How to Make a Clay Cartoon Man
by Micah Newman
For the last couple years I have been making characters out of clay. I
do it because clay is fun to work with. I like working with crafts and
I am good at it.
Maybe you have enjoyed making things with clay. Maybe you have seen clay
animation characters on television and wondered how they did that. Here's
one way to make a clay cartoon man.
To get started, all you need is some colored modeling clay and a toothpick.
You can buy the clay at your local crafts store.
1. First, take a chunk of flesh colored clay about the size of a walnut
and make an upside down T shape. Use a toothpick to poke two round holes
in the head a little smaller than peas.
2. Roll 2 small, round white balls a little smaller than peas, also. Put
them in the holes. Make 2 tiny black balls and place them on the white
balls. Flatten gently.
3. For the nose, roll a medium sized ball about the size of a pea and put
it in the middle of the face just below the eyes. For the mouth, use the
toothpick to make a curved line.
4. For the ears, flatten 2 flesh colored balls and poke a hole in them
with the toothpick. Fasten them onto the side of the head with gentle pressure.
5. For the hands, make 2 pancakes and 8 small log shapes for fingers.
Connect the fingers to the pancakes for hands.
6. For the shirt, roll 2 logs for arms and stick them onto a squarish torso.
Use any color. The body shouldn't be too square.
7. For the legs, roll a large log and bend. Use any color.
8. The feet are 2 rectangular oval shapes.
9. Connect head, body, legs, hands, feet.
10. For hair, flatten a ball of brown or black clay and put over the head,
or yellow if your cartoon man is blonde.
Once you get good at making people, you can make whole families, or armies,
or the history of the human race.
Micah and Christina have been creating animated video works. Take a peek
at what's happening at Newman Claymation Productions.