domenica 16 dicembre 2012

Fox cub - a new design in progress

I'm developing a new design for a fox cub. What is new (for me) in this design is the concept of the front legs design. I have always designed all four limbs as separate parts from the body, attaching them with cotter pins. This works very well with teddy bears and other animals when they are sitting, as the joint lets the arms a great possibility of movement. The arm can turn around the cotter pin and be moved as wished, especially if you put a wiring in the limb.

This is Onorio, his arm is cotter pin jointed and separate from the body. He can lift it all the way up.
Why changing?
Because when I want a different, more realistic animal that is standing on all fours, the front limb is always sticking out a bit. The shoulder part cannot be perfectly concealed. I wanted a smoother look, particularly in the front. So I decided to design a body with front legs attached.

It has taken me a lot of work.
I always try out new designs using cheap cotton fabric, to see if all the parts fit and the proportions are fine. It is a tricky process as the fur changes the proportions, and I must always keep it in mind.
The front legs will be part of the body.
In the picture they look severed because they will be made with two furs, the lower part being black short alpaca fur.
The front feet took me ages. I couldn't find a shape that really satisfied me. I wanted the feet to have a natural curve, and to be rounded in the front. I did at least four tries. Some went straight to the garbage bin. :-(
Some are still lying on my table!
Three stages of my 'front legs'efforts

The hind legs were easier because I basically modified the concept of the front legs, when I found the right design!

And here is my fox cub!

He is still very raw, no stuffing, no wiring, no nothing! Just the body parts all together for a first impression. I like it!

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sabato 8 dicembre 2012

ROCCO RACCOON

I have named him Rocco Raccoon. And I made him a felt gift box.











These are some better pictures of him. I think the black background is better. I thought it wouldn't work because Rocco is also grey and black, but it is even better than light blue I think.

Rocco now lives in the USA!


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venerdì 7 dicembre 2012

It has taken me quite some time, but I have finally finished this little raccoon of mine. I shouldn't say little as he is not that small really, he measures about 28 cm from head to bottom, with a 21cm tail!
I have taken the first pictures. Today there is a very bad light, so I'm sure I could do better, but I didn't want to wait! :-)

His wired arms can bend
 The pictures don't show it well, but he has polymer clay claws.

Arms are long enough for him to put his hands on his eyes
I have used two different kind of fur for his limbs. The upper part is the same Tissavel of the rest of the body. For the lower part I chose a relatively short (9mm) alpaca. I love alpaca fur as it is quite thick, soft and has no shine. Sometimes you don't want a shiny material!
I scissor sculpted in the area where the two materials meet, then shaded.
I also like how he looks seen from above
 The shading took quite some time. I did it with oils. I did his tail using paper tape to keep the lighter parts clear of the dark shading.
On all fours

I haven't decided on a name...or on an accessory. Time to think about it during the week-end!

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lunedì 3 dicembre 2012

New raccoon, work in progress

Ever since finishing Soot in April this year, I meant to make another raccoon. I never got round to it, because I didn't want to make one that was too similar, and Soot has been for a long time in my head 'the raccoon'.
Well, I had this wonderful piece of Tissavel fur that was just perfect for another raccoon, and I finally decided to try my hand at it.
I'm designing a new pattern. This time he will be able to stand on all fours and to sit, thanks to his body wiring.
I have finished his face, and I have done the body. Poor little fellow has no arms or legs yet, I'm designing them still. His tail needs stripes and is not yet attached to the body....a real work in progress!



Well,  Soot had a sweet face...this one is a rascal! He has a very different face, and I like it!

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domenica 25 novembre 2012

Mama Irina & Baby Boris Igel

Well, these are the last (for some time at least) of the 'Igel' hedgehog family, mama Irina and her sweet son Baby Boris.
I decided to list them on e-bay as there were quite a few people interested in my hedgehog family. E-bay gives everybody a fair chance of adopting, regardless of time related precedence. Well, I hope it will be a success. I liked the idea of selling them together, but it is the first time ever that I sell a couple, and who knows, maybe the higher price will scare away my faithful customers....
Here is the link to the e-bay auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=181032740846&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

And here are some pictures of my sweet hedgehogs, with their hearts felt mat








Irina & Boris now live in the USA!

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