More Fun with Extruders

September 13, 2014

So after a week of extruder contemplation, have you gone into the studio to try out some new ideas yourself? Well, if not, but you’re anxious to try something out, here are a few ideas for you.

lilu-12287_320

 

A shaped cane with no background fill? Is that possible? According to Lilu of Russia, you can do this with an extruder. How is that possible? Even our brave artist here can’t say how this works, but can show us successful results. The caveat is that you lose about half your clay to scraps as the ends come out mangled. But, with so many scrap cane techniques to put those towards, that might not be the worse thing to happen.

42d9d8c2a73114b8a7a1d0d4cec3f154

 

 

For those of you who want something more straightforward and less experimental, try these extruded snake surface designs with graduated colors created by Lucy Struncova. No real mysteries here … just extrude small snakes in graduated colors (if you’ve not done that before, go here for the classic tutorial on creating rainbow snakes with an extruder), lay them side by side, use the edge of a credit card, or long thin needle tool to impress the lines perpendicular to the snakes and cut out shapes as desired. A quick easy way to get a surface design with a range of colors and complex looking texture.

Or, you can do both! Roll your scrap ends from the background-less extruded cane through the pasta machine, punch a stack of discs to put back into the extruder, extrude snakes to your heart’s content and make Lucy’s snake and line textured sheets. Then accent them with cane slices. Don’t you love how versatile polymer can be? Even using the same stack of clay through several techniques.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2   3d star ad  Polymania Advert 125  tpa-125x125-blog

 

 

Floral as a Geometric Motif

December 17, 2013

Here is another approach that uses what is commonly thought of as classic organic imagery but creates a graphic style using repetition.

From a distance, the repeated pattern on this necklace looks like dots, but when you look closely, you will see flowers. Lucy Struncova uses the floral cane slices to add a stylized but soft organic side to a modern, graphic look that is further enhanced by the rounded, smooth edges of the triangular forms.

DSCF3788

As you might have noticed on the photo, this is available as a tutorial … for free even! Just go to Lucy’s blog to see this and several other tutorials you might find of interest. (Drop the URL into Google translate to get the Polish translated for you.)

Lucy’s is an amazing young artist–just a teenager!–but she is working on books and polymer products as well as her tutorials and artful pieces. Be sure to check out her work on Flickr and Pinterest as well.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

More Fun with Extruders

September 13, 2014
Posted in

So after a week of extruder contemplation, have you gone into the studio to try out some new ideas yourself? Well, if not, but you’re anxious to try something out, here are a few ideas for you.

lilu-12287_320

 

A shaped cane with no background fill? Is that possible? According to Lilu of Russia, you can do this with an extruder. How is that possible? Even our brave artist here can’t say how this works, but can show us successful results. The caveat is that you lose about half your clay to scraps as the ends come out mangled. But, with so many scrap cane techniques to put those towards, that might not be the worse thing to happen.

42d9d8c2a73114b8a7a1d0d4cec3f154

 

 

For those of you who want something more straightforward and less experimental, try these extruded snake surface designs with graduated colors created by Lucy Struncova. No real mysteries here … just extrude small snakes in graduated colors (if you’ve not done that before, go here for the classic tutorial on creating rainbow snakes with an extruder), lay them side by side, use the edge of a credit card, or long thin needle tool to impress the lines perpendicular to the snakes and cut out shapes as desired. A quick easy way to get a surface design with a range of colors and complex looking texture.

Or, you can do both! Roll your scrap ends from the background-less extruded cane through the pasta machine, punch a stack of discs to put back into the extruder, extrude snakes to your heart’s content and make Lucy’s snake and line textured sheets. Then accent them with cane slices. Don’t you love how versatile polymer can be? Even using the same stack of clay through several techniques.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2   3d star ad  Polymania Advert 125  tpa-125x125-blog

 

 

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Floral as a Geometric Motif

December 17, 2013
Posted in

Here is another approach that uses what is commonly thought of as classic organic imagery but creates a graphic style using repetition.

From a distance, the repeated pattern on this necklace looks like dots, but when you look closely, you will see flowers. Lucy Struncova uses the floral cane slices to add a stylized but soft organic side to a modern, graphic look that is further enhanced by the rounded, smooth edges of the triangular forms.

DSCF3788

As you might have noticed on the photo, this is available as a tutorial … for free even! Just go to Lucy’s blog to see this and several other tutorials you might find of interest. (Drop the URL into Google translate to get the Polish translated for you.)

Lucy’s is an amazing young artist–just a teenager!–but she is working on books and polymer products as well as her tutorials and artful pieces. Be sure to check out her work on Flickr and Pinterest as well.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512
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