Next, I made some plaster bits by rolling out a thin layer of DAS clay over a piece of plastic wrap. When that dried completely, I simply broke off pieces. I then glued these around the sculpture using Celluclay.
Next came the fingers which were made from aluminum wire covered with tinfoil and Paperclay. I wasn't too concerned with length at this point because I knew I'd be adjusting when applying them to the picture. I also like to use fake fingernails and glue those on when the fingers are dry.
Here you can see them after I used the Dremmel tool to form the nailbed.
Once I got an idea of where to place those fingers, I used Liquid Nails to adhere them to the picture. I also painted them before glueing them on.
Now the rest of the broken plaster pieces can be added to the finger area and the rest of the painting can be done.
I always coat my mache projects with Sculpt Or Coat purchased from
Foam Coatings, Clear coats, Primers, Saturated Paints, Scenic Brushes by Sculptural Arts Coating, Inc.. This really helps protect and seal the sculpt prior to painting. I also use their primer before painting.
I used a dark gray as a basecoat so it would settle into those nooks and crannies, then used progressively lighter shades of gray. I painted the plaster to match my wall color making sure those edges were left white. Also, I used a bit of Spackle to make the edges of the broken plaster where it meets with the wall transition better. Don't be afraid to do a little sanding along the way.
Nose hairs and eyebrows were applied after all the painting was done. I just used small pieces of real hair and glued then on with a small amount of gel type Super Glue. Then I trimmed the hair with tiny scissors.
Next, I attached an old frame using finishing nails and added a light to the top of the frame.
And there ya have it! Any questions, feel free to ask.
