How to Sculpt REALISTIC DOG from DOG PET PICTURES - Eps 1 - Polymer Clay Tutorial - by Joan Cabarrus

I will teach you a step-by-step tutorial on how to sculpt a realistic dog with polymer clay, especially from pet pictures. Once you learn this, you can create your own pet sculpture too.
Please subscribe and click that bell so you won't miss any of my other tutorials because I will teach you a lot of information. My channel will consist of tutorials for beginners to advanced skill levels, feel free to watch all of them!
Find my books on my website: www.jfcrn.com/
Visit my website to view my mission: www.JFCRN.com
www.JoanCabarrus.com
Grab all my FREE DOWNLOADABLE DIGITAL SCULPTING TUTORIALS on the DoggoBake companion website and support my work. Click this link: www.doggobake....
Credit:
The DoggoBake Show Host, Author, and Creative Director: Joan Cabarrus
All Music Created by Joan Cabarrus
Recommended products used in this video:
Sculpey Original and Firm Gray Polymer Clay, Bake, and Bond
Decoart, Americana Acrylic Paints, Decoart Multipurpose Sealer
Disclaimer: JFCRN® Limited, DoggoBake™ Animal Sculptures, and Joan Cabarrus are not affiliated with Sculpey and Decoart.
#PolymerClay
#Sculpting
#Realistic
#Dogs

[@liciewithacapitall]

I love the art, all the sounds were just throwing me off a little tho lol

[@DecoArtPaint]

WOW! You are so talented! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills with everyone through your videos and book.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you for recognizing it!

[@frenchbullielove]

Beautiful

[@mywork456]

You have super skills 👌

[@joancabarrus8918]

Thank you!

[@anitashaw9090]

As well as the amazing work she does I get a kick out of her humor.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you!

[@bocejo]

I'm so happy I've found your channel. Awesome content! The sculpture is absolutely wonderful!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you! I am glad that you enjoy my videos! I will be releasing a new realistic pet sculpture video this Friday. Please don’t miss it!

[@RevLeonPLeon]

I am truly blown away! Thank you so much!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you as well! There will be more videos upcoming. Thank you for subscribing!

[@journeylander]

Your so super talented! 🤩 I’ll have to keep practicing with Nicolas to get to this level. 🙌🏼

[@hipdogdsv]

That's fantastic!!

[@joancabarrus8918]

Thank you! If you want to learn it, come get my book!

[@roosterboots929]

hey this is really cool. My sisters dog recently past and so I want to make a little gift for her as it hit our family hard . Only one problem I cant sculpt , its worth the try.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Yes! Please try. How is your sister feeling? Was that dog her first dog ever? I wrote books on how to sculpt different dog breeds and they are for beginners. The name of the books are Doggo Bake For Beginners! I wrote three and one for cats as well. They are showing up in Amazon.com right now.

[@nm9412]

Very nice job!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you!

[@evelynwelch8143]

Wow!! You’re amazing!!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Evelyn, there will be more of these! Next one is coming up this Friday. Watch watch!

[@nanuq83]

I don't know if you'll see this but I hope you do. I'm new to sculpting, started back on the 1st of the year. As I'm sure it was for you and others who choose this as their creative platform, I knew before I started that this was something I wanted to try for many years and that desire led me to believe, with time, I'd be decent at it. Considering I've just started I'm pretty happy with my natural talent and to see where I'll progress but I have a few issues I can't seem to figure out how to get past. So I was hoping you could help! 1) After building my sculpture up with foil, wire, tape and the first 'layer' of clay, I can't seem to figure out how to get rid of indents. Smoothing and blending is easy but the indents (not finger prints) are nearly impossible. I end up working the clay so long that a 2 hr project takes me 3 days. How do you get the perfect smooth finish? Yes I have the actual oil for clay, I use it before baking, but it doesn't rid the sculpture of 'dents' or 'pressure points'. Suggestions?? K I had another question but my brain instantly started thinking of sculpting a pitbull head and I lost my train of thought. I make full size sculptures and charms/keychains (and the like) for the neighbors in my complex. My head of maintenance wants a pitbull head keychain; it's why I clicked your video, it'll be my first attempt. Anyway thank you!!! Beautiful job and I absolutely LOVE what you're doing. We all want our little ones around forever and you give ppl this closeness that otherwise wouldn't exist.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Yes, I do see your comments! :) Thank you for watching and asking. I m so glad that you started doing this type of art as I find it very meaningful to do for others as an artist. I do like to teach this as well but the teaching process is more involved. I wrote my first sculpting book tutorial on how to create a short-haired dog breed. It's is called DIY Realistic Dog Sculptures. It is very detailed. As far as the answer to your question, to eliminate the indents or what you were talking about, there are tools to do this. I usually use the loop tools to help me level the surface. You can also use a rake tool to help further level the surface out but I don't normally use this because I don't need to create an extremely smooth surface for the fur texture. I am not sure how thick or thin of the clay that you apply on the foil armature. Very thin clay can show the indents from the foil. I hope this helps :) I am currently creating a few videos to publish here very soon and I hope it'll help you with your art journey as well. :) Next year will be a whole year of weekly videos. See you around! -Joan

[@MarcosSilva-vt8uy]

Beautiful job

[@MarcosSilva-vt8uy]

@Joan Cabarrus 🙌🇧🇷

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you very much! I will be putting out more videos like these this year. Watch watch!

[@MarcosSilva-vt8uy]

@@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor ✌😘

[@Rinkyu]

I hope you get lots of subscribers for your amazing work!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

That would be great. If not, it’s ok too. Even if I am only inspiring and teaching a few people, I am happy. These social media companies are making us too difficult to get our content exposed unless we put so much time and effort to create content all the time. It’s hard to live life like that’s they seem to have control over our lives. If my some of my content becomes viral and it get exposed to millions, great. If not, ok too 😃

[@sandrafrohlich3742]

Wow so amazing 😍😍😍

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you!

[@Santi_3dstudio]

amaaazing thank you very much for this tutorial!!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

You are welcome, Santi! It will be a lot more in the up coming years. I am just preparing some stuff at this time. Thank you for being there!

[@dilipmachikar9955]

👍🙏🙏

[@ambermanetk3062]

There was like a person coughing but just wanted to say really nice

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Oh hehe. Yes, that was me coughing when I was recording the music for it :)

[@rachellangston647]

Amazing job

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you Rachel!

[@dragosisters8548]

You are amazing!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you Tori. Would you be interested to sculpt as well? 😀

[@kifacorea]

Nice

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you!

[@KodaKody-fl4mm]

I'm just curious if there's a way that I can pay you to create a one of these 3D models of my dog he's a Pomeranian aged 20 years old my best friend in the whole world know how much it would cost thank you

[@joancabarrus8918]

Hello! I would love to help but I won’t be able to accept any commissions at this time as I am focused on writing and publish more books. Try other artists who do the same thing and see.

[@wildtrailsstable8131]

This is an awesome video! And very helpful! I myself make dogs out of clay, but they are much smaller. But I do have a question that im hoping you could answer!: What was the stuff that you put on the dog before painting, and why did you do it?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi! I am glad that you are finding these helpful. I use all-purpose sealer before painting the piece with acrylic paint. It fills in small cracks if there are any and it creates a coat that the acrylic paint can stick to.

[@wildtrailsstable8131]

@@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor ah ok, thank you!

[@tinalawler4973]

Will you be doing another book on realistic dog's please?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi Tina! yes that's the plan but I have not gotten the chance to write again. I will though! Thank you for waiting for my next book!

[@loveheartwolf9035]

Anazing

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you :)

[@antoniomigueljr.7920]

Husay po...

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you po!

[@Cel_Ando]

What gauge wire do you use please?

[@Insomniacsloth]

I love your work and your book but what is going on with the background sounds in this video???

[@joancabarrus8918]

The background music were all created by me (on my leisure time before I even created a KZbin channel). This was one of the earliest videos I have created and thought, “it’ll save me money if I use my own music.” As my videos progress and improve, I started creating without my voice in it and a lot less goofy. It’s all my goofy art and I enjoyed it. My focus is publishing books at this time, check out all my books! I appreciate your support!! I will write my next DIY 2 next year.

[@Insomniacsloth]

Sorry my comment was snarky. I like that you compose the music, it was just distracting in this one. @@joancabarrus8918

[@joancabarrus8918]

@@Insomniacsloth oh no worries. I first had this idea to do “Singing Sculptor” but not sure how I will do it. Well maybe the short music with music on the background would work. But then that’s a lot of pressure to keep up with because I will have to keep continue composting better short music just for the background. I’m still experimenting how I will do it.

[@Insomniacsloth]

I know! I loved that original singing sculptor video where if I recall correctly you're playing a flute? But I can't find it any more. @@joancabarrus8918

[@joancabarrus8918]

@@Insomniacsloth flute? Hehe I don’t know how to play a flute. Actually, I don’t know how to play any instruments. Percussions yes but not proficient. Although for some reason, I could create music electronically combining all sorts of instruments. Oh, I am replying using my personal account. Ooops. Have you tried sculpting before? I am guessing you do because you found my videos.

[@CindyLew66]

You make this look so easy!..which i know it's not lol I see you're using polymer clay, can i use air dry clay in this application?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

I wouldn't recommend the air dry clay because it crumbles and you can't make it very detailed.

[@Stephs2xPawsUp]

New to your channel and I an new to the clay sculpting and wanting to try this. Making one of my Dalmatians. My question is, do you have a video on how to make the wire armature in detail? How do you know how much wire to use, etc?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi Steph, I am excited for you that you started sculpting! It's fun. I don't have a video showing an armature making in details. You can find my book though and it teaches you that. DIY Realistic Dog Sculptures 1 by Joan Cabarrus. I'd love to see your progress!

[@mindofmattworldly708]

Wow! How many hours did you put into this one?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

A lot. hehehe

[@Kikicole]

Hi! What kind of oil did you use to smooth out the “fur” lines?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi! I used baby oil. Any oil would work actually as long as it does not stink.

[@Kikicole]

@@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor wonderful, thank you! I’m making a sculpture for my friends dog who just died a couple of days ago 😭 your tips are helpful!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

@@Kikicole Kinsey that is really a great thing to do for a friend who is grieving. I am planning to record more tutorials so people will be encouraged more to do what you are doing. But I can't wait to record videos already! but I have to wait! I will see you around!

[@Kikicole]

@@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor you’re very kind and I’m glad to see you’re going to make more videos, I subscribed and I’m looking forward to them!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

@@Kikicole thank you!! I appreciate that a lot!

[@rhayward31]

I like the work. But the sound track sucks!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hehe I know. This was one of my very first sculpting video last year. It’s should suck. 😛 hey at least I did not have to pay or get music somewhere else. I make my very own music for my own videos. 🥰 As long as you like the work and hopefully it inspires you to make your own, or if you are already way better than me, enjoy my other shows. I sing too you know 🥳

[@alexandra4407]

Wow love the work

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you!!

[@tinalawler4973]

Can i ask why you pop eyes out then back in please you didn't explain?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi Tina, thanks for asking. That's my way of adjusting the placement of the eyeballs.

[@nuttybar8046]

this sculpture is great! you are very talented. I am trying to sculpt fantasy creatures using cold porcelain.. I have alot of trouble with doing their mouths, especially when they are open and showing teeth, so as a result of this all my sculpts have mouths closed :-( I am very sad to do it this way due to my lack of skill.. Do you have any advice on sculpting inside mouths. Also, in your sculpture of this dog, his head looks quite big in the video.. was this just how it looks on film or did this dog have a really big head?? or was he a characture? Thank you for your videos they are very cool..

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi! Oh I never tried sculpting with cold porcelain yet. You can email me at [e-mail] and I can give you some tips. I’d like to see your work so I can tell you what I think. Yes you are right. The dogs and sculpture I create have slightly bigger heads. I want them like that because they add character to them. You can always make your piece extremely proportionate and you can use caliper with it but with my teaching, I want people to sculpt without measuring the actually clay shape. It’s a good practice to get use to instead of perfecting anything specially at the beginning. I can give you some tips. 😃

[@petermcdermott3996]

lack of explanation regards big head is really hard to understand, and the lack of comment from viewers totally unexpectable.

[@alliecatalliecat]

I agree.

[@dhruvjoshi6440]

Which clay you use in video

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

It's polymer clay. :)

[@grapigar172]

plastic eyeballs? how can you not burn them.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

They don’t burn. :) it’s the type of plastic that they use to make them don’t burn. Sometimes I see very few superficial cracks after baking but I paint and coat them over.

[@Baphome_T]

Its a bully mutt, not a staffy OR pitbull. However, the sculpture is great

[@Baphome_T]

@Joan Cabarrus staffys and pitbulls look a lot different, that's why I mentioned it, its nothing negative towards you or anything cause your sculptures are amazing ^^

[@oshawaxpress]

Pitbulls aren't actually a specific breed, it is a generic name for a type of dog with certain physical characteristics.. They have many variations of looks. In fact, all pitbulls could be described as 'mutts' in the sense that they are not 'pure bred'. They are all descendants of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which led to the bigger American version, but to talk about a pitbull as if it's a distinct, readily discernible breed is inaccurate.

[@Baphome_T]

@@oshawaxpress no. The American pitbull terrier is one breed. You can't just throw all bully breeds together because that's entirely incorrect. Boston terriers, boxers, dogo argentinos and bull terriers are in the bully family aswell, yet nobody calls them a pitbull, because they aren't. Just like a Staffordshire terrier, bully mutts and purebred bulldogs aren't pitbulls.

[@bradkroeker9780]

What kind of oil are you brushing into smooth the fur? Thanks!!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

I use baby oil. Actually you can use any oil as long as it’s not stinky. I’ve used cuticle oil before and it worked fine.

[@yazzy-3-550]

Could you list everything you used in this video? Im new and trying to learn from the experts!

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Yazzy -3- yes! I was new to making that video too so no worries. I use Sculpey polymer clay with firm and medium blend gray. Then aluminum wires, aluminum foil, Sculpey Bake and Bond.

[@yazzy-3-550]

Joan Cabarrus -The Singing Sculptor thanks!

[@kathyluebke3158]

So the plastic beads ever melt in the oven?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

No. I never had issues with them. I sometimes see some superficial crackings but they are not big deal because painting over them and coating it with resin will completely cover them.

[@erincampbell4541]

What was the tool you used to scratch the fur in??

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

It’s a wire brush tool. You can find it on Amazon :)

[@audreywj2195]

Anyone hear the baby crying what🤔

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

hehe yes.

[@laurahampson301]

Hi Joanne! How did I miss this a year ago???!!! Great art and great instruction❤️

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

@@laurahampson301 It's ok! I wasn't really ready to share everything I put out a year ago. It's good that they never go away and you can rewatch them.

[@crazydoglady5]

I am learning..i been using Air dry clay. BUT i was wondering a few things you used...the ball bearing eyes..can you paint over them to make the eye color? and the feet are so real looking. I am not even close. I am on my fourth clay model of my own dogs...the eyes and face are the hardest ..eyes especially. You said the thicker the clay, the more it will crack right? UGH. I would have thought the opposite. any tips are greatly appreciated...

[@crazydoglady5]

also i like the look of polymer...how long do you bake in oven and at what temps? what brand do you recommend?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Hi! Yes! I used plastic pearl beads or any two identical balls as long as they have holes. If you make them, put holes at least one on each. Yes the eyes are hard especially with short hair dogs. We have to be extra precise or else it will not look the like the dog. This is why I like to give myself a way to take out the beads, adjust, and put them back again. I never use a caliper so this technique really works. You won’t be stuck once you place the eyes.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

@@crazydoglady5 I use Sculpey. But because I do a lot of commissions that need to be shipped out, I am starting to incorporate the Cosclay on the high risk parts. The temp really depends on the size of your work and the brand. The brand you will buy usually have instructions at the back, if not, on their website.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

@@crazydoglady5 I have another realistic video coming this Friday. Watch watch!

[@crazydoglady5]

@@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor awesome..thank you...

[@thecentralscrutinizerr]

The head looks way too big for the body.

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Yep! That's correct. That is intentional. That is actually my style. If you look at my website, that's the style create for my commissions. I could make them look perfectly similar but their personality shows up more when something is somewhat exaggerated. :D Once I write a sculpting book on hyperrealism, that's when everything will be similar. Is there anythign else you would like to scrutinize, Central "Scrutinizer"? I appreciate you're there.

[@cherylleblanc6515]

Excellent! What is that white tipped pointy tool that I think you use to smooth?

[@JoanCabarrusTheSingingSculptor]

Thank you! White tipped pointy tool? Did you mean a brush and baby oil? I use those to smooth the surface of the clay.