Turtle Mania!

[FranOnTheEdge]

I have a couple more turtles now:
http://vid251.photobucket.com/albums/gg314/franontheedge/Craft/Polymer%20Clay/Animals/Turtles1_zpsbk3txhxw.mp4

These two new ones don't have the decorative shells like the 1st two... not yet anyway, but these new ones should turn out lighter, because I made formers out of kitchen foil for them, so not hollow but almost as good as.

Above is a link to a video showing the two older turtles and the hollow in the big one, and the ring of clay that I may use to help secure the feet, tail and head to the upper shell.
The question is, do you think that's a good idea?  Using this ring of clay?

The 2nd half of the video shows the 2 new turtles, sans detailing.

I do have a still shot of one of the new turtles, with a little more detailing in the head of the big one. (I think it's a Box Head Turtle... possibly.)



3 of the turtles now have eyes & one has a few neck wrinkles.

I'm not ready to give up on the detailing yet: - it's so relaxing doing that, so it'll be a while before I get to the damaging part of the detailing, and the addition of Swellegant comes after that.

[Karolina.S]

I like their faces Nice ones.

[Carrie]

They're rather cute!

As for the question....it looks a bit bulky, as if they're resting on a cushion, but if you thinned the edges down it wouldn't hold the feet etc in very well, so - difficult!  The bulkier bit below the head of the bigger one looks pretty authentic, from my memories of our tortoise...but his base plate was definitely thinner at the sides.

I imagine the ones with a foil core have the same problem with attaching the legs etc.

[FranOnTheEdge]

Thanks.
@Carrie,
Yes, it does look bulky. Having looked at images of turtles - it also makes them look more like tortoises than turtles.
My problem is I'm beginning to think I'll have to do them as just desk ornaments since I can't see how to securely attach any kind of bail, the obvious place is through the mouth as if the creature is holding on to a ring of its own accord, but I'm not convinced of the security of the head to body connection.  Not that I've actually connected it yet.

Turtles seem to have no nooks and crannies between the shell upper and the plastron below, or between the legs and shell/plastron (or head or tail) it's all smooth and looks water-tight.

I can turn the newest ones into Tortoises, except for that nice "Box Head turtle" head.

Desk ornaments... sigh.
I set out to make pendants...

[MelMcG]

I really like your turtles Fran!!  They're very cute.  Great video too!!

Mel 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Thanks Mel.

[MelMcG]

And I meant to say that I agree with Carrie, the base needs to be thinner.  It's great how you've hollowed them out to make them lighter. 

Mel 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Well I hope these are improvements, 'cos they're baked and painted now.  Here's how the Box Head Turtle began:


Ugly, isn't he?

Well I changed his head a bit more to this:


Then I remodelled the other one's head too, and changed their flippers as well and added texture... this is what I have now:


Here are aerial views showing their backs:




So that's the metalled Turtles, now I just need one more coat of metal, then I can add patina.

[Teeth2faces]

Very nice... I like a lot!

[FranOnTheEdge]

Here they both are with patina and dyes, talking to each other:


Here's the 'BoxHead Turtle' from above:


And here's the 'SadTurtle' also from above:


They may change when I go over them with the sealant, I don't know...

[Bonipie]

What awesome turtles!  So, I think I'm seeing the Swellegant dyes.  Be sure to take them to Cristie's classes-she would love it.

Hugs, Boni  in Sunny Yuma, Arizona  wishing I could be there 

[FranOnTheEdge]

Thanks, Boni.  Yes it's Swellegant, paints, patinas and dyes.
Oh I hadn't thought of taking baked and painted things to show her. I will.  I have 2 more turtles ready to bake of a different design, a dragon's eye and an Octopi head.  I hope to have those finished and baked ready to take, since I don't know how workshops work.  It says everything is provided, but I'd like to have something I can take home with me, so I thought I could take baked stuff in case I can paint those while I'm there.

I'd like to have a few beads to take as well... got bead rollers to try out, but I think they only make small beads, where as I wanted biggish ones to balance some of these turtles etc, but we'll see.

[Karolina.S]

Nice Patina

[MelMcG]

They're wonderful Fran!!

Mel 

[Carrie]

Great!  They really look as if they could have come from a shipwreck after centuries underwater.
Brilliant idea to show them to  Christie