Clay Alchemist Secrets

Behind the Scenes work for Clay Alchemist: by Jonathan D. Lopez.

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Bigly.

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Work continues.

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Finished Illustration

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Finished Illustration

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Finished Illustration

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Finished illustration

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Finished Illustrations

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Snow angel #hamster. #sculpture #illustration

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Second dog for my next series to be shot once winter is in full swing in Michigan.

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Getting my mojo back after a long reprieve from sculpting.  So much happened leading up to claylist that it just felt wrong not creating much of anything.  

Can’t wait to take the final photograph of this guy on the first day of (legit) snow in Grand Rapids, MI.

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Comparing prices online and in-person.

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ClayTips – Making Dynamic Eyes

It's said the eyes are the window to the soul.  Why then would you skimp on creating eyes to connect your character to others?  

In this tutorial, I show how I make eyeballs for my clay illustrations.

Check out more sculpture and stop-motion tutorials on ClayTips.org

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ClayTips – Mixing Custom Colors of Plasticine

There shouldn't be so much guess work in making new colors, so I spent the weekend and created an expansive color palette with the necessary ratios of clay to obtain the colors. View the palettes here.

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ClayTips – 4 Tips to Reduce Flicker in Stop-Motion Animation

CFL lightbulbs have been terrific for reducing energy consumption, but more problematic when animating with.  Other factors include ambient light, shutter speed, and reflective surfaces – one of which may include YOU!

For more lighting tips, visit ClayTips.org

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ClayTips – Armature Basics

Making a sturdy armature doesn't have to be difficult or take much time. Knowing how to create an armature opens up an infinite number of possibilities a sculptor cannot obtain without support. This is intended for solid models, not animation puppets. Supplies needed: - 12 gauge galvanized steel wire - (optional) 16 gauge galvanized steel wire for arms - gaffer tape (medical tape will work as well) - thermoplastic, like Instamorph or friendly plastic - 1 1/2" (1/4" 20 thread) machine screws and nuts for tie-downs - tie-down table – or if you don't have one, you can make a tie-down turntable in my other video Check out more sculpture and stop-motion tutorials on ClayTips.org

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ClayTips – Tie Down Turntable

If you don't have a table that you can drill a hole in or want to remain portable, this is a solid option.

Supplies needed: - [1] 12" wooden round panel - [3] PVC test caps - [9] 3/4" wood screws - 1/4" drill bit - 1 1/2" (1/4" 20 thread) machine screws and nuts for tie-downs

Check out more sculpture and stop-motion tutorials on ClayTips.org