Statuette for February 23

What is usually presented on February 23? If we exclude from the list of traditional gifts, such as: shaving kit, socks, key chains or something, that life is not necessary at all. Year after year it starts a little bit annoying, so you need to look for ideas for unusual gifts that certainly no one. So got the idea to please colleagues exclusive statuette, which was supposed to make.
The challenge is also an interesting fact that had not had to deal with such a manufacturer, and has always been the desire and just needed a reason to make a first step towards creativity.
Given the fact that working with plaster, and even duplicate work in several instances I had the first time, the quality still get less than desirable, but not worse than it could be. But the experience gained through trial and error can be applied in the future, especially since there is still a March 8.
So, proceed to describe the process of preparing a gift.
His ideas were not immediately (they came later), and therefore decided to take something out of the network and simply repeat. (though in the process is added by itself, and much has changed)
To begin with clay borrowed my daughter, but it was hard and crumple it was extremely difficult, at first warmed it in the microwave, and then shuffled.

Then he took a printed pattern (which was supposed to repeat), and fashioned it out of clay.

The truth behind the bag I did not like, so instead made automatic PCA.

After reading a bunch of articles on the Internet how to do these things decided to smear paint a figure, then on top of the form to remove with a conventional silicone building. In the early stages of trying to figure coat at once, but the building is corrosive silicone clay and buy a special silicone mold desire was not (especially since there were already impressive reserves of building silicone)

Here we must make an important point. Daubed clay only need nitro, or dry the model will be a very long time. Perhaps even a month, and 1 - 2 days (due to the fact that the clay itself and absorbs greasy paint)
After all dried up, I rubbed with oil and smeared model with silicone.

When the form is ready, then I clung half of this form of plaster, wait until it dries, made "locks" and clung to the second half. It was the need to do that when the shape of the silicone dries it "did not lead»

That's what happened when took shape (silicone cut with a knife)

The figure turned out very rough and poor quality! A lot of seams, extra projections. After all, as the first time ...

Had that happened sandpaper to polish and cut off the extra part.

Now this figure is a benchmark which will make up the rest. Repeat the entire process of the casting mold. That's what happened

When the form is ready to be replicated figures, lightly treating each of the first bottom cutter (removal of stitches from the form, and then sandpaper). The formulation was filled with plaster.

When the models are ready and have dried up (you need a couple of days to put them in a warm place. Personally I put under the boiler) can begin to paint. First we need to bring the colors of gouache, preferably by mixing them with white glue to the paint better lie down (or buy a special paint). You can paint a watercolor, but is too blёklo (Selection of paint depends on the problem. From what we want to portray)

A hole in the trunk dig up drill hand-fearing crumbled plaster, if it is done with the help of power tools.

But what kind of helmet without the star of the USSR for her? There had to suffer. The printer printed the stars and stick on red paper, then cut out each star stationery knife and just stick to the helmet.