Armatures

WHat is an Armature... Exactly?

In sculpture, an armature is a framework around which the sculpture is built. This framework provides structure and stability, especially when a plastic material such as wax, newspaper or clay is being used as the medium.

You want the armature material to be mostly rigid, but still able to be adjusted and moved, prior to the hardened sculpture material being added.

Claymation figures are often created using pliable armatures with a soft, non-hardening material over them.

These videos demonstrate how quick/easy in can be to create a wire armature. There do not need to be a great about of detail for the armature. It is just a supporting structure that should not be seen or even noticed once the sculpture is complete.

STEPS to make a Human Figure Armature

Step 1: Acquire Your Materials

You will need:

1: Floral wire or any really flexible thin wire

2: Aluminum Foil

3: Clippers

4: Hangar wire, OOK wire from any Home Depot or you may on occasion stumble across actual armature wire in the various arts and crafts stores.

Step 2: Make the Wire Cuts

Now we need to cut our pieces from the Hangar wire or OOK wire for the armature (skeleton). Remember the plan you have come up with, and make your wire lengths the size YOU need.

The longer wires are about 9 inches long and will end up making a character about 7 inches tall from head to toe.

Step 3: Wrapping the Shoulders and Spine

Next you will take a long strip (at least 2 feet in length) of floral wire and hold the two longer pieces of hangar wire parallel with a shorter piece between them for the neck.

Step 4: Wrap the Core Together

Take the floral wire and begin wrapping 3/4 of the way up the longer hangar wires along with the neck in place as shown. Ensure that you wrap it as tightly as possible. This may be a little tuff on your hands and you may want to wear gloves.

Step 5: Add the Shoulders

Now add one of the shorter pieces across the top at the base of the neck. Be sure to wrap completely around the shoulders and off onto the forearms to ensure that your armature will remain sturdy.

Step 6: Add the Feet

Now to take the last two smaller pieces and bend them 90 degrees about 3/4 of the way down.

Step 7: Wrap the Feet

Now wrap the feet towards the bottom of the legs while leaving some of the legs hanging out the bottom so we can mount the armature to a base.

Step 8: Begin Adding the Tin Foil

Begin wrapping strips of tin foil around the parts of the body that require bulking. I typically wrap almost all of the armature in the foil because I've found that the clay sticks better to it. Bulking also saves on material costs of the clay.

Step 9: Cover the Armature

Squeeze the tin foil (or paper and tape) so that it is snuggly wrapped without loose pieces, onto the wire frame.

Step 10: Pose Your Armature

Now you can use the Wire coming out the bottom of the feet to stand your armature up while you work on it. A wooden or steel base with holes roughly the same diameter as the wire will hold them up nicely while you work on it.

Now the fun really Begins! You can begin adding Paper Mache strips, CelluClay, Super Sculpy, Chavant or any other material you prefer to your armature!