Carving Barbie

Barbie must be covered with clay for casting. It would be simple if one could just slap some clay on and call it good, but the foam enlargement was scaled back 1/2" so I could add a lot of detail.....plus the foam is quite rough. The foam of the face is a finer foam than the darker blue for the hair and the rest of the body. I start with the head on a pipe so I can get up close rather than on a platform.
Here, I am carving our the eyes and rasping another 1/2" off the nose and mouth. I have 50-60 lbs. of clay melting under heat lamps  so I can paint on the first thin layer of clay to smooth out the foam and make it disappear. The clay is earth plus wax and other petroleum products and never dries out like water-based clay. I can apply it with paint brushes in liquid form. Otherwise, I apply it with my hands when it's just hot to warm. It's too stiff to use without warming.
I hope you enjoy this journey with St. Barbara.