Peg, when the clay doesn't cooperate, in my experience it's either too wet, too sticky, too dry, too much, or too little. Or, in my early days especially, I just don't have enough experience with the clay I'm using to know how it behaves.
I like what Ray Bradbury said about Writer's Block: when you get it it's your subconscious telling you you're focussing on the wrong thing. Stop trying to write THAT and write something that suits you more.
Analogously, with clay, if it's fighting you, it may be trying to tell you to try another direction.
If you're handbuilding an animal, start simple. It has a head, a torso, and appendages. Start with the torso and control its drying so all of it is shy of leather hard; meanwhile you're working on the attachments. To symmetrize appendages, work on two at a time as mirror images of each other. Make twice as many as you need; it's good practice and there will always be another animal coming along.
When you get to the head, study images galore of the animal you're doing till you have a feel for the basic shape. Remember, the brain pan is almost always egg shaped, and well suited to pinch pots small or large.
Play!
You're right in a way - I usually let the clay do what it wants to do, and trying to manage it for a certain idea without a mold ........................................ .......... So I may end up with Gargoyles :)
Did you know if you use the same wine glass with clay covered hands and only wash the inside you soon get a really personal fit!
THEY keep telling me practice makes perfect. Don't worry about the entire animal, start with pieces and try to get the feel for just the head, or body. Once these "parts" feel right you can begin to put them together. I'm sure that at this stage proportion is difficult, but by "building" an animal in stages like Claybo suggests, it will come. Once you have several heads, bodies, limbs you will see what works together and what doesn't.
PS: nothing wrong with gargoyles!
I love the "animals" children can create. Do they look real? Heck, no! When I make 'animal' forms, I do not strive for realty....most of the time I create a new species.
I have been working on an insect (ladybug type) with wire legs to attach to a hanging flower form. I was frustrated trying to make the ladybug...perfect! Finally I gave up and am now creating my own species.
I also want to try dogs down the line. The easiest form I have made is a bird. Take a fat coil...make the tail at one end & the head at the other. hollow out in the belly area.
Like Bev says....get several heads, bodies, etc. Then you can really have fun creating new species!!!
Yep, thanks guys - probably will definitely be Gargoyle species :)
p.s. Noone has said whether THEY are more stubborn than their clay - haha :)
You will the clay until it won't. Early on I would fight losing battles with forms that were too wet, too thin, twisted etc, etc. I used to tell people to stop wasting their time and move on to a new lump of clay. Now I think you should wrestle with the clay until it proves to you it was folly to think you would be successful. It's the best way to learn what the clay can do and also improves your skills. At some point you will know you are not going to have a good piece. You may have the skill to save it but most likely it's not worth and you'll just wire it and move on. Same applies to handbuilding. I think the suggestions about how to go about that has been well covered in previous posts in this thread.
Michaelangelo 'saw' his sculpture in a block of marble at the quarry. When I used to draw, I had this same experience with textured paper. And clay, even when you have a preconceived notion, does much the same. It's a matter of 'unconcentrating', letting your hands do what the clay tells them. Then, when you have the thing in rough form, you apply your conscious mind and your techniques to turn it into a finished work.
As Gary says, 'Play!'
I would just wedge some nylon fibers in the clay and get cracking.
The nylon fibres are a great idea! Hven't the faintest idea how one could get hold of such useful stuff her in the back of beyond, but will try and think up an available substitute!
