The Polymer Clay Smooshers Mythology Challenge

I've completed and entered my sculpture for the first Challenge of the new year for my Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild.  The theme for this Challenge was Mythology.   Of course this gave me all sorts of options for creatures to make.  Last year I got the book "Sculpting Mythical Creatures out of Polymer Clay" by Boris and Dinko Tilov, and had been planning on sculpting the griffin for months.  There are all sorts of great projects in this book, and I've done several already. As usual, the Smooshers challenge gave me an excellent reason to start this particular sculpture.  This was also my first sculpture of 2011 (so you know it had to be a good one!)


I love the Tilov's style and sense of whimsy, and the fact that they encourage you to make the creatures your own and get creative with them.  They usually have several different versions of each creature at the end of each project, so you can get an idea of the possible variations.  I added a bit more detail and texture to this guy.  The feathers on his head were all individually textured, and his mane has a nice furry texture as well.  I gave him furry ankles too, just for fun.

I also used glow in the dark clay for his eyes and claws, which always adds a magical touch.  Eventually I plan to do all the projects in this book (with my own style, of course).  This is one of those books that will be referred back to quite frequently.  Don't forget to check out all the entries in the Challenge (the Smooshers are a very talented bunch!), and vote on our next Challenge theme.  Just click The Polymer Clay Smooshers guild Mythology Challenge to view all the entries and vote for what you want to see us create next.  The results never fail to amaze me!  Thanks for joining us in our smooshing adventures! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters