AMACO – Lesson #27 – Daybreak—A Sculpture Utilizing AMACO Sculptamold

By Ilena Grayson

Materials:

AMACO® Sculptamold®
AMACO® ArtEmboss®—Light Aluminum
Fun Wire™
Cardboard box
Foam board insulation
Duct tape, masking tape, and blue painter’s tape
Newspaper
Picture wire
Coat hanger wire
Gesso
Acryllic paint: Black, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Dark Blue, Turquoise, and Red
Paint brushes
Paper towel
Matte medium
Craft adhesive
Wire cutters
Plastic Disposable gloves
Scissors

Step 1:

Modify a cardboard box by cutting and taping one side into a peaked roof shape. Thicken the walls with pieces of foam core insulation. Insert picture wire through the back of the box and secure with a twist on the inside (see photo #1).

Photo # 1

Step 2:

Form a wad of newspaper into a bird shape, wrapping with masking tape, and tape on legs made out of coat hanger wire (see photo #2).

Photo # 2

Step 3:

Wearing disposable gloves, cover the box and the bird with Sculptamold and let dry until no longer cold to the touch. Also make a small ball of Sculptamold to resemble a berry (see photo #3).

Photo # 3

Step 4:

Coat the box, bird and berry with Gesso and let dry (see photo #4). Paint the box yellow ochre and the bird black with acrylic paints. Using blue painter’s tape, mask off the top third of the box and paint dark blue. Mask off a small square on the inside of the box and paint turquoise. Let paint dry between each step. Wash the box with a glaze of burnt umber, (acrylic paint mixed with matte medium), wiping off the excess glaze with a paper towel. Dry brush the box with red paint and paint the small berry red.

Photo # 4

Step 5:

Cut flag shapes out of ArtEmboss (including small tabs for hanging) and emboss with a flower and dots along the top and bottom. Cut a fringe on the bottom. Cut a length of Fun Wire to hang the flags from and insert into the box securing with glue. Hang the flags by bending the tabs over the wire. Glue in the bird and the berry.