A work in progress

Here is a brief step-by-step guide on how I create my Toca Boca elements. I completed these four elements (Roentgenium, Iron, Chromium, and Arsenic) in the weekend and got them to tip-top condition. My first step is to roll out the coloured balls of clay. A few of the colours required mixing before establishing the true phenotype, whilst others had natural colours established already. The next step was to shape the balls of polymer clay. I completed this task by using my clay modelling tools and my fingers. Repeating many molding steps as I went along. In addition to creating the shapes, I squeezed on the white of the eyes and the pupils delicately, spaced apart from each other at equal distance.

  

I then constructed the facial features of the creatures. A teal nose for Chromium, blush pink cheeks for Iron, mouth for Roentgenium, and an orange nose and teal mouth for Arsenic. After adding in the pre-baked rods for Iron and Roentgenium, I baked all four elements in the oven for 15 minutes under 135C. Tinfoil is always ideal for placement on the pan or else the clay may burn in the corners, or points where they make contact with the oven tray.

Assembling molybdenum

Below is a visual demonstration of how my work station functions. The test subject for this particular case is Molybdenum and I have using Sculpey glue to bond the leaves to the hexagonal object. The process goes as follows, the foundation of the creature begins with moulding a shape a few centimetres of size by each side, and then compressed down to the last detail. The white of the eyes are rolled from clay and pressed onto the surface to begin the structuring of the face. Similarly, the pupils are compressed on top of the stable eye whites. From here, the mouth is rolled into a cylindrical oval shape and pressed onto the soft clay, an additional roll of clay wraps around the mouth serving the purpose of lips. With the final product is established, it is placed on a tray and baked in the oven for 15 minutes.

   

Sculpey Premo!

After discovering that the Warehouse Stationery in South City didn't hold the colours I needed for my Premo! clay, we drove to the Warehouse Stationery at Eastgate and there on the shelf sat fixated the blush, raw sienna and turquoise shaded Premo! clay. This clay type is extremely durable and has a much smoother texture than the Sculpey III clay.

      

Sculpey 'bake and bond'

Finally, a fundamental tool has been purchased, this is Sculpey 'bake and bond' glue. This glue is essential for my oven-bake Sculpey clay as it binds parts together before baking in the oven. Whilst in the crafting section, we also bought some more Sculpey rectangular blocks, these coloured purple, tranquillity and just orange. These are a few of the colours left to collect on the periodic table. Note, more information on the clay mediums are featured on the 'Preparation' page.

   

Sculpey gloss glaze

This afternoon I trialled with the newly bought Sculpey glaze and it layered onto my clay figures nicely. The texture of the glaze is incredibly silky and can be painted on using a normal brush. I lathered the ingredient onto my remaining clay figures, that including my most recently made element 'Lanthanum' - a plump blue creature with spikes. Unlike clear nail polish, the glaze provides a more 'natural' shine, which does not smudge or bother the pre-drawn felt as much.