Page 37 - Creating Whimsical Characters Using Simple Wood and Paper Forms, Wire, Paperclay, and Encaustic Medium

For this study, I’m going to focus on the drums. Drums are the

perfect place to start for people at all levels. They are easy to build
and sculpt. And the painting on the drum can be a very simple

design or a complex one. You can be experimental, and if you
don’t like what you’ve painted, it’s easy to melt the wax off and

start again.

When I’m designing a drum, I cut a piece of card stock the same
size as the outside of the paper tube I’m going to use for my drum.
The tube will grow slightly larger after the paperclay has been

applied, so be sure to add a little play in your design. You can
sketch your design on the piece of card stock or you can create a

in-depth pattern in Photoshop.

On the
bongos, I

used simple
geometric

designs that
Gerry

developed. I
printed his

designs on
card stock

and cut out
sections of

the lines (see
pattern with
rectangles and lines). I then wrapped the pattern around the drum

and drew the pattern on the gessoed paperclay with watercolor
pencils.

I also made a stencil for the sailboats (top right) that I could trace

onto drums.

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