Sculpting an Elephant, part 6: Building out the legs

Enjoy watching a little elephant created right before your eye in stunning 4k Time-Lapse! This is part 6 to a ongoing sculpting demonstration video series. In this video I add to the legs I did in the last video further completing them. Aside from minor adjustments these elephant legs are ready for texture! Please please let me know how this elephant is looking? In the next video I'll be working with EPOXY SCULPT! A 2-part sculpting compound that has 1-3 hour work-time and cures in 24 hours. 0% shrinkage too! Looking forward to using it for the first time. I've always used a repair putty from Loctite, the blue stuff. But could not find it anymore. It's going to be nice working with the stuff I know it!
Please drop me a comment and say hello? I'm working to upload more often now on my end, but it's a TOTAL game changer if you like, comment, and share something you like on your end! I have to wait for the apoxy sculpt to get here so maybe I can do something in-between real quick while I wait. At any rate, the next video will not be long at all, tune-in while I get closeup shots of making the trunk, tusks, and mouth. Plenty to focus on while still keeping the video not too long or fast playing. See you there!!!
Please be double sure you're subscribed it would mean the world to me, thanks for taking the time to watch and read this!
For part 1: • Sculpting an Elephant,...
I'm on Facebook: / polymerclaysculpting
NOTE: This video was rendered with my now "old" editing program, having bought a NEW one along with the new computer. It's not rendered right so you may see a little artifact distortion or blurring, so it was either upload this or completely start over with new program, this will be the last time you see it or hear about it so thanks for bearing with me. I was trying out the trial version of Movie Studio Platinum 13 and was amazed how NICE the finished video sample rendered!!!!!! It took 25 minutes to render 11 seconds of film, but the bit-rate was 109k kb's! (the source material is only 95,000 kbs but it was a section of time lapse video, so not sure why it was higher, but it's ALL there!..) It gets even better.. I can also move the scrubber (playback marker) around to "see" the video's time lapse effects WITHOUT even doing a pre-render or anything! OMG that is exactly what I've been NEEDING! Now I can identify the scenes I want to use INSTANTLY! All I need to do now is learn my way around new program.. I'm so happy right now :'D

[@korensalajka2256]

thanks so much for making these videos! i soo appreciate watching and learning from your process! Love that you've shown from absolute beginning. thank youuuu! and love your explanations, even if you think you don't know what you're talking about (so you said, haha!) -- i catch your drift, and you are doing it! it really is helpful to listen to your voice over whilst watching the time lapse--great way to do this. can't thank you enough!

[@TheBroodingTom]

Thank you so much for this comment, it made my day just reading it. The first 2 videos get so many views and it seems people don't usually make it this far into the series, so I really appreciate the time spent watching it means so much!

[@shawnsmith1865]

Seeing the method of how you roll out the snake shapes to build up to the desired shape & thickness has really helped me to better understand how to approach the underlying structure with maintaining control of the building process. I Like,

[@wendylaw83]

10:48 UK I’m loving learning how to do this from the start. Could you use air dry clay? Would it have to be polymer clay. I’ve decided to try and do a donkey copying your ideas throughout. Thank you for this tutorial.

[@garyschoolcraft4797]

Hi, just ran across your channel and have been watching you make the elephant. I hope to start my first sculpture soon. Your videos are very helpful. I have a question. You mentioned that you will sometimes have long gaps between starting and finishing a project and that the clay will stay soft. Does that not have an effect on the condition of the clay? At the beginning of this series you showed how brittle the clay was and that you had to recondition the clay to get it soft enough to work with.

[@karendnollbechtel1964]

Your doing an awesome job! he looks a little skinny. he needs more belly. just my opinion.

[@LeyLey41]

Video quality is outstanding so clear! Learned some tricks too. Thanks for sharing

[@TheBroodingTom]

No problem thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@JC.Creativity]

Wonderful.

[@dcdomin08]

I just found channel recently and just wanted to say your videos are amazing.

[@AmbiCahira]

I am truly enjoying this! You are so soft spoken that it is very easy and soothing to listen to. You mentioned that it felt short and babylike and I know it messes with the tail but adding more higher curve on the spine and even more padding on the back plus more hangy belly would give that longer feel. Like a pear shape! The back leg facing forward would overlap the hangy belly and can also give the look of a shorter torso. However, here is some elephant trivia! They are indeed short and bulky because their main diet is roots so the digestive system is huge. To carry huge guts you need a huge body which means a very heavy body which is why the spine can't be long. To carry this weight the legs are strong and straight and 3 legs are on the ground at all times. Elephants have 3 toes and are actually walking on their toes like dogs and cats but have a huge thick impact cushion which is why the feet are flat. The feet are very sensitive because they pick up communication vibration in the ground from other elephants miles away that is on such low register that many of the noises can't be heard by the human ear. But, to eat these roots you need huge teeth and by default a huge skull. But with pole like legs and a huge skull you need a short neck, and to reach the ground with a short neck they have the trunk AND holey cavities in the cranium to make it more light weight. Tusks are to dig up the roots and they are often left or right tusked which is why one is often more worn than the other. Eyes are small, vision is poor. To cool the big body the large ears are filled with tons of shallow blood vessels and they use mud as sunblock. The asian elephants have an upside down heart shape to the trunk with 1 "finger" while african elephants have opposite "fingers" and are much larger. The asian ones usually grow pink freckles and has little hairs on the head as well as 2 bumps on the head while asians have 1 bump. The asian ears are small while african ears are huge. Elephants are pregnant for 22 months and to not harm the calf it is born close to the ground between the back legs (which is partially why belly hangs so low) and unlike many other animals nurses between the front legs. And yes I will go there; the testicles on the males are by the hips to keep an even temperature unlike other animals that keeps them outside to cool and both ways are to avoid going sterile. Herds have a leader female, a matriarch and herd mostly are aunts, sisters, and only young bulls. They will mourn their dead for days and visit their death sites to visit the bones and basically cry over their loss by passing around the bones to touch and cherish them, plus makes very unique noises at the time. My teacher was an elephant nerd and taught us a lot about anatomy, reproduction and behavior but she awoke a huge love for them. It is sad how these animals are so intelligent, have a language and even dialects between herds, live for 60-80 years at best, and humans kill them for sport or for their tusks, especially the big bulls that ensure the best survival chances of future generations. And lastly of my rant, this is why elephants look the way they look - because they eat roots! And leaves and other things. Isn't it amazing that such a rough diet can keep such large animals alive?

[@AmbiCahira]

My apologies I mean 4 toes, it is the rhino that has 3. :)

[@sherrierussell9950]

Lovely soothing calm voice great quality video loving the close ups brilliant explanations of each process well done keep going really enjoy watching

[@treatpeoplewithkindness9231]

Do you have to remove the armature in order to fire it?

[@TrinettaBryan]

Great video! I'm following your tutorial to make an edible elephant cake topper!

[@TheBroodingTom]

Oh that sounds cool! Hope this series helps. If you feel like sharing a photo of it when finished you can on my Facebook Page, I'd sure check it out! Good luck, and thanks for watching! facebook.com/PolymerClaySculpting/

[@bibhubhusanbora8369]

What type of clay are you using

[@bonniehollingsworth1996]

This video quality is great, but to tell the truth I was so involved in watching your deft hand creating an elephant, I didn’t notice the film quality. Your videos are helping me create an ox, yes, a puller of wagons and bearer of burdens. Thank you!

[@TheBroodingTom]

Thank you so much!!! What a wonderful start to a new day, may your kindness be returned 10 fold! Best of luck on the OX, hope it goes well.

[@novaface]

Your voice is so relaxing!

[@BlackCat_2]

It's coming along great. :) Your videos are always worth waiting for. :D - Heidi

[@TheBroodingTom]

Thanks Heidi I really appreciate that! I'm on a mission for more videos uploaded. Also, I picked up a few new things... a PC, editing program, and renewed AMBITION! As always thanks for stopping by!!

[@BlackCat_2]

Polymer Clay Artist I heard in the video. Great news and would love to see more videos. :) I should do the same on my creative channel but just haven't had the creative spark lately much less any desire to add video editing. I did upload a short video to my personal channel recently though.

[@shanekaylor9791]

Nice work. One thing that might help you with more accurate proportions is to google a lot of references of muscle structure. You can find it for humans and most common animals if you look long enough. Then lay the strips of clay down based on what the muscle structure reference shows and fill in with fleshy bits on top. ETA: I heard later on that you weren't interested in doing it that way, lol. But if you give it a try you might find its actually easier and saves time.

[@BuriedTeeth]

You have such a relaxing voice naturally you really should consider making asmr vids :) oh and you are very talented artistically.

[@nacerber1035]

Sculpting the relief of the muscles anatomy. You do it very well. Thank you.

[@theantichrist6524]

Do you ever make silicone molds of your work so that you can make castings for sale of your work? You could make bank

[@j.a.s.2684]

Love the videos. Just watching and learning. Very satisfying watching it all come together

[@MarianneVakiener]

I think you do a terrific job of explaining what you're doing and why you're doing it. Thank you!

[@sujathapoojary3259]

A

[@larissaamurov7819]

Its been a pleasure to see you sculpting this elephant. I found very interesting the way you use the snakes to model the legs. Thanks!

[@Twenathee]

"I don't know what I'm talking about" xD Sure sounds like you do tho hehe

[@josephchesnokov7279]

I have question, which clay do you use for this elephant?

[@TheBroodingTom]

It's actually a 50/50 mixture of (Super Sculpey) and (Super Sculpey Firm), both are Polymer Clay.

[@josephchesnokov7279]

Oh that's nice, but if I could only buy one which one would you recommend?

[@dollyad4953]

Another amazing tutorial. The new camera stuff is great!

[@jfresh2054]

not sure if it's just me, but there's a quiet high pitch sound.

[@TheBroodingTom]

Trying real hard not to associate your comment with your avatar LOL!!! (get it? dogs hear real good) on a serious note, this is the last video I'll be rendering with the program I had, although not sure if that has much to do with the audio. I use a separate device to record the voice-over part (Flip MINO HD) and don't hear anything different personaly, but I DID forget to turn up the overall volume. I'ml super close the mic too so.. I'll see if others here it too, thanks for letting me know

[@kayla3972]

Great video