Materials:
Your choice of Sculpey III or Premo Sculpey. Sculpey III colors are indicated in red. Premo!Sculpey clays colors are not.
1-2oz each:
- SC-053 Chocolate
- SC-352, Terra Cotta
- SC-501, Ivory
- SC-072, Yellow
- A pinch of SC-033, Sweet Potato
- #40-5053 burnt umber,
- #40-5392 raw sienna ,
- #40-5093 ecru,
- #40-5572 cadmium yellow,
- #40-5303 gold,
- A pinch of #40-5018 copper ,
- Black permanent marker or paint pen
- Straight edge tool
- Toothpick or turkey lacer
- Fingernail tool (something with a “u” shape)…mine is actually a wood carving tool
Directions:
- Condition the burnt umber clay. Use a bit to make a ¾” ball. Flatten slightly on your work surface.
- Use a bit more of the burnt umber to make another ¾” ball. Roll this ball into a snake about ¼” thick. Wrap the snake around the flattened ball leaving the bottom of the flattened ball uncovered.
- Condition the raw sienna. Use a bit to make a ¾” ball. Roll this ball into a snake ¼” thick. Wrap it around the flattened ball next to the burnt umber snake. Be sure to leave the bottom uncovered.
- Condition the gold, then the ecru. Make ½” balls of each color plus ½” balls of the two browns. Roll each of these balls into snakes. Place the snakes together and begin to marbleize the batch. **To marbleize: twist the snakes together, then roll them into a “snail”. Squeeze together, then roll out into a snake again. Repeat the twist, roll, squeeze process until the colors have a nice marbled blend**
- Use a bit of the marbled blend to make a ¾” ball. Roll this into a snake. Twist gently. Wrap this around the flattened ball next to the raw sienna snake.
- Repeat the ¾” ball process with the gold and ecru clays. Lay the gold snake then the ecru snake next to the marbled snake. As before be sure to leave the bottom uncovered.
- Gently squeeze the snakes forming your turkey tail together. Using the straight edge tool make lines through the whole tail giving it dimension. I tend to alternate the lines…one from the outside, one from the inside, one from the outside, etc.
- Make another ¾” burnt umber ball. Place it on your work surface. Place your forefinger along one edge of the ball and gently roll back and forth until you have a peanut shape. Place this over the flattened ball. The bottom of your “peanut” should be along the uncovered portion of the ball with the tail showing above. Stand your turkey body and tail up. Press the bottom onto your worksurface so it will stand by itself.
- Condition cadmium yellow. Make 3 pea sized balls (about 5/16”). Flatten each gently. Form each into a triangle shape. 2 of these will become your turkey feet.
- Pick up one of the triangles and hold it between your thumb and forefinger with one of the points between the fingers. Use your straight edge tool to poke 2 lines in the straight side of the triangle (the side facing out). You now have toes for your feet. Repeat with one of the other triangles. Press both feet onto the bottom of your turkey body.
- The third triangle is your turkey beak. Press it onto the “peanut” where the face would be. Be sure to leave room above the beak for your sunglasses. Use the straight edge tool to make lines in the side of the beak. Use the toothpick to make nostrils on the top. Roll the pinch of copper into a snake (very thin). Lay this over the top and down the side of the beak, curving the end up.
- Make 2 3/8” balls of burnt umber. Flatten each slightly. Pinch one side. Your ball should now resemble a teardrop. Press one on each side of the turkey body. Now he has wings.
- Use your fingernail tool to make feather texture on the front of his body and on the wings.
- Make a 3/8” ball of gold. Roll this into a snake long enough to curve around the turkey head (at eye level) and reach from side to side. Flatten the snake on your work surface to about 1/8” thick. Cut excess clay away (if necessary) to make the glasses fit the turkey head. Indent the middle of the glasses. Lay the “sunglasses” at eye level. The indention should cross over the top of the beak. Press into place.
- Bake at 275 Degrees F (130 Degrees C) for an hour.
- Let the turkey cool. Use the marker or paint pen to color the inside of the sunglasses. Be sure to leave the gold edge showing around. You now have a great sculpture sure to bring a smile to anyone who sees it at the Thanksgiving table.
Variations:
- Attach a pin back using a bit of super glue (I use Zap-a-Gap).
- Use some of your leftover clay to make a strip of clay 1 ½” long x ½” wide. Fold in half around a business card or index card. Press the bottom ½ against the back of the turkey (at the base of the turkey). Leave the card in place for baking. Remove when baking is complete and piece is still warm. You now have the perfect place card holder for Thanksgiving dinner.
