How to Make Army Men
A favorite with children for decades, tiny green "army men" are a classic staple of American toy culture. As inexpensive and widely available as these toys are, hand-sculpting your own will not save you time or money. However, by creating your own army men, you engage in both an excellent study in miniature sculpting and an enjoyable artistic tribute to a quintessential cultural icon.
Things You'll Need
- Yellow, blue and black polymer clay
- Large sewing needle
- Conventional oven
- Cookie sheet
- Polyurethane finishing spray
Instructions
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1
Mix some clay in an "army green" color. Combine one part black polymer clay, two parts primary yellow clay and six parts primary green clay,
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2
Create a few small accessories. Make a tiny pouch by forming a square from a piece of clay about the size of a grain of rice. Use a piece of clay the size of a pea to make a gun by forming a long, thin snake about three quarters of an inch long, pinched into a flange at one end (this may not look much like a gun, now, but when held by the figurine it'll be clear what it is). Bake these pieces according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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3
Form the base for the figure to stand on. Take about a third of a teaspoon of clay and break it into two equal pieces. Roll these into balls, then press the balls together partially, forming an "8" shape. Blend them together, then flatten them into an oblong, joined disc shape (like the bottom of most plastic army figurines).
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4
Make a basic figure shape. Use about a half tablespoon of clay to first form a rough, star-like shape by shaping the clay into a ball, then pressing the ball on its sides using four fingers at once, causing five "arms" to extrude between your fingers. Refine this shape into a human-like form by stretching the center into a torso, then shaping four of the arms into long, thin arms and legs and rounding the other into a head.
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5
Pose the figure and add the accessories. Position the figure with its feet on the base (probably in a spread stance, but whatever you like). Give the shape a pose and place the baked gun in its hand. Attach the pouch piece to its hip.
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6
Sculpt other details in the figure. Pinch the clay to form wrinkles in the clothing. Shape the helmet on the head by rolling your finger over the top to round it, then pinch a circle around the outside to make the ridge. Use the tip of a needle to form facial features and separate fingers in the hand.
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7
Repeat Steps 1 to 6 to make additional army men. Give each one a distinctive pose.
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8
Bake the clay according to the manufacturer's instructions. Stand up the figures on the cookie sheet for baking since you want them to be able to stand when finished.
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9
Spray the figures with polyurethane finishing spray to give them shine.
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References
- Photo Credit soldiers image by Maria Bell from Fotolia.com
