This Picture Is From My Slightly Left-Of-Center Polymer Clay Idea File:
It’s called a ‘cindyglyph’. You’ll have to keep reading to find out what the heck I’m talking about this time.
Every week I go to the local library to pick up some new books for polymer clay ideas. Since I’ve already taken out every polymer clay, beading, wirework, and painting book that has ever come through that library, I often wander around in different sections looking for new and unique inspiration.
The other day I came across a neat book showing pictures of petroglyphs found on some islands near where I grew up. What I loved about them was how they looked so playful and childlike.
In case you didn’t already know, petroglyphs are paintings or carvings the embellish the surfaces of large rocks or that have been added to the walls of ancient caves.
Being simple line drawings, they were perfect for making into polymer clay cane designs. So I went about planning some out. But then I found some interesting background information about these rock carvings that caused me to think twice.
Although the designs in my library book were over 2000 years old, no one is allowed to copy them unless you want a court battle on your hands. You can copy the Mona Lisa and put her on a T-shirt, but you can’t copy a stick man that was scratched into stone during prehistoric times. I don’t remember ever hearing of copyright offices being around back then!
Well now I’ll just have to just draw up some of my own petroglyph ideas to make polymer clay canes from. Maybe I’ll call them ‘cindyglyphs’ just to be cheeky.
And guess what? You’ll be allowed to use my polymer clay ideas… I’ll even show you how!
Has anyone else besides me come up with any good polymer clay ideas from your local library… in a book or magazine section that had nothing to do with polymer clay? Inspiration sometimes comes from the strangest places.
Cindy’s last blog post..Bullseye Cane Making Tip for Polymer Clay Beginners
Nice Cindygraph… what cave did you say you got that from?
It’s not really so much a cave, as more really just a chunk of concrete in the back yard. I do like the grin the whale has after eating the stick-man… a kind of pleased with himself look!
Cindy’s last blog post..Polymer Clay Artists – How To Discover Your Unique Artistic Voice
Hi Cindy,
Would you please explain how to make petrogliph with polymer clay. I tried to make the image first then fill it with the base it didn’t work and all the colors got blended together. Then I tried to make the base first and then insert the image, that didn’t work either.
Thank you
Rezvan
I’m sorry Rezvan, but I’m not really sure what you mean.
Are you trying to build a cane? Or trying to use little strips of clay for the design? Or something else?
When I make this petroglyph in clay I make a 3-D cane and the cane is built in steps. I couldn’t really explain how to do it here in the comments but do plan on doing some image canes in video soon. If you would like to look at another similar type of cane click the link by my name.
Hi Cindy,
Sorry my question wasn’t very clear. I try to make petrogliph cane and by the time I reduce it all the colors and the shape of the image gets distorted and colors are all blended together. I like and use fimo only. What I meant by making the base was I try to make a block about two inches high of the base color and cut the shape of the image in there and then fit the image inside the base, which it didn’t work. Then I tried to creat the image about one inch and build the background around it and then reduce it. That didn’t work either. By the way the background color usually is mixed of different colors or just translucent.
Do you have a DVD as to how to make petrogliph with Polymer Clay?
Thanks
Rezvan
Thanks for the clarification Rezvan!
If you don’t want your colors to blend together in your canes you can put a very thin sheet (thinnest setting on your pasta machine) of white between your colors. This acts as a barrier and helps keep the colors separate with no bleeding.
As far as distortion, this happens if you get air spaces when packing your backgrounds, even tiny ones. Distortion also happens when the clays are different softness’. The softer clay will move faster than the hard clay and will quickly distort.