"Bob Masta" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 28 Sep 2003 13:26:39 +1200, "annemarie"
wrote:

Ok mostly I make pottery, but sometimes I get inspired to try sculpture.
I
especially like using paperclay. I find it very difficult to sculpt eyes
though. Having them closed is fine, but open is very difficult for me.
I
have done one just now with a young woman in a strapless gown, standing
on
the hem and of course the predictable problem, I have managed the mouth
with
an O - oops expression, but having the eyes closed made it look like it
was
on purpose and she was being provocative. I have opened the eyes and it
is
ok but it was a struggle I must have done them a dozen times and they
could
still be better. Does anyone else do sculpture and have a secret to
making
good eyes?


My wife took a class in making doll heads, and the method they used
was to build a little skull first and make little eyeballs to go into
it. Then the skin, including the eyelids, seemed to fit naturally.
She showed me the technique and I tried it making a little troll head,
using "cat's eye" marbles for the eyeballs. I hadn't ever done any
sort of figure work before, and I was amazed at how well this method
worked even for a beginner like me. Of course, it _was_ a troll,
not a figure that had to look like a real person, but I think this
is a good thing to try.

The cat's eye marbles make the troll look downright scary.
I don't know how high glass melting temperatures can go,
but I know common marbles are a molten puddle by C/04.
So for fired pieces you may have to settle for opaque
eyes. Hmmm,,,, maybe there's a way to leave a space
for the eyeball, like making it out of wax when you are building
the sculpture, and insert a glass one (doll-makers have
really good ones available) from behind in the finished
(hollow) piece.


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com

glass starts moving around 1100. at 1500 it'll be pretty soft, and at 1650
will be a puddle.