Do you know a lot about sculpting with Fimo plasticine?

Question

I would love to sculpt life sized human heads using Fimo. I'll be using plant pots as the structure and then moulding the Fimo around it just so that I dont need to use tonnes of it. I need to know if its possible if I can put the ceramic pots in the oven when its time to cook the Fimo? Also, once i've cooked it is it possible to use acrylic paint on it?

Answer 1

I have used Fimo to sculpt a few human faces in profile. They were relatively small in size to what you are intending! I was happy to find that Fimo didn't shrink in the oven like other modelling materials - although I'm not sure if I'd risk the 'pot' idea.

When I made my profiles, I specially bought the flesh-tone fimo and then a black tone for my subject's hair. I used acrylic paint on the baked result, but only as a means of shading the contours of the face; this made a far more realistic representation of the human skin. There are so many shades of Fimo, I'd avoid too much painting where possible. My subject's gone a bit 'grey' now so, all I'd need to do is highlight the black Fimo hair tone!

To be honest, I'm wondering if you wouldn't find it easier (and cheaper) to use some form of modelling clay instead. Ask at your local art store for advice. Good luck anyway, and we'll be wanting to see your work on Yahoo ... when it's finished!

Answer 2

Note that all the suggested methods use something that will collapse or shrink if the Fimo shrinks. The clay pot will survive much higher temps than Fimo tolerates, they are used at 1500-1700F to dispense molten glass for kiln casting.
I would strongly recommend you dummy up a shell of about the same thickness and fire it. Then see whether it cracks around the pot.
By the way, plasticine is a completely different product than Fimo. Plasticine is an oil based clay filled product that stays permanently soft. It will run and slump if heated.

Answer 3

Fimo Plasticine

Answer 4

I used to have a book on this exact subject, it was about ten years ago now though,
In the book it instructed to use a wooden base, with a rod stcking out of it, ontop of which you stick a polystyrene ball (sounds ridiculous so far I know), and you cover the whole structure in three layers of foil.

then you mould the fimo on top.

I know it sounds all wrong, but that is exactly what it said in the book, which was distributed by the Fimo company.

I'm gonna go and look it up on ebay now!

Answer 5

Fimo will air dry quite satisfactorily but if you really want to'fire' it I wouldn't risk putting a plant pot in the oven inside your clay model, if may crack with the heat and could blow your model apart. Instead make a shape in crunched up chicken wire or even screwed up damp newspaper. Both will last long enough to support your work while it dries.