Fabric Sculpture Dragon

[DraigAthar]

Okay, so I have to post some more here already because I'm so excited about this forum. :)

Here's one of my fabric sculptures. I start with a silhouette drawing of the dragon, then turn it into a fabric pattern and sew the basic shape in silk on machine. Then I insert a wire armature and stuff the beastie. After that comes the needle sculpting to get it into shape. I also added some hard sculpted feet and horns and the like. Then the whole thing gets a coat of gesso to stiffen the silk and to prep it for painting. Here's a pic after gesso.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Sep-2002/fabdragwhite.jpg

Then I paint it with acrylics! I painted this guy blue.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Sep-2002/fabdragblue.jpg

Fun stuff!!!

Amy

[DrLondon]

That's awsome!:clap:

[KPowe]

Wow! Nothing like my Grandma's cloth dolls.:)

[Elankat]

Oh wow! This is so great! :)

I absolutely love it. I went to your portfolio and took a look at the other ones too. They're so fantastic.

[JustjoGA]

Amy... is silk better/stronger for soft sculpting? And why the gesso before painting? Why fabric if he's going to be stiff and hard in the end? Questions because I've never seen this done, and know nothing of the process...

[DraigAthar]

Jo,

Silkis VERY strong and makes for wonderful fabric sculptures. You can do things with silk that would destroy other fabrics. It's great stuff.

The gesso is to give the sculpture a better surface to apply the paint to. If you paint on directly with the acrylics, it tends to seep in in places, soaking into the stuffing and giving an uneven surface appearance. It also stiffens the fabric which helps it to stay in the shape you've sculpted it into. It doesn't make the fabric rock hard - it's still soft and gives when you touch it - it just stiffens it so it'll return to the same shape. It also unifies the surface, because in some places there's fabric, some places hard sculpted attachments ... the gesso primes the whole surface for painting.

Amy

[artdude]

I have never seen anything like this before. Incredible work!! Thanks for posting and explaining the process :D Have you done any other fantasy characters this way?



:clap: I LIKE IT!! :clap:

[DraigAthar]

Artdude, yes I've done a few pegasus fabric sculptures. Several, actually, all different. I'll try and post a few of them for you soon. :)

I've been wanting to get into more actual figure work - human forms in fabric and hard materials. The entire world of fabric sculpture fascinates me. Like this webpage, it's just incredible stuff:
http://www.marilynradzat.com/

I'm in a big painting mood right now, though, so I need to focus on my paintings and not get distracted by other projects. I work in way to many media!!! :)

Amy

[jsr88]

AMY! :eek: I had NO idea you knew what a NEEDLE was for! :D
This is MORE than fantastic! This is....this is...WOW!!! :D :D

Ooops...I just realized that I *DO* work in the fantasy/sci-fi stuff. hehehehe I do Sculpy faces...:D I have a whole tool box full of them. Maybe I *will* show up after all. ;)

Great STUFF-ing Amy! REALLY GREAT!
:clap: :cat: :clap:

[TeAnne]

Originally posted by DrLondon
That's awsome!:clap:

Took the words out of my mouth. I really do like these. :)

[DraigAthar]

Originally posted by jsr88
AMY! :eek: I had NO idea you knew what a NEEDLE was for! :D


LOL, Julie you obviously haven't been to my website, then, have you? ;) Lots of my fabric sculptures are there. I can post some more, though. I just don't want to swamp the new forum with stuff so soon. :)

I used to work as a costumer, too, back in college, for the opera department. Got to do some fun stuff for that! I love to sew, clothes, toys, scultptures, you name. And I hope you show us some of your sculpey faces!!!

Amy

[animal]

AMY!!!! This is SPECTACULAR!!!! Glad to see you posting your dragons. If we get enough dragons, we`ll have a herd of them in here :):p

[Axl]

I really *love* these Amy! Actually, I was a fan of them after viewing your others on your website. This technique totally mesmerized me! I never could have imagined one could do such things with fabric! Thankyou for sparking my interest in this type of sculpture - really cool!

[Elankat]

Wow. Thanks for that Marilyn Radzart link, Amy. She has some absolutely incredible stuff.

[kitaye]

OMG These are wonderful DraigAthar. :clap: :clap: :clap: I'm gonna have to get a price list from you one of these days.

[surreal]

These are fun pieces, Amy.
:)

[inkskin]

Hi Amy,

Your fabric sculptures are FANTASTIC! I am going back to browse your website right now.:clap:

Heather

[DraigAthar]

Thanks everyone! I tell ya, I am SOOOO tempted to start a new fabric sculpture project now but I just CAN'T. I know it would derail me completely from my painting and I don't want to do that just yet. Argh, why do I have to have so many different projects in my head at once? LOL!!!

Amy

[chookbrown]

These are terrific - I'm getting to see things here at WC I've never seen done before!

Thanks for sharing with us 3d challenged types!!!

Colleen:D :D

[inkskin]

Originally posted by DraigAthar
Thanks everyone! I tell ya, I am SOOOO tempted to start a new fabric sculpture project now but I just CAN'T. I know it would derail me completely from my painting and I don't want to do that just yet. Argh, why do I have to have so many different projects in my head at once? LOL!!!

Amy

Sing it Sista! This is exactly my dilemma at the moment. I tell ya, I have done no artwork for myself for at least 5 years and now I am flooded with ideas and too little time.
Please keep it up- you have so many interesting pieces:D

Heather

[DraigAthar]

And you sculpt for a living, don't you Heather? I think that'd be even harder - having to do art all day for someone else and then come home and try and find the inspiration to do your own art as well.

Amy

[David Dowbyhuz]

I absolutely love the unpainted version. I wish you'd left it this way.

Reminds me of The White Dragon from Anne McCaffrey's Pern series!

Fantastic! (I've simply gotta go 3D some day!)

[DraigAthar]

LOL, Icon, I first read those books when I was about 10 and fell immediately in love with them. I used to daydream about being a dragonrider. Ruth and Jaxom were some of my favorite characters. ;)

Amy

[Fidget]

Amy, beautiful work.

I remember doing the soft sculpture dolls, back when Cabbage Patch dolls were popular and very expensive.
Each one would have it's own expression.

FiberArt is often forgotten in the art world. Or poopooed and called arts and crafts by the uninformed.

As a weaver, painting silk made me cring a little.
Can't walk into a department store without touching clothes. Some call it the weaver's handshake. Hi, can I touch you clothes?

Question. Did you use button thread to sew in details? It's so bulky, and silk is so fine. Dental floss? Or is there a thread you recommend?

Do you think a Fiberart forum as a possibility?

Do show us more. You have a great talent.

Now, I want to sew.

[DraigAthar]

Thank you Fidget,

Yes, I've run into the same attitude about fabric arts. I think it's because there IS a lot of fiber art that's little more than craft. When you sew a block quilt according to a pattern, I'd say it's more of a craft. But when you make art quilts with hand dyed fabrics and intricate details, it's most definitely an art, I'd say! Similarly, there's a certain point at which a doll ceases to be just a doll and becomes a fabric sculpture. There's just so much you can do with fabric!!!

The thread I use depends on the sculpture and the particular part I'm working on. For the silk sculptures, most of the needle sculpting is surface detail and doesn't alter the larger shape of the sculpture much, so it doesn't need to be super strong. So I usually just use all-purpose cotton-poly thread. The thread gets gesso'd over along with the silk so it doesn't make much difference. For some of my other fabric sculptures, the ones that are jointed, I use heavy waxed thread to make the joints, for strength.

And I think a fiber art forum is a possibility if there are enough fiber artists out there interested in it. You can always post a poll in the site discussions forum to see if anyone is interested. That's how this forum came about. Scott is all about listening to what the WC members want.

I ought to make one of these fabric sculptures and demo it from scratch sometime. Enough people have said they've never seen anything like it, it might be nice to show everyone the start to finish process. :)

Amy

[David Dowbyhuz]

I second that notion, Amy. Please do.

(This from a fella who can't sew on a button. ;) )

(But with a wife like Fidget, why would I want to?)

[blackdragon]

Cool and cute at the same time, these dragons of yours are great. Have you thought of other creatures, such as griffin, winged monkeys or others?:clap: :clap: :clap:

[joemajury]

I wont be posting in here, but I WILL be admiring other peoples work.
Would portraits of SCI FI characters be eligible in here Ive done a few of the Voyager characters.
Amy, this is fantastic, up to your usual high standard.

Joe
;) ;)

[violet feme]

Hi Amy,
I love your dragon! I checked out your website.....lots of wonderful things!
Tracy

[DraigAthar]

Originally posted by joemajury

Would portraits of SCI FI characters be eligible in here Ive done a few of the Voyager characters.


Of course, Joe. The forum says Fantasy / SCI FI Art after all, doesn't it? ;)

Amy

[inkskin]

Originally posted by DraigAthar
And you sculpt for a living, don't you Heather? I think that'd be even harder - having to do art all day for someone else and then come home and try and find the inspiration to do your own art as well.

Amy

Hi Amy,
Every now and then I get a little burned out, but the stuff I do at work is all really familiar to me by now and I shift my mind to my next home projects.Makes me really anxious to go home sometimes.

You mentioned you may post a demo? Oh, PLEASE DO if you find the time to do it. I absolutely think that it is an art form and it would be wonderful to see you bring fabric to life!

:D

Heather

[DraigAthar]

blackdragon - Yes, actually, I've thought about doing other creatures. I started out doing pegasus fabric sculptures in this fashion and then designed a way to do this dragon. I think it would be fun to do other animals and mythical beasties.

Heather (and other) - okay that settles it, I'll do a silk sculpture demo sometime. It might be a little while before I can devote some time to it, but I'll be sure and do one. Either I'll do another dragon similar to this one, because I've only ever made the one and I'd like to try again because it helps to perfect the pattern, or I'll create a whole new beast. Heh, any requests for a new beast? I could take votes. ;)

Amy

[mmdm]

He's fabulous! Love his paint job. I love fabric sculpture. Maybe I can dig up a few of mine to show.

[TKeela]

That's amazing. Such detail! Is it all hand-sewn?