Posted by Steve | Posted in Sculpting | Posted on 04-05-2010
Tags: art, clay, polymer, polymer clay sculpting tips, sculpture, tutorial

How do I sculpt realistic rocks out of polymer clay?
I am making a base for a sculpture out of super sculpey, and while I have nearly all of the individual rocks set, I am having trouble making it look real. I was wondering if anyone had tips on adding those realistic finishing touches that would make it look like real rock?
It is a scaled piece per say. It will be representing a rock like mountain that a dragon will rest on. I have tried adding cracks and grooves, I was wondering if there was a tool that someonee has use that may be helpful.
Are you trying for scale, like representing boulders or large stones? Does the piece looked “molded” where you can’t differentiate from the base and the rock feature?
If you are making it as one piece, make sure you draw shallow lines or grooves around the rock feature to lead the eye to believe that they are different materials and objects. Natural rock has texture, and flaws like cracks or discoloration. When you leave these things out in sculpture, it may catch the eye. You might try something as simple as lightly stamping the model with a real rock to impart the texture.
Hope this helps.
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