Introducing . . . Man-ta.

       Believe it or not, this was actually my first foray into sculpting humanoid subjects. I chose to adapt a manta ray into humanoid form mostly because I felt that a manta's innate symmetry would lend itself well to this project. 

           Initially, I thought I could get away with wrapping sheets of modeling clay around a 3-D wire frame. But when it was revealed that the wire framed head had too many gaps to consistently wrap the clay around, a plan B was in order. Enter one of my favorite solutions to any art project I've done: Foil Frame. Basically, it consisted of me making some torso and head shaped foil masses, smothering them with clay, and sticking them together with toothpicks. Only the arms, the manta hood, and the base were left foil free. The result? A much more solid looking figure than if I kept trying to work on wire framing it.  

           In the end, I think I learned quite a few tips on 3-D sculpting: Start reasonably small, and use a solid core for it whenever possible.