Making Dragons

Although I had no previous experience in sculpting, I was inspired by the dragon wing fossil to create a 'Nanty' Dragon; a cross between Rhamphorynchus and our own Welsh Dragon. I wanted a tough little dragon, one who, like his ancestor, could withstand the vagaries of Welsh weather and so, casting 'Nanty' as a garden ornament seemed to be the ideal solution.

The materials I used to make my Dragon can be obtained from specialist craft suppliers who can also supply dedicated support casting substances. For my Dragon, I used the following: Modelling Clay Liquid Latex Latex Thickener Gypsum Plaster Building Sand Cement. I first sculpted my Nanty Dragon out of pottery clay and then applied several coats of latex to make a mould. Before removing the latex mould, I made a segmented support cast using gypsum plaster. It is necessary to make a support cast for larger models, but smaller models can be supported by a container filled with sand. The latex mould, supported by the plaster cast was ultimately filled with a sand and cement mortar mix and allowed to dry. When the support cast and latex mould were removed, a perfectly detailed stone cast model was revealed. Primed and painted Nanty was born!

Dragons setting in the moulds

Paint Your Dragon

I have had a lot of fun having been invited to local Primary schools for a 'Dragon Painting' session! This involved taking an army of tiny plaster Dragons, various Dragon and Dinosaur pictures and loads of paints and crayons into class. Each child had their own little Dragon to paint and take home. It was noisy, messy and marvellous! There were plenty of pictures to colour and stories to take home. (I thoroughly enjoyed myself!).l