws x2 - small - approx 15mm long
• Thin wire - e.g. Galvanised Tie Wire 0.7mm x 50m (you will only need a small amount)
• Aluminium foil - 1 roll.
• Sculpey Premo clay (or similar) - approximate 100g (depends on size of end figurine)
• Rolling pin
• Clay Sculpting Tools (basic)
• Acrylic paint - white, black, primary colours
• Fine paint brushes

Sketch out ideas for figurines, then pick one, drawing it in full and add colour.

Work out how big you would like your figurine to be (e.g 150mm tall) - draw it out 1:1 on a sheet of paper.

Find a base for your figurine - a wood offcut will do - but it needs to be big enough to hold the weight of your figurine (e.g. 150mm x 150mm).

Plan out how you will need to shape the wire to form the armature (the inner support for the clay figurine). There are many videos about this online. The basics are to form the legs with one piece of wire, leaving loops at the end, that you can screw into the wood to keep the figurine upright. You then need to use wire to create the spine and head.

Shape the wire to form the armature, then screw the loops that will make the feet into the wood.

Take small bits of folded aluminum, and wrap around the wire, a bit at a time, to shape the body and head of the figurine. Keep refering to your drawings to get the proportions correct. Leave enough thinkness to add the clay 'outer layer' to end up with the correct overall shape.

Using a bit of modelling clay at a time - roll out a section at a time and then add a layer of clay in sections over the foil. Repeat until all the foil is covered.

Add clay in small amounts to form the facial features - chin, cheeks, ears, eyes, and mouth. Use the sculpting tools and refer to drawings, and photos online to reference shapes and proportions.

Add more clay features to form the rest of the figurine - for instance I added the leaves for wings, and hair. Make sure the clay is attached well. Smooth of the sculpture and add the fine detail as needed.

Once you are happy with the sculpture, bake it according to the instructions - for instance with this sculpture, I baked it for approximately 30mins, checking every 5 mins.

Paint the figurine with acrylic paint in sections. Start with the base colours first, then leave to dry, then add the second layers of paint, leave to dry, then add the final details, such as the eyes and lips.

Enjoy your figurine - this can also make a lovely handmade gift.