I Love Dragons
Dragons are magnificent, their appearance is unusual and diverse. I know for sure that I will create more than one dragon. But it took me a long time to feel that I am ready to create a dragon again and definitely a green one in memory of the dragon that remained in Ukraine. If you are interested in how I created my first dragon, you can read about it here.
Simple Base
I like papier-mache crafts because I can quickly create a large, three-dimensional figure from cardboard or other materials at hand. Thanks to Amazon, I always have the opportunity to collect enough cardboard.
First, I drew the desired dragon figure on a piece of paper, then cut out the necessary body parts from cardboard.
I decided to strengthen the wings a little using bamboo sticks.
Desired Shape with the Help of Newspapers
This step is simple, but very important. If you have unnecessary newspapers or magazines, now is the time to use them. To fix this, I needed regular scotch tape, it is not necessary to take a wide one. If you crumple the newspaper well with your hands and make an arbitrary round shape, you can get a good volume.
Fixing the Shape
To fix the desired shape, I took strips of newspapers and PVA glue. If the glue is very thick, you can add a little water. At this stage, I did not crumple the newspapers, but simply tore them into strips with my hands, soaked them in glue and glued them to the dragon from above. Initially, it looked sloppy. I did this procedure step by step and each time it looked more beautiful. In the end, I used smaller newspaper strips.
When the main part of the body was ready, I attached the wings. At the base of the wings were bamboo sticks that firmly entered the base. On top, I secured the wings with the same PVA glue and newspaper strips.
From Papier-Mache to Putty and Clay
The purpose of this experiment was to check how long such a craft could stand in English weather conditions. It is absolutely clear that it will last a long time inside the house. I decided to make good waterproofing to increase the shelf life. Looking ahead, I can say for sure that such a craft should not be taken outside. Although I made a griffin in Ukraine using a similar technology. This craft was under a canopy and rain did not fall on it. The base was not made of cardboard, but of plastic bottles. If you are interested in learning more about the griffin, you can read about it here.
So, I mixed dry putty with water to the right consistency and simply applied it on top of the paper dragon. It was a bit of a weird experiment, but why not?
By the way, I forgot to mention the eyes, I attached them to the dragon’s head with a glue gun before the putty stage. I bought a whole set of plastic eyes of different colors. There are many offers on the Internet for every taste.
It is impossible to sculpt neat small details with putty. I decided to use clay. I bought special plastic clay without cracking. But it still cracked when drying, maybe it was because of the thin layer of clay.
I decided to Add Some Sharp Scales
When my husband saw the clay cracks, he said it looked unusual and could be used to create a special style. But I decided to cover the cracks with crack putty and add scales to some parts of the body. This is what came out of it.
Painting the Dragon
When all the layers on the dragon were completely dry, I sprayed it with a deep penetration primer. Then I carefully taped the eyes so they wouldn’t get damaged when painting. After that, I applied white water-based paint for exterior work in several layers with a small brush.
I found some bright green spray paint. When the weather turned sunny, I also painted the dragon with green paint in several layers and let it dry well outside. This kind of paint has a strong smell, but after it dries completely, the smell is not noticeable. I applied each new layer after the previous one had completely dried.
Using acrylic paints with mother-of-pearl, I decided to add more shades of blue. It turned out interesting. After that, I covered my craft with several layers of ship varnish. This varnish has proven itself well in Ukraine. This time, it was spray varnish. But unfortunately, all the protective layers of paint and varnish did not save the situation. But I will tell you more about this in the next article.
This is what a beautiful green dragon I got.
