MT, I thing he looks absolutely fabulous! Your veining is perfect. I tend to lean towards the smooth surface, but I think a bit of texture with the paintjob would look very cool also. Just basepaint him a dark shade of brown and then start layering in by drybrushing consecutively lighter shades of orange. Do the same thing with the veins using a very small brush.
I'm looking forward to seeing this guy all painted up....great job!
This is a tough one. In one hand the texture would be nice. But since the veining turned out so well I lean towards leaving him smooth. I like LB suggestion of using the paintjob as a way to add dimension.
First prop? Wow! Simply amazing. Girl, you got some talent!
MT, I've been looking at those pics and there's another thing you could do with the stem. If you look closely at the reference pics below, you can see that the base of the stem has rounded ridges. When dry, these ridges take on a spiral shape. You can make these in a couple of ways. You can add worm-like strips of DAS clay, or Paperclay, dip the "worms" in water and then drape them onto your sculpt. Then simply take a small artist brush smooth the entire "worm" down onto the stem. Add a small ball of clay where the stem meets the pumpkin and smooth with the paintbrush to blend just where the base gradually merges with those "worms". You can press down on those balls of clay just to set them. Then very gently brush a bit more water on the area. Another option would be to sculpt those ridges in while the clay is moist. Something to consider getting for making really nice "worm" shapes is a gadget called a clay extruder. I purchased mine at Michaels and found it to be very useful.
These are some pumpkins that I grew a couple of years ago. They looked good after they were picked for another 9 months. When they finally did start to rot, I just HAD to take some pics. Hopefully these will be some decent reference pics for ya.
I personally love him the way he is,smooth , especially the veins, I would probably go with LB's suggestions, if it were me, just my 2 cents. What ever you decide, he is fabulous!
Laurie thank you for posting those reference pictures and for your suggestions. I have a clay extruder because I also work with polymer clay. I have been thinking about using natural jute. If I untwist the jute I will get fine strings that have good texture. My thought is if I use white glue, or the mache' glue mixture to apply the jute as I wrap it around the stem it should be a fairly realistic texture when it is painted. What do you think about that idea? Of course if I was starting over I would have added that detail before I put the vine around the stem. But that is what Morti is all about. I refer to him as my learning lab. For everything you do you can find an easier or better way for next time; for everything you goof up you can find a fix if you remain calm and keep your wits about you. There are so many easier ways to make a JOL but I took this route with Morti so I could learn about materials I have never used before. The process is even more fun than the finished project for me. I know that's a bit strange, but hey....that's the kind of spirit I have.
My thanks to everyone who has posted comments. Your feedback is really appreciated. Since Morti is my first prop-making adventure it is nice to have the opinions and wisdom of my forum friends guiding my next steps. At this point I'm leaning heavily toward not adding another layer of texture to the body, but the stem will get some more texture before I begin painting. The good thing about not adding another layer for texture is I don't have to worry about messing up at this stage. I can see what I have. If I paint and don't like the outcome, I can always just sand the paint down a bit and do it over. I always like to think ahead about damage control...plan B is always a great stress reducer. Have a great weekend and keep that feedback coming. You are watching me grow up and become a prop builder right before your eyes. When Morti is complete I will no longer be a Halloween prop-making virgin. Oh my!
IMHO: many things around the house can be used as a stamp pad for interesting texture.
when I need skin cells on something I use a stamp pad I made by pour some latex on a navel orange. then letting it dry, when dry peel off and use as a stamp pad. You can use this the same way with what you are doing with you Mache' Look around the house a see what will make interesting textures on Morti
The jute rope technique sounds wonderful and keep us posted on how that goes. Also, if this prop is going to be displayed outside, specifically with regards to moisture, I suggest you seal it well with a product called Sculpt-or-Coat. Since this product leaves a bit of a sheen, I would also use another product called Flat Plastic Varnish over the Sculpt-or-Coat. Both of these products can be purchased here Foam Coatings, Clear coats, Primers, Saturated Paints, Scenic Brushes by Sculptural Arts Coating, Inc. and they last a very long time. I use it on every mache prop I sculpt even though they're not exposed to the weather.
He really is a beautiful piece of work and I'm very proud of you.
I Love the veining, it looks FABULOUS! I am definitely leaning towards leaving him smooth, and using color to "texturize". The jute idea sounds awesome for the stem, can't wait to see the results! You are very talented MT!!
Madame T, you prop making little vixen! I covet Mortii-he is really amazing looking. I agree with the majority about leaving him smooth-can't wait to see how he looks painted!
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