Clay Dinosaur

Start with a slab of clay that is about 20cm by 20cm. Use the paper shape outline to draw the head of the dinosaur onto the clay.

Trace the jaw shape outline onto the dinosaur head. Do this very lightly. You are tracing so that you can have the placement for the clay shape you will add to make the jaw. Inside the shape you draw in the clay add scratch marks with your needle tool and then add slip. make sure there are scratches underneath the clay jaw shape before you put it on the slip. Press the jaw gently down and squeeze air bubbles out from under the shape.

Trace the paper outlines of the top of the head so that you will have the placement location for the clay shape you will add.

Trace the paper outline on another slab of clay and make the clay shape for the top of the head.

Add the scratch marks with the needle tool inside the outlines. Add slip.

Make sure there are scratches underneath the clay that you will add to the top of the head. Press the clay top of the head gently down and squeeze air bubbles out from under the shape.

Make the nose using a flat piece of clay that is about 3 cm in length. Use a wood tool to press into it to make it appear as shown in the picture. Add scratch marks to the front of the face and slip and attach nose shape to the face.

Use a 2.5 cm flat piece of clay to make the eye. Add scratch marks and slip to the area where the eye will be located and attach. Use a smaller piece of clay to make the pupil for the eye. Add scratch marks and slip to the area where the pupil will be located and attach.

Add scratch marks to the neck to represent wrinkly reptile skin. Use small rounded pieces of clay to make bumps for the skin. Add scratch marks and slip to the area where the bumps will be located and attach.

Make many sharp triangular pieces of clay to use for teeth. Add scratches to the skin at the back of the mouth. Also add scratches to the top and bottom of the mouth in the places where you will attach teeth. Add scratch marks and slip to the area to the top of each tooth and attach inside the mouth. Using a tool add small lines into the clay that start at the spaces between the teeth.

After the head is complete allow it to dry for several days. Add colored slip and glazes and then fire the dinosaur head in a kiln.