Foam and Plaster "Dawg" Sculpture

Materials:

aluminum armature wire
20-gauge wire
plywood base
pipe with a flange to attach to the base
wood screws
wire cutters
glue gun and got glue
4' x 8' sheets of pink or blue foam insulation
wood rasps and files, all shapes and sizes
jigsaw
hot wires
calipers
measuring tape
straight edge
pencil
permanent marker
paper
nylon rope
Foam Coat plaster
water
container to mix plaster
Rigid Wrap plaster tape
safety materials: rubber or silicon gloves, a facemask, and goggles
sculpting tools
bronze spray acrylic enamel
acrylic colors: black, light creamy green, blues, reds, yellows and oranges
paintbrushes, a good variety, the rattier the better
rags
cotton swabs
palette of paper plates

1) Sketch a drawing of the dog sculpture (figure A).

2) Using a pencil and paper, measuring devices, and calipers if working from a model, devise a skeletal plan that will support the sculpture (figure B). Measure the scale model to figure out the approximate measurements. To estimate about how many layers of foam that will be needed, mark the drawing in 2-inch increments vertically.

3) Attach the flange to the wooden base using wood screws, making sure that it is in a good spot to support the sculpture and provide balance while working on the construction.

4) Attach a short 5-inch pipe to the flange. The pipe will extend up into the first few layers of foam and be removed later.

6) On the first few pieces of foam, make a hole in the center to fit onto the pipe. Stack the foam pieces onto the pipe, hot gluing them together. Continue stacking pieces of foam following the basic shape of the sculpture (figure E).

7) Begin shaping the body of the dog by cutting away the pointed ends of the foam using hot wire. Continue shaping the foam using rasps and rough sandpaper (figure F).

8) Form the limbs and tail from armature wire. Wrap each piece of armature wire with 20-gauge wire to provide strength to the structure. Push on pieces of foam, gluing them together with hot glue. Shape the limbs by carving the foam using rasps and sandpaper (figure G).

9) Form a hanger from armature wire, wrap it with 20-gauge wire and push it into the dog's mouth. Hot glue it in place. Loosen the braids of a piece of nylon rope and glue them around the armature wire hanger, tying a knot outside the dog' mouth.

11) Mix plaster and water in a small bucket.

12) Using a paintbrush, apply the plaster to the foam and smooth it, carefully shaping the outline (figure I). Let it dry.

13) Cut 2" to 4" squares of plaster tape (Rigid Wrap), dip them in water and apply them to the limb joints (figure J). These will add strength to the legs. Let dry.

14) Remove the sculpture from the base by removing the pipe from the foam. Apply a final coat of plaster to the entire sculpture using a paintbrush. Let the brush strokes show in the plaster to resemble fur. Let dry.

15) Spray paint the dog with bronze spray paint (figure K). Let dry.

16) Add touches of color with various colors of acrylic paint applied with an artist paintbrush (figure L). Use rags to wipe away paint while it is still wet, leaving some color in the crevices to create a patina finish.

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