Turquoise
General
info re making turquoise
Lessons
....chunks
+ paint/grit added for matrix
....other
ways to create turquoise
........all-clay
........other materials too
....more
tips
Inlays,
chips
Websites
( various types of turquoise)
....real-turquoise links
Wood
... basic techniques
.......mica clays
....parquet
....more
on faux wood (+ bark, knots, gnarled, carved, etc.)
Websites
(wood)
Surface techniques for grain
Cork(s)
TURQUOISE
General Info. re making turquoise
Real turquoise can have a lot of different looks, depending on where it's from and how it's been treated (or not treated).
It
can be different colors or shades
..... Arizona turquoise is
often much much more blue than Chinese turquoise, which is paler
and greener, for example
.....you might want to go with zinc yellow
if you add yellow to a blue to simulate turquoise stone ...cadium
yellow is warm and a bit to the red side of
yellow, so your mixes with it will be a bit browned down, where zinc yellow
is a cool yellow and a bit toward the blue side of the spectrum. Anna
Turquoise can also differ in the amount of matrix (that's the dark stuff, or veining) running through it.... and can even be without matrix, esp. for smaller pieces.
Turquoise
runs in veins of rock which also carry copper -- that's where the
green comes from in fact, the oxidation of the copper.
.....So using copper
metallic clay or copper leaf or copper paint or copper powder
with turquiose, besides having a cool effect, is actually rather authentic.
NOTE:
.....most of the finished turquoise pieces described here can remain
nuggety, or they can be created (or ground) perfectly smooth
(if sanded long enough, or beginning with rough sandpaper --or can even be sanded
into new shapes)
......even if nuggety, it's still generally wet sanded
and buffed on the high areas.
chunks with paint, grit... added as matrix
lesson,
from Desiree McCrorey, 07-96) ......NUGGET-type, antiqued after baking
a.
Mix equal amounts of white and (Fimo Classic's) LightTurquoise
until well blended and conditioned.... Add yellow to taste.
b. After
desired color is obtained, let clay rest/cool, then place mixture into
food processor. Process until small clumps form. Dump out onto
work surface.
c. Gently press mixture into small nuggets, being careful
not to press too hard. The nuggets should have gaps, pits, etc. Even with
holes, however, the nuggets should be strong, sturdy.
d. Shape nugget
to desired form. At this time, make any holes in the nuggets, if you plan to string
them.
e. Bake pieces at 250 - 265 degrees F for 15 - 30 min,
depending on size. Let cool.
If using raw umber acrylic paint, smear
each nugget with paint, making sure the paint gets deep into the pits, gaps and
crevices of each nugget. Use a stiff paint brush, if available. Before the
paint dries, gently wipe off surface excess with a paper towel. Let
paint completely dry. To quicken drying, heat in oven for a few minutes. Let cool.
g. Starting with wet/dry sandpaper (grit about 240), lightly sand
your piece under a small stream of water. If a water flow isn't available, dip
the piece and sand paper into cool water frequently. Next, use paper grit in the
300's.
h. Continue lightly sanding with grits 400, then 600.
If you can locate wet/dry sand paper of higher grit values (800, 1000, 1200),
advance through those as well. Rinse thoroughly. Let piece dry completely. Then
(buff) polish the surface using a muslin cotton polishing disc until the
surface has a high shine.
lessons
on 2 veined turquoises with mica powders & black paint,
from Elizabeth
nuggety faux turquoise with dark veining
...she
uses several shades and brands of blue and green clays, chops
in food processor,
...adds 2 gold mica powders, chops .....adds black
Neopaque paint (acrylic, heat- set)... chops
... with gloves
on, she removes some (now black) crumbles, presses them into a ball shape
....lets
sit a few hours to firmly connect
.... bakes, then wet
sands (lots of water) to remove most of the black ink
smooth turquoise bead with black veining, from Elizabeth
...follow above directions, but after pressing into a ball shape....
roll into a smooth ball (or other shape), let sit a few hours,
bake, wet sand
http://thepolyparrot.com/faux_looks.pdf
(requires Acrobat Reader)
Desiree's more advanced turquoise lesson .....this
time, the simulated dark portions-veins will be made up of soft clay
...... plus then also SCULPTING-CARVING the turquoise
into a pendant or SHAPE lesson)
......color
ratio for clay : light turquoise, white, yellow
...process the turquoise-colored
clay in a food processor till it's nuggety.
........moderately
compress the nuggets into desired shape (in this case, like a
big square with a hole in the middle)... leave some gaps, holes,
between nuggets... bake.
...soften some dark clay
for the veins (anthracite --dark grey with glitter-- and/or brown and/or
black clay, perhaps with a bit of gold mica powder if no anthracite)
with mineral oil
.........smear the prebaked turquoise pendant
piece with the softened dark clay, schmushing the clay into every crack and
crevice, then coat the surface with the dark clay ....bake again.
....Now comes the hard part (if you want a different shape)
........chisel,
cut, carve, or whittle out your pendant from under its dark
coating. (I know, it sounds weird and it takes a bit of time, so patience is vital).
....Then a thorough sanding is critical to smooth the pendant's surface.
....
Lightly smear the pendant with raw umber or burnt umber paint for aging
effect.... Wipe/rub off excess.... Bake for a few minutes
.... Then,
wet sand lightly with a 600 or 800 grit, let dry and polish (buff)
using a muslin cotton polishing disc until your piece has a high shine.
Kathy
H's lesson on making nuggety turquoise with lots of black matrix
(raw turquoise colored clay, chopped, then covered with black acrylic paint....
black then possibly a bit of gold embossing powder added... nuggets pressed
together and firmly over a pre-baked core of clay... baked... sanded down
to reveal turquoise
...she also shows a nice onlay of nuggety turquoise
used on the bottom of a pendant, and a small turquoise bowl
http://www.polkadotcreations.com/books/article.php?id=pdckh01
Janine's
mosaic-looking turquoise
....several shades of blue-green
clay...with a bit of gold mica powder and embossing powder in them...
plus black and brown paint on the chopped bits.
lesson:
1. Make 3 or 4 (or more) colors....turquoise blue, blue-green, translucent
with blue-green, etc. Up to you what colors you want to use! 2. Also have some
black, or black-brown, and some black-brown with a little gold-y Pearl-ex to give
some sparkles.
3. Take some of the turquoise or green or blue-green colors
and mix in some Verdigris embossing powder. Experiment with any embossing
powder that is close to your colors, like Turquoise or Verdigris.
4. Chop
up all your colors into different sized bits. It's nice to have a variety so that
when you put it all together you have variety on your piece of "turquoise."
5. Apply a mixture of black and burnt umber acrylic paint to each pile of clay
color. You can water down the paint a little, so it's not too thick. Don't make
it too liquidy. 6. Let the clay and the paint sit for awhile. I found it
was harder to put together the different pieces when the paint was still wet
and goopy. It was easier to get it to stick after the paint has tried.
7. Gather bits of clay and gently press together. You should not be too concerned
about it looking mis-shapen or anything like that. Maybe think about some areas
being bluer, and some parts being greener. Add in some areas of black or black/brown.
Take a look at some real turuqoise pics to get an idea of what you might like
to make.
8. Gently form into your shape. Don't worry if some bits are sticking
out, etc.
9. Bake at recommended temperature for your clay..... 10. After
baking, take out, cool.
sand and bake:
....for taking off
a lot of clay at a time, get some of that drywall screen mesh "sandpaper"
to roughly sand into the shape you want. ....goes much faster! (be careful
to not get your turquoise piece soaked with
water --e.g., with a donut shape I made, I found
that the water weakened the piece and some parts
would start to fall apart; maybe it was that particular piece, or my baking. I
just advise against really soaking the piece)
....go through a number of grits
of sandpaper....320, 360, 400, 600, 800....what you use should depend on
the finish you desire.
... buff on a buffing wheel, or with some denim
or something like soft cotton material. Jainnie
Adria's lesson on
mosaic-looking turquoise cane (with veining):
http://www.claycave.com/tutorial_turquoise.html
...mix together 1/2 turquoise
(Kato clay) with 1/2 white & green (Kato) ...or Premo turquoise alone.
...separate
in 3 parts... let cool at least 10 min (frig, if want)
...pull,
break off, and/or rub the clay from each lump to create a pile of many
small, irregular pieces in various sizes (if lumps gets too warm, switch
to another lump)
......add both black and burnt umber acrylic paint
onto the pile...toss pieces (on waxed paper) with wet paint till covered
......sprinkle
on a small amount of well sifted, black potting soil,
or peat, etc.
......spread clay out and let sit till totally dry
to touch, at least 1 hr.
...press pieces firmly into a square
log (or any shape you want, if not a cane)
...let sit a little
while....reduce if you want ....slice cane
...apply slices
to anything (or could use in other ways)
...if you have unfilled cracks
after baking, push more paint and soil into them with a stiff brush ...wipe
off with damp paper towel, and rebake 10 min ...wet sand and buff
Adria's
half-rod turquoise bracelet (see Adria's mosaic cane tutorial
link
in paragraph above)
....
I rolled out a log of scrap clay, about 1/2 inch in diameter... I covered
(a scrap sheet/) with my very thin cane slices (overlapping and pasta machining)
and rolled it smooth ...(then applied over the scrap log?)
... using a piece
of butcher's paper, I pressed down along the log, pinching slightly and smoothing
to make the shape (rounded outside, flat inside)
...then I wrapped it around
the wine bottle and sliced off the excess
...I added liquid clay for extra
strength and smoothed the ends together, then I cured it! sanded and buffed Adria
(...see
other ways to make this type of bracelet in
Jewelry >
Bracelets )
Other Ways to Create turquoise
all-clay (no paint, etc.)
Nora Jean’s
lesson on through-and-through-veined turquoise
(can
be sculpted or shaped, etc., without losing veining):
...she
puts blue, green & "granite" (black, white,
translucent) clays in a food processor at the same time, ending up
with nubby chunks
...looks like she then combines however many chunks she needs
to create the size sculpt or mini-vase, etc., she wants to make
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Faux/Turquoise/Turquoise-Grp.htm
I mixed three different shades of blue-green
clay
...then I combined them in chunk-ettes with very thin sheets
of clay in greenish-black and gold for the veining.... (they're
not "true" turquoise, but I get comments and questions every time I wear my necklace.)
Tina
I created my own turquoise recipe since
I had no idea how anyone else did it. . . . I used Turquoise FimoClassic
clay, and then mixed a rust brown clay .... I added a small amount of the
rust brown to the turquoise and mixed until it was like I wanted. Martywil
other materials
black? sand
with burnt umber paint is what Tory Hughes used in her class to get that earthy
look in her faux turquoise (and amber)...Sherry B.
shred
some tissue paper (or was it paper towel?) and generously paint or dribble
black acrylic paint on it ....let it dry.... then knead it into the
turquoise colored clay ... bake... sand and buff
......Jean's lesson
on using shredded tissues:
http://www.jaedworks.com/clayspot/techniques/turquoise.html
(I
tried) crayon shavings of blue, green, a touch of orange, a whisper
of gold, and black in sculpey III translucent (haven't ordered
any premo bleached trans yet). Bingo! This looks great! I rolled it in black
shavings at the end.
.....The only problem is that using this many crayon
inclusions *seriously* weakened the clay,
and the larger bead broke where I had it strung on the wire for baking, so I'd
recommend this technique for cabs or smaller beads..... I then had
to sand to smooth away the rough broken spot, which resulted in losing most of
the black veining I had made by rolling it in black at the end. :( ...I would
also recommend texturing your bead before baking. nicegirl512
You can get
good results for turquoise with translucent watercolors mixed with rubbing
alcohol.
....also, Pinata inks are alcohol based, and when dry mix
beautifully with the translucent clays. Carolyn
Personally, I think
it's important to make the turquoise nuggets FIRST, and add the matrix
after.
......(You can bake the turquoise then add the matrix for the most
dependable effect, but at least make the nice rounded nuggets first.)
The
reason for this is that in real turquoise, the nuggets form and the matrix fills
in around it, in the NEGATIVE space (meaning the shapes of the dark stuff
are more star shaped or something -- concave? -- than the
more rounded nugget shapes).
.....I don't think it would be as effective,
for example, to chop both the turquoise and the
matrix color in the food processor together
-- the shapes would be the same, and some of the accuracy of the look would be
lost
........ of course, this only counts if you are going for the realistic
look -- if you want your own version which doesn't have to be authentic just cool,
hey -- go for it!!!
Blue paint makes a good patina for turquoise . . . Syndee
Go get some drywall sandpaper and you'll find you can really 'shave' the piece into shape! So when you are forming your shape, first be sure to wash your hands. Press together just enough to get the shape, and to try to get the clay to stick. If it's bumpy, don't worry, you'll sand it down with that drywall sandpaper! Janine
(we accidentally burned our turquoise beads . . . ) However, all is not lost. My granddaughter applied some Rub 'N Buff to some of them and Lumiere paints to some others. I mixed some Pearl Ex into some Fletco and painted that on. We also left some of the blackest ones plain but sanded, buffed and varnished. Now we have some fair looking onyx and some other interesing looking metallics. Virginia in PA
bicones…Oh,
yeah -- I also wanted to say that turquoise makes really great biconal beads --
you know, you roll the ball of clay with a flat object parallel to the work surface
until you have a bead with two points -- the nugget shape stays long, the edge
and flattens a little on the cone sides -- these can be stunning (see Beads
> Bicones).
Baked,
flat-ish tiles (cut from a sheet of faux turquoise --or faux
coral, or wood, etc.), or irregular bits of turquoise, can be embedded
into raw faux ivory (or any kind of clay sheet or piece)
...tiles
are often tiny triangles or rectangles, but don't have to be
...the
whole piece is often antiqued after baking with burnt umber paint so that
the slightly depressed area just around the tile is more delineated, and dark
Or. baked nuggets or even tiny turquoise molded shapes can be embedded into raw clay instead, or surrounded with a rope framing, etc.
Jeanne's turquoise nugget (not
flat) inlaid into faux ivory
http://www.jaedworks.com/gallery/southwest/turquoise-pendants.html
Helen
P's inlaid chips of faux turquoise, coral, etc., pressed into faux ivory
pieces
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=4530485&uid=531344
(---middle of page...click on all 3 photos of faux ivory)
Suzanne's
faux? turquoise (& faux wood) embedded in faux ivory lid (black framing
for each?)
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL806/149408/286292/37358795.jpg
Helen
Ps' turq. and other chip inlays
.http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=4530485&uid=531344
Desiree's
lesson on impressing inlays into faux ivory (see bottom photo for
sort-of turq.)
http://desiredcreations.com/howTo_CAivoryHorn.htm
Julie
B's onlay of flattened, nuggety turquoise with heavy veining between chunks...
on a bead of faux ivory
http://www.azpcg.org/members/julie_blankenship.htm
(click > arrow till see all
photos... click to enlarge each)
Tory Hughes’ carved/inlaid into ivory (Vol.2),
also onlay (Vol.9)
http://www.gameplanvideo.com/videos.htm
Dayle's
various inlays
http://dayledoroshow.com/pics3.htm
.
...see
Faux--Ivory for most examples of inset turquoise
tiles and more instructions for inlaying them
Faux
inlay could also be created by using turquoise clay (or a faux turquoise mix
of clays) as backfill in stamped or carved depressions
(after baking)
(...see more
on backfilling in Carving > Backfill)
Or
use crumbles of turquoise clay as inlay... with liquid clay coating
on top to hold in
...I have seen jewelry where a (sand-textured) mixture of
a semiprecious stone (like turquoise or coral) is mixed with epoxy, and
inlaid into a depression in the surrounding metal. You see this frequently with
Mexican silver jewelry (it is a good way for the jeweler to use up fractional
pieces of stones).
...I've duplicated this look with intentionally
cured polymer clay that I have ground up.
...place the crumbled
clay (more or less?) where you want the inlay to be
.... cover this with a
mixture of thinned liquid clay (half Diluent) ...mix it all together
....and pat it into place
(If you want a smooth surface for the inlay,
after you have mixed the crumbles and solution, pour a thin layer of 1/2
and 1/2 liquid clay-Diluent over the crumbles mix so that you have a smooth
layer of the fluid laying on top... if you don't have this smooth, top surface,
you'll be sanding forever --I learned the hard way). Celeste
Jeanne’s faux ivory & turquoise jewelry
http://www.jaedworks.com/gallery/southwest/earrings.html
Tory Hughes interview (one photo includes some turquoises)
http://craftsreport.com/april00/onlineexclusive.html
http://www.gameplanvideo.com/videos.htm
Karen
O's turquoise in jewelry
http://polychic.com/gallery.html
Tanya's smooth veined turquoise
beads
http://www.geocities.com/n_late/ethnic4.html
Brigitte's fine veined turquoise
http://creaplastic.free.fr/08_06.htm
kpanner's nuggety turquoise
http://pbase.com/image/1766960
Kellie's nuggety turquoise(s) beads, flat on the outside
(one color, and also several colors)
http://www.kelliesklay.homestead.com/beads.html
Diane V's smooth turquoise with lots of black, shaped
as bear amulet
http://www.polychic.com/rdale_next.htm
Debbie
J's various turquoise examples ...nuggety flat turquoise pendant,
smooth tube beads, spacer beads, etc.
http://colspolyclay.org/Debbiejackson.htm
http://colspolyclay.org/Debbiejackson/djtwigs.jpg
Adria's
"carved" turquoise goddess amulet (photos
gone)
Greg's various turquoise
(and face) (website gone)
Judith
Skinner’s turquoise, jade, coral, ivory, etc.
(aol
polyannie website gone, but someday at judithskinner.com?)
for Egyptian faience or "fake turquoise," see also Faux--many > Faience
real turquoise
Kathy G's
real turquoise donuts, many with a lot of black
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31055279&p=69378400
and with little black
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4153008&a=31055279&p=66511150
http://www.tibetanbeads.com/Turquoise.htm
http://www.rockhounds.com/rockgem/articles/turquoise.html
(lots of info)
many
photos of real turquoise (Google's image search)
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=turquoise
....pictures
of real turquoise, you might try browsing eBay in the Jewelry &
Gemstones category. Thalassa
... great
book from the library about turquoise ....Turquoise Treasures
(The splendor of southwest Indian art) Photography by Jerry Jacka. This book
is soooo inspirational and with very good pictures of turquoise!! Cristel
Add a touch of metallic clay to all of the colors you use for creating wood blends. The sheen imparted by adding a touch of gold or copper makes the realistic effects more acute. Katherine Dewey
Jeanne
R's mini Finnish sauna scene . . . wood plank boards are very different
colors of brown
http://www.heartofclay.com/pc/otherpc.htm
Tracy
VanB's wondeful faux wood BOH, with faux pewter and dings
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/bh_3.html
Gini
F's cool little BOH with (marbled?) faux wood, embellished with faux pewter
http://www.scpcg.org/mbimages/antiqbott.jpg
Basic Techniques
SOLID COLORS:
....I
really like a transluscent pale yellowish color like Cernit's # 27 Champagne
for faux wood - it seems to have a little depth when baked (because Cernit
has translucent in it naturally)
...Before stamping on the solid
colored clay to create faux wood "carvings," I use flesh-toned
clay, then antique with thick brown paint. Lisa
..To create the
look of ebony, a dark wood with the grain so fine it's not
visible, blend a bit of brown Granitex with Black clay. The
brown fibers soften the appearance and dull the black. Katherine Dewey
(marbled) Here are the wood grain recipes I give in my making polyclay
miniatures book. To get full size wood, just don't
marble the colours together too long.
Mahogany: 3 parts
dark brown + 1 black + 1 ochre (also a touch of red if the dark brown is a cool
colour.)
Light Oak: 3 light brown + 1 dark brown + 1 ochre
Pine:
1 ochre + 1 beige + 1 white
....You take each colour, form a snake and then
twist the snakes together, fold, roll, fold again, etc until the streaks
are the right width. I have had people think these mixes were real wood many times.
Sue Heaser
I have also extruded strands of clay through the clay gun ....and laid those out next to each other, and then run them through the pasta machine ...and it looks rather like wood grain. Patty
Suzanne's lesson on using strands,
but also creating it with a more complex grain
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/0311november/wood.html
...for
light oak, combine gold, pearl, white, and ecru. Use translucent and yellow
ochre for the strings.
...for driftwood, combine silver, pearl, gray,
ecru, and cobalt blue. Use translucent and black for the strings. Suzanne
A variation of the faux ivory" technique of thin striations
can be used for faux wood
..Marie Segal showed us this way::
...... take
4 shades of brown... stack them in a block light to dark...
press down on the block to thin it
.......cut stack in half, stack again,
press... repeat until you get the grain you want
.......then cut thick
slices from the block, butt them together, and then put through the
pasta machine to join.
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/ms_wood2.html
..To
make what looks like wood grain, you can make somewhat imperfect faux ivory
.......by alternating layers of translucent, with an even mixture
of white and champagne Fimo (rollling thinner, cutting in half, stacking
those two, and rolling again, etc.--Tory Hughes' technique), only stop reducing
before the lines are almost invisible as you would do for ivory.
......
after baking, stain more heavily than for ivory with burnt umber acrylic
paint, or whatever, then wipe/rinse off excess. (If intentionally going for wood,
you could make knots in the design, too, as a cane technique.) Staining
with paint is key, though.
(any little marks you make, deliberately
or accidentally, will take more paint and give an antiqued look.)
...Nora
Jean' has many faux tiger eye stone lessons for canes, colors and
beads that can also look wood-like... many with thin striations,
but some different
http://www.norajean.com/2007/12-27-TigersEyeBeads/Index.htm
Donna
Kato creates a striped log of three different greens, then
twists it, compresses it, runs it through the pasta machine so that the stripes
are perpendicular to the rollers creating a variegated stripped sheet.)
....if
you substitute browns for the greens, you can create wonderful wood patterns.
......to make straight grained …(or wood) , simply roll logs of
varying shades…Stack to form a single cylinder and roll rapidly between your hands,
then twist and compress to form a striped log with the stripes perpendicular to
the long axis of the log. Flatten and run it through the pasta machine so that
the stripes are perpendicular to the rollers.
....This last technique is a
variation of Donna Kato's. You can use it (her method for making malachite)
to make wood and ivory as well. Her book, The Art of Polymer Clay, is
one of the best. Great photography, concise text, and beautiful work. Katherine
Dewey
pulling & more contrast
(I
do a lot of wood work and have found the nicest comes from more contrast)
...start
with about 5/6 colors black, a warm brown, copper, ocre, gold
...mix some tones you like but don't forget to leave some contrast
.......(if
it is the Northwest or a damp climate, etc., add a mossy green).
...Mix all very well, and roll into snakes making your dominant color/colors
larger, and highlights smaller.
...lay them in a random bundle
with 5-3 of each color
...start pulling (this is where you want them
all mixed well and the same consistancy)...if the log is too light for your taste,
or too dark, then add additional snakes, but roll them back to size.
.... It
will begin to look like wood but if you plan to work it alot, stop early
before the colors blend into each other.
(....see below for how to
use this final product to create knots, swirls, etc.)
What
I do to simulate wood is basically mokume gane done with
various shades of brown, or brown and white/offwhite. My
supereasy mokume gane technique (based on Donna Kato's) is this:
Make
sheets of 2 or more colors. If you want to add a metallic gleam (I don't for
wood) , add imitation gold leaf on top of each sheet and roll over top (or put
through pasta machine) to secure gold leaf onto clay. Layer the sheets on
top of each other. Cut this combined sheet in half and lay halves on top of each
other. Cut a strip off of the side of this combined sheet and roll like a jelly
roll. Put this "jelly roll" under the sheet (spiral design facing up) to
push up a "hill". With tissue slicer, cut off slices of this hill. From time to
time manipulate the "hill" so that slices will look different and more like natural
wood. The slices should look like they have concentric circles or rings like you
would see in wood. Apply these slices onto object or onto another sheet of clay.
Claude's
lesson on making wood, swirls, and knots.....using four shades of
brown, in layers;
.....for lots of swirls in the grain:
after flattening, cutting, and restacking a few times, indent one side
of each two stacks in 4-5 places (across the stripes) with a small rod and place
stacks together
...for knots in the swirls: do the indentions
but then place dark clay logs into them before joining the stacks
http://www.chez.com/creabijoux/interieur/ATELIER/10_lecon.htm
(click on l'Atelier, then click on "Du "bois" polymère"
for lesson...it's in French but the photos are clear enough to understand)
I
had a happy accident that turned out a nice wood look (using a jellyroll
cane)!
... I used Fimo translucent and added a little
bit of gold clay to it. .....Then put it through the pasta machine till
I had a nice slab of it.
..Then I put a layer of gold foil
on it and rolled it up into a jelly roll cane... I was trying something from
a Donna Kato tape. But I didn't like the slices!
...So I absentmindedly
cut part of of the jelly rolls the long way
.....
and that was so cool looking that I laid long slices next to each other onto
a switchplate and it REALLY looked alot like wood.
... I think it would've
looked more like wood if I'd added a bit of brown to the translucent...
or even 2 tints of brown, and just marbelize instead of mixing completely.
When
I needed weathered wood for a sculpture, this is the method I used:
.......stack slabs of white, black, translucent, brown
"granitex", raw sienna clay ...then compress it slightly.
.......twist,
fold, and compress the block... repeating this process about 5 times to partially
mix the clay creating a marbled block.
.......roll it to form a log....
then twist the log to create a striped spiral log ...and compress
.......use
a pasta machine or roller to make a flat sheet of clay from the log, rolling it
so that the stripes are perpendicular to the roller (the width of the striped
log will be the width of your sheet of wood).
......cut into planks.
.......white
and brown embossing powders were then worked into the white and
black clays. It is a method I still use. Katherine Dewey
...what about
those wonderful ridges and gullies that weathered wood
gets? I figure some part of the wood is softer, and decays easier, it would stand
to reason that softer wood was the innards and the harder stuff was the bark.
.......then after a plank is cut off your trunk, score the lighter parts with
some clay tool, barring that I'd lay it on something textured to get ridges, a
bamboo sushi matt might be good. Nora-Jean
....Gwen Gibson's
various fauxs, especially aged wood beads and carved aged rock
http://www.gwengibson.com/gallery/evolve-1989.htm#art
bamboo
(using opaque or mostly opaque clays)
...the best tutorial
I have seen is by syndee holt & Marie Segal in Expressions magazine,
Jan/Feb 2003
.......the color was that perfect light beige/green ....and
great faux growth lines and textures
.......the article
also lots of different ways to use the bamboo from surrounding a votive to beads
to windchimes! Karen
...Kellie's
faux "bamboo"--ivory... (possibly ivory technique used for grain
lines??) (website gone)
bamboo
(using metallic clay)s:
... "holographic bamboo".......take
a double thickness of metallic or Pearl Premo
..........lightly
slice across the top with a wavy blade, leaving it looking slightly
corrugated
........ then use the edge of your blade to make random
marks across the ridges
..........run this through your pasta machine
...NoraJean's
lesson on "faux abalone" would make a good sheet of bamboo
if gold mica clay were used instead?
.......she creates a
sheet of thin stripes, then folds them almost accordion style but tilted
so each fold shows a wider edge... then flattens, adds a backing clay to thin
the pattern, flattens again... folds again, flattens again
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Faux/abalone/FoldClay/Group-thms.htm
...NoraJean's
lesson on making a sheet of bamboo with square canes
of mica and translucent clays (with
several wraps)
.......Skinner blend
of translucent-black-burnt umber, to gold... rolled into spiral
cane gold on inside...wrapped with layered sheets of the two colors...cane
squared... then cut & stacked in strips...each square cane concaved a bit...flattened
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Faux/TigersEye/sheet-thm.htm
...
Annie's faux bamboo (mica Skinner blend) cane (website
gone)
sculpted bamboo
...NoraJean's
lesson on making sculpted bamboo for a bracelet
http://www.norajean.com/Biz-Archive/Faux/TigersEye/Bone-Pendant-thm.htm
James L's various wood grain effects
using mica clay
... I rolled out a whole pound of just gold
Premo until it was all smooth and shiny....then I stacked sheets into thick
block.... I cut slices off the block...and poked dents or put bits
of gold onto the front or the back of these pieces....then ran them through the
pasta machine to smooth them out. .....the direction the block is
sliced.... how thick it is.... and which way it goes through
the rollers has everything to do with how it looks. James L..
http://www.akrobiz.com/polymer_clay/i_78.html
Fimobob's
lesson on creating realistic wood grain with mica clays
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/june2001/wood.html
....use any of the mica containing clays (see
Mica)
....he creates the different shades/colors
of wood with Premo Gold mixed with just enough Pearl, Red Pearl,
and/or Green Pearl to darken or lighten it.
.. roll each sheet
in pasta machine till shiny, then roll into log; really twist log
until twists are ~ 2 mm apart.
...roll through pasta machine ( log
lying along rollers) in same direction till as thin as you want
(see
more below in Parquet)
Daphne's
mica wood-look http://www.polymerclayhaven.com/guild/ktapcg/micaswap.htm
(PCH gone)
Donna
Kato's tapered, sliced ingots? . . . alternated, uneven, mica layers
. . .or simply squashed Skinner Blend logs stacked many times?.... look
like unfuzzy caterpillars or grubs, or wood
http://www.katopolyclay.com/gallery/jewelry_2.jpg
NoraJean's
various uses of mica clays (which look like faux wood)
http://www.norajean.com/Faux/TigersEye/2001-001.htm
*Denita's
woven-look box, covered with rows of chevron shaped sheets of twisted
mica logs (some silver twists are used as warp/weft lines)...looks
a lot like wicker !
http://djoneofakindcrafts.com/micashift.html
(see more on this twisted technique in Mica
> Mike Buesseler)
Jeanne R's lesson
on applying shavings from mica clay ghost impressions. .
. one of the bead photos resembles tiny faux wood tiles, or even a honeycomb (very
dimensional effect)
http://www.heartofclay.com/pc/fauxfabrics.htm
...could
use all kinds of shaving shapes too
...see
mica clay bamboo ideas just above also
(see
also Mica for Mike B's football-shape technique
with wood colors)
..other methods above could also use one or more mica clays
Btw, when
speaking of wood...
--marquetry is
decorative work in which elaborate patterns are formed by the insertion
of pieces of material (as wood, shell, or ivory) into a wood veneer(after
a comparable piece has been removed?), the whole of which is then applied
to a surface as on a piece of furniture (for more on marquetry, see Pietre
Dure in Mosaics)
--parquetry is decorative work in the form of (usually
geometrically) patterned wood pieces pieced together ....especially
for floors
Both
of the above use color and shading to give a 3D effect. .
. .
parquet
..Bob Wiley's lesson on creating a parquet effect with his
faux wood from different shades and shapes of clay, puzzle pieced
together
(not actually inset, but built like crazy quilt pieces...
.see more on that kind of thing in Sheets of Pattern
> Crazy Patch):
....make
a straight cut across one sheet of clay and lay it on a base sheet ...make a straight
cut across a second sheet of a contrasting wood shade... then butt it against
the first ( #2 abuts only an outer area of #1) rolling it down to avoid bubbles
(he cut 2 sides of #2 before laying, or cut the second side of #2 after laying?)
....for the third and any other pieces, cut them to fit the two straight sides
of the previous ones (using a template to help?) ... press together gently
with flat rubber shaper if necessary.... cut final shape and bake (be sure
to orient the grain "stripes" in different directions for the best effect)
.......the
cuts can be curved rather than straight, or be cut from the interior
(as with an inset)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_jewelry/article/0,1789,HGTV_3238_3103617,00.html
more
of Fimobob's beautiful geometric wood parquet and onlay examples....
all browns, and colored
http://polymerclaycentral.com/clayday_faux1.html
Bob
Wiley's necklace, other jewelry, and his Jacob's Ladder (cascading
clacker toy) tiles
http://home.earthlink.net/~r5wiley/wileydesigns/id1.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~r5wiley/wileydesigns/id5.html
...Tonja's
similar faux wood pendants, but highly colored
http://www.tonjastreasures.com/tn6.htm
...Cheryl's similar highly colored faux wood pins... one textured...
and added fine glitter or mica??
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen_pins.html
(click on 3 photos in top row --Cheryl)
I made parquet patterns for pins in my own playing around with the gold
(Premo) clay with mica in it by using tiny striped
canes... I arranged slices of the canes into patterns......
I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life, however, it looks
so much like wood that people all assume it IS wood! And when I start saying:
"No, look at this! IT's all clay! Gold clay!" they just smile and look completely
baffled. Valerie
...Valerie's egg made with gold mica Premo and black --not
faux-wood, but illustrates the coloring
http://www.homestead.com/falczx/Eggs.html
(gone?)... now at http://www.vaharoni.com
?
More on Wood ....including bark + twigs + knots + gnarled + "carved" wood
I've been doing Marie Segal's trick of cutting the "dead face" of a block of stacked layers with the wavy blade. WOW...what a different kind of (mokume gane) it give me. All kind of 'wavy' and ripply like the grain in wood. Carolyn
wood or bark texture
...create
large striations in the raw clay with a dental tool or spatula...
then draw a toothbrush along the direction of the grain ..... follow up
with alcohol to soften the sharp edges, if needed. Dan P.
Before
baking, I lightly score lines to simulate wood grain .... after
baking, I apply brown acrylic paint and wipe off the excess (antiquing).
....you
might also use a stencil to help with the grain effect. Provo Craft
makes a "Crisp 'n Clear" stencil (41-8151) called "Bricks, Rocks & Wood."
Michael's carries them.
How about making a large polymer rolling
pin "texture" mold-sheet that you had impressed over
real wood, rolling it over the gray or brown raw clay
...antique by washing over the surface with diluted black acrylic paint
and wipe off surfaces.
Kim Cavender's weathered wood ...heavily sculpted-textured, then
antiqued (as cuff bracelet)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimcavender/2570835574
(see others in photostream top right, as well)
bark
. . use your multi-needle hair tool or a stiff-bristled flat brush
(or an old toothbrush) to create a striated pattern.
. .. soften this effect
with alcohol.
I would
take my colors, I used about 4 because of it being bark. I then made
snakes different widths and lengths and also I didn't line them end
to end, I would make some … Roll them, ( making sure they don't twist too much,
keep them pretty much straight, after a while you might want it to twist, just
a little) this you have to keep working it until you like it, but I roll and fold
in half, roll/fold roll/fold. This gives you the grain.
.....to get the knots......
fold it in a 8 shape but don't have the ends touch right in the middle, have them
off centered. Make it a loose figure eight. shape one of the ends to look
like this @ sort of. But not so pronouced.
Take some scrap and roll/fold,
do this maybe 3 times and flatten the clay and look at the design. You'll see
where the ends have the curve where it was folded. If you do the loose figure
eight in different parts of the snake and then flatten, I hope it will look like
the grain in wood. . .
I haven't tried this yet, but it seems like really thick, very dimensional bark could be made using the sides of a stack of torn clay sheets... in other words, tear down the side of a sheet of a fairly dry clay like Fimo Classic (or leach it first), which will leave a rough and uneven edge... then tear off as many layers as you'll want... stack them together, or use slightly different browns/grays ... then use the torn sides your surface, trimming the back sides away to the depth you want. DB
next I'll try a large layering of thin pasta strips, and roll a thick
old log from it
... then I'll core out some areas on that log and
insert reduced "branches" making my knots in the wood
....cut
lengthwise (?) for is that not the way trees really are, rings running down the
trunk, cut lengthwise, with knots only being the bases of branches? Nora Jean
Jill
Willich's amazing bark and twig figures made from faux bark
(Old Sap) .. with lots of texture, graining, knot ends, etc.
http://www.studiowillich.com/Old%20Sap%20Gallery.htm
Debbie
J's crooked smooth twig beads (with holes across bead near top,
for hanging many from necklace)
http://colspolyclay.org/Debbiejackson/djtwigs.jpg
Alexandra's
barky tree ...burned out ...cutout facial features... many
birds in what's left of branches
http://www.alexandrablythe.co.uk/photogallery/halloween/halloween-pics/dSkeleton-&-Tree.jpg
*Annie's
fabulous tree & bark (website gone)
Valerie's scene plaque of tree/leaves/flowers/vines http://falczx.homestead.com/PCC2001.html
(gone, but here's a similar one:
http://www.vaharoni.com/wp-content/fgallery/paintings/ganlg.jpg
)
Irene's birch bark slabs ...
ivory slab distressed then antiqued (and sponge painted
a bit?)
http://www.good-night-irene.com/ClockTiled15.html
real
textures of many different kinds of bark
... photos enlargeable
too (might also be interesting to make transfers of these textures)
http://www.mayang.com/textures/Nature/html/Plants%20and%20Derived%20Materials/Wood/Bark/
...I
like to get inspired by looking at daily calenders by Sierra club.
bark
lesson using torn marbled sheets overlapped on a base sheet
...marble
several bark-like colors together depending on the color wanted ...don't
forget grey tones!
...roll out the sheet on a medium
setting, and leach it between two sheets of heavy cardstock for several
hours or overnight
...take the sheet and rip it in thirds.
...one
sheet leave alone, one sheet texture with sandpaper, and the last
sheet texture with whatever - texture sheets, balled up aluminum foil, real bark...this
sheet is REALLY textured.
...tear the sheets into small pieces
(I like long and skinny but all shapes work)
...layer these pieces
over a scrap clay base for the tree or twig (layer, smoosh
and even roll some peices up to make them thicker)
.......if
I want my bark to have a lot of "shingle" to it (think pine tree),
then I make sure to leave some edges free.
.......if I want a smoother
look I lay out the torn peices with less overlap.
...When it looks mostly
right, texture it again to get rid of finger prints - usually with sandpaper and
stylus.
...Bake . . . .then antique with acrylic.
And for
white birch bark try layering a pieces from a mix of whites
and pieces from a mix of black and dark browns. Smooth the white layer
and make the dark layers really bumpy. Turns out pretty cool. chelliebell
Lynne's
beautiful "faux Ukranian birch bark" boxes
...cane slices
and onlays made from of diff. shades of brown, cream, reddish brown
etc., used as embellishments
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen_tins_boxes.html
(click for enlargement)
"carved" wood
... I think I discovered a new technique! As you know I'm working on a mini
town and the first building is the church. This is for the bas relief wooden
doors for the church. I wanted them to look like carved wood, but
knew that there was no way I could bake a hunk of clay with wood grain and then
carve it to get my design. . . .
This is the method (lesson) http://www.heartofclay.com/pc/tutorials.htm
-- First I made a very plain relief sculpture (of Christ with arms open).
-- Second, I made snakes of clay and built them up on his body as if folds of
garment.
-- Third, I used strips of faux wood cane and carefully laid a pattern
over the entire piece with the exception of hands and face as they will be "faux
other material or painted wood". Strips were gently pressed into the folds.
-- The face and the hands are just roughed in. Also I may use some finish to rub
in grooves to show more relief. Here's a close-up...
........... I normally
draw out a pattern and put under glass when I start this
kind of thing. I usually use Cernit for bodies and it is very hard to smooth out
and get quick definition---but I got some of Jack Johston's Pro-Sculpt
and I can tell you that this is a superb clay for sculpting especially in relief.
I don't have to have any pattern as you can just go to it. Jeanne
Kevin
Buntin makes 3-D "carved" wood heads (with pine
cones as hats and moss for hair)... don't know if these are real wood or not,
but could be done as faux wood too... color could be added in the same ways we'd
color the suface of a flesh-colored face
http://www.kevinbuntin.com/imagepages/pinesprites.html
using
copper metallic powder in the depressed areas of stamped or carved
black clay is a bit reminiscent of flat carved wood too
http://isisesc.supelec.fr/gallery-nenuphar/album01/aah
(see Carving, for Turning (baked polymer) on a Lathe ...... and Covering > Veneers for making veneers to cover wood)
Jeanne
R's woven reed round box and lid (for mini "sewing supplies")..
made with twisted ropes spiralled like Balinese Filigree over a form
http://www.heartofclay.com/eb/swapjeanne2.jpg
Jeanne
R's sauna walls using contrasting planks of wood color
http://www.heartofclay.com/eb/swapjeanne2.jpg
Tommie
H's rough-hewn, light-colored wood plank, used as a background
for a transfer
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/claypen_transfers.html
for that dead haze effect in the distance, I just did a 2" forrest scene, and covered the back trees with VERY thin translucent tinted with green... I doubted it would work, but baking brought out the colors and it is spectacular.
(see
lesson above on "pulling & more contrast" for recipe... then:)
......for gnarly branches (my fav) then pull very thin, and
twist a bit
......for flat finished wood, pile ropes in
flat manner (rather than round), and then roll or till you can run through pasta
maker, but doing so will lose actual texture of grain. I've attempted to add grain,
and found it looked horrid, so I usually roller lightly, and not at
all if going for actual tree. .
......you get nice options for knots
and branch spots if you twist and push together, rather
than pull, esp. for actual trees.
Lorie's gnarly branches http://www.polymercafe.com/feat_of_clay/follett.html
"knots"
(in wood or bark) are just bulls eyes, only smaller. Nora Jean
....to create her knot-looking clay, Heather P. uses bullseye canes
with multi wraps of various browns and translucent
http://www.humblebeads.com/tip8.html
(..I
first made the basic grain with snakes from my colors of different widths
and lengths, but didn't line them end to end… roll them making sure they don't
twist too much, keep them pretty much straight... after a while you
might want it to twist, just a little.... then roll ... fold in half... repeat,
repeat)
..... to get the knots from that basic grain...... fold it
in a loose figure 8 but don't have the ends touch right in the
middle, have them off center... then shape one of the ends to look
like this @ sort of, but not so pronouced.
....you get nice options
for (exterior?) knots and branch spots if you twist and push
the ropes together, rather than pull, esp. for actual trees.
thin
slices from canes can be used to to create
"pictures" by being onlaid onto a clay base,
then flattened into the clay
......can simulate things like
branches, vines,stems, trunks, leaves,
flowers, cones, etc.
Jana's faux wood "branches" with
dogwood-like flowers http://www.janarobertsbenzon.com/id1.html
(see
many more flowers, leaves, and vines especially in Canes-Instr
> Flowers > "Slice Painting" flowers & leaves)
Nora
Jean's lessons ............on various faux woods
...
also putting wood grain in molds for faces, etc.
http://www.norajean.com/New_Projects/Review-2004-WoodGrain.htm
Marie's lesson using stacks (and ripple blade for
knots/rings)... dark wood and blonde wood
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/ms_wood2.html
Barb's lesson on making
wood with stacking bits and strips, rolling, chopping, thinning, rolling,
and cutting planks (to make bucket)
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=607368&uid=129694
Teri's bucket and grain using Barb's lesson
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=548979&uid=452502
CreaBijoux's lesson on making wood (stacks of Fimo's terra
cotta, caramel, clear chestnut, white...with indentations)
http://www.creabijoux.com
(click on Atelier/Workshop in the upper bar, then on Du "bois" polymère
at bottom)
Sara's
wood-like beads (gold Premo, black)
http://www.sarajenkins.com/Jewelry.htm
Paulo's faux dark wood shapes for necklace (stamped and
antiqued with raw sienna acrylic paint and incense ash) (if these aren't supposed
to be faux wood, they could be!) (website gone)
Shelley Attwood's
faux dark, bone/ivory/wood rock pendant with carving
http://www.npcg.org/houston/memberpages/shelleyatwood.htm
Varda's dark faux wiid barrette,
with textures, lines... dark antiquing in one area almost looks like wood
is burned
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/pcc/swappics/barrellisman.jpg
Lynne S's faux vines wreath
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/chall_sep01.html
Kate's faux wood barrettes, with onlays
http://www.sculpturefromtheheart.com/_borders/HOSI_Kate.jpg
Kathy G's faux wood hinged frame for pin (part like slats) --impressed
and antiqued
NOW AT? .... http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=4153008/1017001248-001509.html
Jeanne R's wood hut (back of) with one knot
http://www.heartofclay.com/sb/fairyhut5.jpg
real Bodhi
tree beads
http://www.tibetanbeads.com/misc_tibetan_beads.htm
Surface
Techniques
for wood grain
These
are not caning or sculpted clay techniques.
...Instead they change
just the surface of clay (or paper, fabric, etc.) to resemble the
graining found in wood.
--In general, a base color is applied
to something, and left to dry (dry coat)--(or the original color of an
area is left as is.
--Then a glaze (a translucent color of some
kind) (wet coat) is spread over the base color and manipulated while still
wet by drawing tools/combs down it, dabbing or streaking with dry brushes,
spattering, etc.; the new layer is left to dry.
--Other layers can then
be added, or a final color can be used and mostly wiped off to "antique"
the finish or to change its predominant color.
...use
for a single surface, or cut into shapes or strips for onlay,
marquetry, mosaics, etc.
Some possibilities
for the wet coat could be:
...opaque colors could be used instead of translucent "glazes"
(opaque LS, or Diluent-clay pastes, e.g.?)
...inks, powders
on raw clay or powders mixed into clear sealers, tinted LS or
varathane, even possibly crackle medium . . . or anything wet or
movable)
....a
wood grain tool ("rocker," "wood grainer")
(large, curved, rubber "stamp" on a handle,
with raised, concentric, half-circles)
http://www.plaidonline.com/productDetail.asp?itemID=30114
This tool can be used to make faux wood grain
with nested curves, knots, and straight grain.
...the
tool is pulled down in one stroke over a section of wet glaze, etc., while
being rocked slightly, and leaves a convincing wood grain pattern... if the tool
is rocked a bit more, it creates a knot
... the strokes can be overlapped
on a previous line of graining
...
paint will accumlate in the grooves of the tool, so remove every so often
... there is a notched edge on the tool which can be used to give a
tighter grain? .
http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,296,00.html
...may
come in different sizes?
...the rubber stamp part may be removable to
use by hand... rolling it tightly will produce a finer grain?
other
"combs" and wood graining tools:
....A
hardware store tile-layer's adhesive spreading tool (flat, notched) allows
you to comb paint on clay (especially interference paints) (Elise
Winters showed that)
http://www.plaidonline.com/productDetail.asp?itemID=30124
(Multi-Purpose Comb, notched edges)
...Martha says you can make your own
comb by cutting into a rigid material such as plastic, rubber or even cardboard
(or use a rubber squeegee or a potter's rib), creating regular or irregular teeth
or V-shaped grooves along the edges
...or bevel the end of a piece of corrugated
cardboard with a razor knife. This will expose the ripples in the cardboard.
...could
you tape several of those rubber tipped shaping tools in a row (or pencil erasers,
shaped or not) then use as a comb?
http://www.dickblick.com/categories/rubbertippedtools/
brushes/tools
http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/Decorative_Effects/Graining_and_Effects_Tools/
http://www.goldenpaints.com/dtools.htm
other looks/techniques:
...for a
softer effect, go over the still wet, combed areas again lightly with a
clean paint brush, flogging
tool, or rag . . . or use cheesecloth over the tool before combing
....and
/or, add a final color "antiquing" to soften or actually change
the color
....if used with an applied color
which is the same but slighly ligher to the base color, the effect can
look like moire silk fabric http://www.generalpaint.com/silk%20moire.htm
...spatter
the piece, then drag a dry brush through the spatters to create grain
(this gives complexity, ages, or simulates certain types of wood)
...drag steel
wool through wet glaze (more subtle grain and looks good for
wood seen up close).
...flogging ...there are specially
designed flogging brushes but a regular paintbrush will work. ..take
your dry brush and pat while dragging it across the piece, creating
a delicate small grain that can look very realistic when viewed closely.(can
also be done over already painted grain pattern).
...pushing firmly down
on bristles near the stock of the brush a very coarse effect is obtained.
By pushing lightly on the tips a very soft antique is achieved.
...faux
malachite finish..use a rag to apply the paint, then drag a piece of corrugated
cardboard gently through the paint, wiggling it side to side to create
the striations of malachite.
.......or Paint on a glaze in very dark green.
Take a small piece of torn cardboard and scrape circular shapes into the
glaze. Back up with a lighter colour green.
...You
might also use a stencil to help with the grain effect. Provo Craft makes
a "Crisp 'n Clear" stencil (41-8151) called "Bricks, Rocks & Wood." Michael's
carries them.
...more detail on some of the techniques
http://www.decoratingstudio.com/archives/decorativepainting/graining_ross.htm
http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/Digests/200206/2002.06.05.05.html
(tips on faux wood grain, with other tools)
How
would one make a cork for a champagne bottle? Lori
I
think there should be a number of places to buy corks, esp. from some of
the scientific or bottle suppliers; check this page for some possibilities: http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/supplysources.htm
As for how to simulate corks with clay, there are a few considerations first. Will the corks always be out of the bottles (and need to be only approximately the right size), will they be in the bottles, or will be be both and removable? If they're always out of the bottles, fit won't be a problem.
.... looking at the patterns on a small
cork I happen to have right here, I think you could use striations of two
light beigy-browns (running up and down the cork), with perhaps some random
marbling of those two colors here and there. The top of the cork shows tinier
striations. There are also uneven dings all over the cork which you could
simulate by pressing on the cork shape before baking or scratching/gouging after
baking with various tools; then antique them with a brown acrylic paint.
Some of the dings are considerably darker than others, so you could perhaps use
a darker brown or black for some of them.
(You could also roll your sloped
log in some light and dark brown specks to simulate the dings before baking.)
I might also suggest cutting the top and bottom ends of the cork off *after
baking* since a cork's shape is so sharply defined. If they will be for pins
and you want sort of a bas relief effect, you could also cut them in half lengthwise
after baking and use each separately for pins.
If
the you're making acutal corks which will be in the bottles or need to
be removable, this might get a little more difficult. In making stoppers for my
small glass and plastic Bottles of Hope, I noticed that a really good removable
fit can be made by making sure there is no clay covering the interior and
top of the glass rim; otherwise you can't make as tight a fit, or the stopper
will always need to be oriented exactly to the slight variations in the
clay on the rim. What are you using for the bottles? If glass, then you won't
have that problem.
BTW, the clay stoppers I make for the tiny glass bottles
*seem* to expand a bit in baking and don't seem to go back into the neck
as far as they did before baking. I don't know how to explain this since if anything
the clay is supposed to shrink a bit with baking.
At any rate, a cork should
be as evenly sloping on the sides as possible to look right, so maybe that won't
matter as long as you leave enough inside the bottle to begin with.
If you
want to check out some of the BOH or other glass bottles that others have made,
here are a couple of pages with links to them: http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/BOH.htm
and http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/covering.htm#glass.
Diane B.
