Wire for Making Armatures
For stability purposes, a sculpture needs to have a sturdy armature. Armatures hold heavy materials such as clay and paper mache in the shape you want it much like your skeleton holds your flesh in place. Making a armature is quick, and creating it only takes a few minutes so that you can get on with the fun part of molding your creation.
Instructions
1. Measure how tall you want your sculpture to be and cut a length of wire that is twice as long as this measurement.
2. Using the needle-nose pliers, bend the wire into a loop at the top of the wire and the bottom of the wire. They should be big enough that you use half of the wire to make the loops.
3. Bend the wire loops so that the wire is parallel to your work surface and the loops are horizontal to your work surface. Your armature should be able to sit firmly on the table now without you holding it.
4. Cut a piece of wire that is twice as wide as you want your sculpture. If you are making a person or an animal, this wire will be for making arms or legs.
5. Using the needle-nose pliers, make a loop at the top of the wire and the bottom of the wire. They should be big enough that you use half of the wire to make the loops.
6. Place the wire on your armature in the desired spot and secure it by wrapping the junction of the two wires with floral tape in a crisscross pattern.
7. Proceed to repeat steps 4 through 6 until you get the shape you want.
