This pin is based on a Japanese "mon". I found the image in a book published by Dover in 1970 named "Japanese Emblems and Designs". The book contains over 800 illustrations and an informative introduction. This image depicts three hats.
I made a blend of three different Fimo polymer clays; translucent, white, and Sahara, cut it to shape with a cookie cutter, and cured it for half of the recommended time. I tried using old fashioned carbon paper to transfer the design to the clay but, as that didn't work very well at all, I applied a black pastel to the back of the drawing, placed the drawing on the clay, and then drew over the design. This left a nice, crisp transfer on the clay.
Using a fine gouge I carved out the design. Accurate carving makes all the difference! Curing the clay for half the time made the carving easier and when I was finished I cured the clay for the remaining time.
When the curing was done, I sanded the pin. Before I sanded with the finest grade of sandpaper (1000 grit in this case) I applied some Golden brand burnt umber acrylic paint to fill in the carved lines, removing the excess until I achieved the look I wanted. When the paint was dry I did the final sanding and used the buffing wheel to bring up a lovely shine. With a pin back glued and tacked onto the back the pin was finished!
These pins are addictive to make! There are SO many designs available, it's difficult to decide which ones to choose. I recommend starting with less detailed designs and using a fine gouge until the technique is perfected!
Comments
Post a Comment