How To… Make a Polymer Sculpture By Lisa Marie Owens

Lisa Marie Owens is an artist. She sculpts her passion… FAIRIES. Today's installment is her step-by-step of male fairy Phileurus. The descriptions were written by Lisa. To find more of her sculptures please visit her SHOP. Thank you Lisa for giving us permission to share your process of making Phileurus' sculpture.  :)

1. The armature, about 6 ½" miniature sculpt.
2. Working on the under armature.
3. I like to do the upper body first, adding to the arms, then I smooth it over.
4. I like to play out the shape of the face before I attach, then details come out later.

5. Head is on and sculpting the neck. More clay add to the torso and hip area and arms smoothed out.
6. Details are made to back and rear, adding the legs now. I build up under the rear to make the thighs.
7. Adding more clay to torso, building up the chest and doing some shape to arms.
8. Adding to the legs, lots of smoothing.

9. Same to the backside, adding and smoothing.
10. Shaping and smoothing to torso, waist and things. No he will not be anatomically correct. lol
11. More details and smoothing.
12. And the back side as well.

13. Working on the feet now, I usually do the shape of the foot, attach, carve away excessive clay and add where it's needed.
14. Feet and hands are not my specialty but I make it work. :)
15. I always add a thicker wire in the legs. I usually do this before I sculpt the feet and shape the legs but it's been a long day. HAHA!!
16. More chest and face details.

17.Working on the hands.

18. I attach at the wrists and smooth.

19. More face details. Hands are now on.

20. Making the hole for the wings.

21. Fitting him with real Hercules Beetle wings.

22. After the first fire I sculpt the ears.

23. I sand the legs and some other areas as needed. Because of the sculpt size and small details I don't sand too much.

24. Ears and sanding before the second fire.

25. After firing, I smooth him down with light acetone all over, then I rinse him off under water and dry.

26. Getting ready for blushing the body.

27. Body finished, testing out a stand for him.

28. Hand painting eyes using acrylics.

29. I add mod podge to the paint for a glossy finish.
30. After the painting, I move on to the hair. This is brown tibetan lambs hair.
31. I add small sections at a time.
32. A little goes a long way.

33. A rustic braid for a forest fairy.

34. Hair is wet here. I will let it dry naturally. Next will be the stand and his clothing.

35. Starting with the clothes.

36...

37 - 40. Worked on the clothing and finished up with all the details.

Finished product.

MidDreamers 6 ½" One Of A Kind Male Fairy by Lisa Marie Owens