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Majungasaurus sculpture in progress.

After two days of sculpting most of the detailed stuff is done. Just have to texture the body and make the feet and legs.

It occurred to me that it might be cool to make dinosaurs out of different ceramic clays and fire them unglazed so that the natural texture of the clay gives the dinosaur its scales, while at the same time being raw and geological.
 
So, I’m trying to do that.

I just finished the wood/paper armatures. An armature is any structure made to support soft clay from within. In this case ceramic clay will be built up around the wood. The wood will provide the clay the support it needs until it dries and can support itself. Once it has dried it will be fired and the wood will burn out, leaving the form partially hollow.

Rough Sketch and Armature:

I’m dong a Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus. Ever since I was a kid I loved Parasaurolophus tubicen, but I think the smaller crest on the cyrtocristatus species would be less likely to get broken when the clay dries. I’m planning on doing the Parasaurolophus in a fine grain clay, possibly a porcelain, partially because I think they’re really elegant looking animals, and partially because it is known from fossil skin impressions that Parasaurolophus had fine granular scales.

I’m also doing a Majungasaurus. I love how gnarly and mug-faced the Abelisaruids are and I think their super short forelimbs might also stand a better chance of surviving drying and firing than the more elongate forelimbs of other theropods. I chose Majungasaurus because I think all the weird knobs and horns and mangled boney protrusions on Majungasaurus’ skull will make a lot of sense sculpted in a coarser clay with lots of sand and chunks and mineral impurities in it.

Rough Sketch and Armature:

Anyway, I’ll post updates as these guys come to life. I love the transformation that occurs when a clump of wet clay takes form, dries, is fired, stained/glazed and is then re-fired at high temperature to crystalize and turn to stone. I’ll do my best to share that transformation with you.