"Armature"

So usually I wait to the last minute to build armatures...I hate building them so I delay doing it as long as possible. And then, since I'm rushed for time, I'll generally build a terrible/ghetto/wonky/etc. one and make the best of it... Today, being not so different from any other day, I followed this ritual and made a very ghetto, yet useful, armature.

I started off recycling clay, which I love/hate doing...

I decided to sculpt the piece on the base that Justin had built me when we were working on the boot. (Now that guy plans an armature...opposites attract, no?)

Here's a 1 minute sketch of the piece I'll be making.
(hint hint, it's a deer lying down, with his legs all bent up...)

Since it's a lying down piece, and since we have a heap of this pink foam, I decided to use this as the "armature"...Because the piece is lying down I really didn't need to use any armature at all if I was REALLY being bratty about making one, but decided to put the foam in there to take up some space, so that I can use less clay. Thing is I hate pink foam and hate running into it while sculpting....

Next I screwed some chicken wire over the foam so the clay would have something to grab onto in some areas.

I started adding the clay, but ran out and had to wedge more. I got 3 full 5-gallon buckets of clay on it today (This photo is after only one of those buckets.) After the third one it really started to finally look like something. Unfortunately you, dear reader, will be left in suspense until tomorrow...

The clay had dried all in my rings and "welded" them together...yuck!