I
want to start by stating that if you follow my videos in both this
scale and dollhouse miniature scale I really did just one video this
week for the two channels. Some parts of the videos are the exact
same tracks and I added portions to each video that was specific to
that scale. I know both videos are rather long this week but there
was so much to say about the topic. It is up to you if you want to
watch both videos or not.
I
did this for a couple of reasons. First off I felt that the
information was important enough that I wanted to share it on both
channels. Even if it did mean a lot more time in the editing process
for me. And secondly, I am battling a head cold and I just didn't
feel up to coming up with two topics for two separate tutorials this
week. This one took a lot of time in both the prep and the filming. I
don't do this often but from time to time I will.
Now
on to our tutorial.
On
my dollhouse miniatures channel we have been working with polymer
clay canes to make some foods and this is project is part of that
series. The orange cane was requested by several people on that
channel so that was the topic this week. It is an easy matter to
change this same cane to any citrus fruit by changing the color of
clay you use. The main thing to remember is to use a lot of
translucent clay for the interior parts of your cane. I know I have
done a lemon cane on this channel in the past but this one is done a
bit differently.
I
also show you how to work out the color blending to get the right
color. Since I wanted a nice clear orange color and the local Joann's
was out of orange clay I mixed my own. I was careful in picking my
red and my yellow to make sure they were both from the “warmer”
side of their respective colors. That way they would blend to become
a nice pretty orange. If my red for example had been a cool red (one
with a bluish undertone) my orange would not have been as clear, it
would have had a brownish tinge to it.
By
understanding how the colors work together and their positions on the
color wheel you will be much more successful in mixing colors. This
is a topic I love to experiment in and we can cover more of this in
future tutorials if there is enough interest.
Once
I had my colors close to what I wanted I did bake off a test sample.
This is important when working with canes since you are using a lot
of clay. It is really sad to make a huge cane and then find out the
colors shift when baked and the entire cane is the wrong color. I am
especially careful when I use red clay to bake a test since red seems
to shift color more than any other. Also you really need to bake the
translucent mixture to see how it will look because the that clay is
very white in the unbaked state but becomes translucent when baked.
When
you are working with canes you need to be careful not to distort all
the work you put into the cane. This is done by working carefully and
paying attention to how the cane feels. If it starts to become wobbly
at the ends stop and cut off the end, this means that the clay is
starting to split up the cane. It can actually split all the way to
the center if you don't take care of it right away.
The
more intricate the cane the more important it is to let the can rest
after you work it to the finished diameter. This is because the clay
gets warm as you work and becomes soft. By allowing it to set and
rest it will firm up again.
I
always try to cut my round canes with a rolling motion as I tried to
show in the video. This helps to keep them round. If the cane is
still getting flat for you pop it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes
to help it firm up even more.
You
don't have to cut the entire cane right away either, it can be stored
in a zip locked sandwich type bag for quite some time, just warm it
slightly before cutting especially if you need to roll it to a
smaller size. I often out the bag of clay inside my clothing and
allow it to warm up that way, just don't put it where it will get
smashed.
Now
about that other second project I was going to do this week.
I
had planned to show how to make my very favorite cane, the red onion
this week also. However I didn't have any luck with it. I am going to
blame it on the fact that I haven't been feeling well (from the head
cold I have been battling) and I must have forgotten a step I
normally do. I actually made the onion cane twice and messed it up
both times. In total I wasted two full blocks of clay and have
nothing to show for it other than some additions to my scrap clay
bag. So yes it happens to all of us. I have made that cane many times
in the past and I have no idea what I am doing wrong this time. I
will try to work it into a video later on because I really want to
share it with you all.
