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Step 3Add finishing touches to the body
Mix a color of clay with translucent clay. I chose yellow. Pinch off some of the clay and add more translucent clay. Keep doing that until you have four or so separate shades of progressively translucent clay.
Starting with the most translucent shade, roll a small ball. Take the next shade and roll a snake, wrapping it once around the ball. Take the next shade after that, roll it into a thin snake, and wrap it around the previous color. Continue until you've used all your shades and have made a flat disc. Press gently with your fingers to smooth the colors and form a slightly domed shape. This is one eye. Press it onto the octopus and then make the other eye the same way.
Roll a very thin snake of darker clay and place it on the eye to make a pupil slit.
Take a bit of clay the same color as the octopus body. Roll it into a short snake that's tapered at both ends. This is an eyelid. Press it around the eye at the top. Repeat to make a lower eyelid and eyelids for the other eye.
Gently press ridges into the eyelids with a toothpick or wooden skewer.
Roll some translucent clay into a long snake. Cut little pieces from the snake. Roll those pieces into little balls, and press them into the octopus on the head.
If desired, lightly brush on some metallic powder with a dry paintbrush; I used a little statuary bronze.
Bake the octopus according the the clay manufacturer's directions. It helps to bake it on parchment. Remove from oven and let cool.
Starting with the most translucent shade, roll a small ball. Take the next shade and roll a snake, wrapping it once around the ball. Take the next shade after that, roll it into a thin snake, and wrap it around the previous color. Continue until you've used all your shades and have made a flat disc. Press gently with your fingers to smooth the colors and form a slightly domed shape. This is one eye. Press it onto the octopus and then make the other eye the same way.
Roll a very thin snake of darker clay and place it on the eye to make a pupil slit.
Take a bit of clay the same color as the octopus body. Roll it into a short snake that's tapered at both ends. This is an eyelid. Press it around the eye at the top. Repeat to make a lower eyelid and eyelids for the other eye.
Gently press ridges into the eyelids with a toothpick or wooden skewer.
Roll some translucent clay into a long snake. Cut little pieces from the snake. Roll those pieces into little balls, and press them into the octopus on the head.
If desired, lightly brush on some metallic powder with a dry paintbrush; I used a little statuary bronze.
Bake the octopus according the the clay manufacturer's directions. It helps to bake it on parchment. Remove from oven and let cool.
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