Polymer clay provides a versatile, lightweight and inexpensive way to create a wide range of different objects. Sculpting with polymer clay allows you to create unique and distinctive jewelry and accessories, expressing your own creativity in one-of-a-kind objects. A dragon's eye pendant is a challenging and fun polymer clay sculpting project. By combining polymer clay with other media and using a few simple sculpting techniques, you can create a beautiful and evocative piece of jewelry you can be proud of.
Instructions
1. Roll polymer clay into a thin sheet. Place a bead, marble or ball of polymer clay in the center of the sheet.
2. Wrap the sheet of polymer clay around the marble or ball until only the front is visible. This will be the eyeball, the center of your pendant. Trim and shape the edge of the sheet into a smooth edge with a sculpting tool.
3. Build up the area around the eyeball with successive layers of polymer clay until it reaches the desired shape.
4. Texture the clay using a sculpting tool. Cut wrinkles above and below the eyeball, following its curve. Add small dots of polymer clay here and there to represent rough, warty skin. Alternatively, press them down in rows to give a scaled appearance.
5. Insert a pendant ring into the upper end of the pendant, smoothing the clay over and making sure that it's firmly embedded.
6. Place the pendant in a standard convection oven to harden it. The exact length of time and temperature will depend on the type of clay you're using and the thickness of the pendant. For a typical small pendant, heat the oven to 120 degrees and heat for 10 to 20 minutes. Check the hardening process frequently to ensure the pendant doesn't burn.
7. Paint or decorate your pendant. If you've used a clay ball as an eyeball, paint a vertical pupil on it. Coat the pendant with matte varnish to protect it, but give the eyeball a coat of gloss varnish to make it shine.
