Materials used:
18 gauge galvanized steel wire
aluminum foil
Sculpey Premo
Sculpey Ultralight
dollmaking tool set
First, a picture to work off of: My and DH's main characters from the game where we met.
For each figure, cut a length of wire over twice as tall as you want the figure. At the centre, bend into a tiny loop for the head. (This should be much smaller than you want the head, as it will be covered in foil, a base of clay, a face, and maybe hair.) Twist for the neck. Bend a rectangle for the torso. Twist again for the waist. The two ends will be the legs.
Cut another length of wire the length of across the shoulders plus both arms, ideally ending in the palm of each hand. Place the arms-wire across the back of the shoulders, and bend into the position you want them. Hold in place with foil.
Cover the head, torso, and pelvis in foil to give the clay something to stick to so it won't be so heavy and will bake evenly. That other piece of wire sticking out over one figure's shoulders is the base for his wings, and is also held in place by foil. If I had this to do over again, I would have started with smaller loop and foil-ball for the heads.
Shape the head, neck, and torso out of clay on the foil, and bake. There has to be something solid to hold onto while you're scuplting the face and limbs; this is it.
Notes: Aluminum foil on newsprint doesn't make the best work surface. Smoother is better.
Next step: Add limbs, leaving no air between the closed limbs and the wire. A space could cause it to break in the oven. Sculpt faces on top of the solid heads. Bake.
The hands and feet I sculpted separately and stuck them onto the ends of the wires, and attached them to the arm/leg. The groom doesn't have hands at this point because I'm waiting for the outer part of the bride's dress, to put his hands on her waist.
The bunched-up foil under parts of their limbs is to ensure they hold position while baking. The groom's left foot should have been positioned more flat. Oops.
Notes: Possibly the most dangerous part about being engaged to a half-Demon is that I keep almost poking myself in the eye with the wire form for his wings on our wedding cake topper.
Next was some clothes. The bride got an underskirt, chest, shoulder pieces, overskirt, belt clasp, and top of stockings. For the groom, pants, shoulder pieces, and two layers of armour at top and bottom. I was just following the picture...
(Bake.)
The wire form under the bride prevented her overskirt from being flattened by her weight. I didn't think that through too well... if it were flattened the chars could have stood closer together.
Here is the back of their outfits at the above step.
Standing! On a stand! At 4:53!
Their faces look terrible. >_< Oh well, they're baked, can't really fix that now.
She gets a collar and sleeves. He gets bracers and greaves. And, finally, his hands! \o/ Something tells me he got the better deal this time around.
The Groom's first set of wings. At first I tried all Sculpey Ultralight. It was like working with marshmallow; it just flopped. Marshmallow probably would have retained its shape better. I ended up mixing half Ultralight, half Premo for these wings.
The second set of wings (a cloak made of angel wings, hanging down his back) was all Ultralight, or the topper would have toppled over backwards. His own demon wings look messy from the back. No one should be looking at the back of our cake anyway...
Finishing touches: Hair, headwear, necklaces, more wings for the cloak, and the tops of bride's boots. And another layer to the stand, because the first one dried warped like the tray. >_< So this base wouldn't have the same problem, it went in the oven on a spare floor tile. Good thing this is the last bake; high thin parts are looking a bit crisp.
Cloak wings layers 2 and 3, and smoothed over real wings.
Painting in progress. The designs on the groom's armour were my favourite part of the whole project.
Notes: If I had it to do over again, I'd sculpt the figures in colours, then paint on top. Easier to get solid colours in small spaces that way.
The end result, from behind.
And from the side. More intricate designage.
Cake! The whole thing went on a doily on a piece of cardboard to spread the weight over the top of the cake, and not poison the cake. The photographer mercifully blurred much of the wings. IMO, not terrible for my first clay sculpture since early elementary school.
