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Fancy making a clay stop motion animation Aardman style?
Chances are that you will need more than one clay figure, in fact you'll probably need a small army.
Here's an inexpensive way to make 'clones' of your original sculpture.
Materials Needed:
Armature wire (1/16")
Van Aken Plastalina Clay
Sculpey
Foam Board
Paper
Packing Tape
InstaMold Mold Making Compound
Petroleum Jelly
Baby Oil (Mineral Oil)
Electric Drill
Pliers
Double Boiler (or cooking pot and glass mixing bowl)
Sculpting tools
Paint and brushes
Imagination, patience and a video camera (optional)
Chances are that you will need more than one clay figure, in fact you'll probably need a small army.
Here's an inexpensive way to make 'clones' of your original sculpture.
Materials Needed:
Armature wire (1/16")
Van Aken Plastalina Clay
Sculpey
Foam Board
Paper
Packing Tape
InstaMold Mold Making Compound
Petroleum Jelly
Baby Oil (Mineral Oil)
Electric Drill
Pliers
Double Boiler (or cooking pot and glass mixing bowl)
Sculpting tools
Paint and brushes
Imagination, patience and a video camera (optional)
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Signing UpStep 1Draw your character!
First draw your character on a piece of paper (full size).
For a full sized character aim to draw it about 9-14" in size.
In this tutorial Gromit (being a dog) was fairly short at about 9".
Make the drawing fairly simple, something that will be possible to sculpt in clay, and for which you can envisage a simple wire armature (skeleton).
For a full sized character aim to draw it about 9-14" in size.
In this tutorial Gromit (being a dog) was fairly short at about 9".
Make the drawing fairly simple, something that will be possible to sculpt in clay, and for which you can envisage a simple wire armature (skeleton).
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what motion software would you recommend
Free versions :P
The reason is that the heat transfer happens when steam condenses to water (heat of vaporization = heat of condensation) . That happens at a very even temperature. This heat transfer is much more efficient (i.e. a more constant temperature) than 'mere' conductive heat from direct contact with hot water (and convection heat, because the water moves). You don't need lots of water for the double boiler, just always keep enough in the pan so you don't boil it dry.
Also, the bowl will be more stable. It won't have buoyancy issues with the water, and won't be rocked by the boiling.
If your bowl is not secure enough in your pot, may I suggest a twisted wiping rag (I use those blue-checked things that come in a roll) soaked with water around the rim of the pot. If you are using a flame heat (gas or propane), do be careful of the fire hazard! :-)
>Umm..... As a trained cook, may I suggest that heat transfer is much better if the bowl is above the water NOT touching.
The reason is that the heat transfer happens when steam condenses to water (heat of vaporization = heat of condensation) . That happens at a very even temperature. This heat transfer is much more efficient (i.e. a more constant temperature) than 'mere' conductive heat from direct contact with hot water (and convection heat, because the water moves). You don't need lots of water for the double boiler, just always keep enough in the pan so you don't boil it dry.
.From my years of scientific study, I've found that conduction works better rather than radiation, which as far as I'm concerned works better as far as numbers and efficiency. What this "heat of vaporization = heat of condensation"?? If physics prove me right, when steam "happens" it's because of evaporation, which happens at all temperatures of water above freezing. However when boiling it does occur in greater amounts because the water is hot and therefore evaporates quicker because of the water rushing around and we see this as steam, which is as hot as the water, it's just water vapor, just like if you set a glass of water out for a few days, it loses water from evaporation.
That being said, condensation occurs because the steam (water vapor) has cooled down so instead of being gas, it turns to a liquid which is the state of water at room temperature when there is enough to collect into a droplet. If droplets are collection on the bottom of the bowl, yes the steam is heating the bowl up evenly, but by the time it reaches the bowl, it has already lost some of it's heat (re: Nuclear plants have mega insulated pipes in the turbines to keep the steam hot). However if the bowl is sitting on the water, although it may rock around if you have too much water, it would generally heat up quicker and be a "hotter" heat. The only reason this is done isn't for even-ness of heating, but rather for the feature of not having as much heat capacity, you know, so you don't BURN things like what would happen if you put the clay in an aluminum pot, instead of said bowl idea. I'd hate to say, but your theory may be wrong.
>Also, the bowl will be more stable. It won't have buoyancy issues with the water, and won't be rocked by the boiling.
. In all seriouslyness, it all depends on how much of a klutz you are, if you have any kind of a steady hand (which everyone except those that are ill/high/drug users) should have, then you just need to fill it up to touch the bottom of the bowl, it doesn't need to be so full that it pushes the bowl up, even if it pushes it up 1cm, it's entirely do-able.
>If your bowl is not secure enough in your pot, may I suggest a twisted wiping rag (I use those blue-checked things that come in a roll) soaked with water around the rim of the pot. If you are using a flame heat (gas or propane), do be careful of the fire hazard! :-)
. Who said I was actually making clay armies myself? I'd KILL to have that kind of time on my hands, however I have previously constructed units to float containers (plastic) in pots of water with popsicle sticks and tape, just needs a few (re: two or three, some people are bad with the words "couple, few, several, many") and it gives it room to float around but also doesn't let it tip in any direction, it worked great.
Probably because she invented it?
Lovely instructable!
Michel
Portugal
Here's an example straight from Aardman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omhYBHFY75U
The figure on the paper is deformable too, it was made using an armature and clay. Yes, I sculpted it (It took a while!).