I know there are a few guides already, but this is another way to make it!

I gave a lot of pictures and not a lot for explanation because I think it will make it easier to understand, but if there is something unclear please let me know.

Also, I am sorry for bad spelling and grammar, English is not my native language, if you notice a mistake I would appreciate if you will let me know so I won’t look like a total ignorant. :p

Enjoy!

Step 1: The Foundation

Find a reference picture to work from.

Make a Rough sketch, take some metal wire and build the shape of your groot, body , head and hands.

Take some aluminum foil and give your Groot a shape.

Step 2: the Cover

In order to give our Groot a shape we need some sort of clay material.

I used industrial clay and it is awesome! It is a bit expensive, it is used in the car industry to shape the car models. What special about it is that in room Temperature it is hard, and when heated he is very soft, you work with small pieces each time and slowly shape your model. Use a normal hair blower to heat your model. If the material interest you, look for Specific guides online…

Anyway, cover all of your model with a thin layer of you chosen clay. Then add some more clay to give your groot specific shape, like in the torso and head.

Step 3: the Face

Now is the time to shape the face.

I like to start flat then add little pieces of clay where needed.

about the face:

I Exaggerated him features a bit to make him more expressional, like the dimples, also add a lot of clay under the eyes to make his smile “reach the eye”.

Notice that baby groot have no nose or lips, but in order to give him a cutish look and not a Voldemort like look, make where the nose supposed to be I little bump, and his lips some roundness.

Notice that his eyes are a bit far from each other.

I added a pic for reference, notice the highlights and the shadows.

I left the eyes empty to fill it out later.

Step 4: the Hair

I started with one method and then switched.

The first- make long snake like strips and combine them with the head, looks great! I switched to hot glue because I didn’t want the hair to brake, and the hot glue is more resistant.

If you use Fimo, this is the time to bake it.

The second- find a nice glass/wax paper to work on, make the hair strips, remove them and stick on the head, use the clay to cover the spacing.

Step 5: The Branches

Use the hot glue to add veins to the tree, make 2-3 different roots and follow them to make it random but natural.

Make the fingers in advance then stick them on.

Step 6: Paint

1) I spray paint the model with black spray (the only color I had at home, you can use… brown or green, makes more sense…) because the hot glue repels (sometimes) water based colors.

2) Color with brown, then green, then lighter green. Make it a bit random to make it look natural.

3) Put black/very dark brown in the deep gaps to make it look hollow.

4) Pointers: the light green should be in the freshly grown parts, so in the fingers and the hairs. Also, don’t be afraid about the texture, use the acrylic paint with the branches to make it look tree like.

5) Face: put the lighter green at the face highlights. Think about a baby, it will have pink chicks, nose and lips, the little baby Groot should have the same with light green.

let it dry

Step 7: Moss and Texture

To add more natural feeling I added moth in some parts.

I used wet paint, spread some samt powder on it, waited for
it to dray, the lightly colored it with light green and brown.

Step 8: Eyes

To give the eyes a nice black shine, I used fabric paint.
Make sure it is nice and round before you let it dry for 15 minutes.

Step 9: The Pot

Add an extension to your Groot so it won’t fall down in the
pot. I used Popsicle stick and hot glue.

Any pot will do. Put the Groot in and cover with dirt.

Use the hot glue to add “roots” the will start from the Groot and go out of the pot. For reinforcement and good looks. Color the roots in the same fashion you colored the rest of the Groot. You can let it get dirty with dirt and this point, it will only give your Groot more character.