Here it is, the funkiest, cheeziest, and wackiest clay tool in my bag of tricks --
a pencil with a bobby pin taped to the end.
Yes, it is pretty ugly and not very sexy, but I do so much with this tool. The bobby pin has just the
right stiffness to carve clay, and it's thicker wire than most wire-end clay tools. I use the end
of the bobby pin to make perfect closed eyes, smiles and fish scales.
I've used it for so much, I can't even remember what.
The other end, the pencil, is great for drawing lines in clay. The graphite in the lead just glides through without catching or dragging.
Okay, I admit the tape is kind of lame, but this is a guerrilla tool, made on the run. You can't have
pretty when you're doing down and dirty clay.
The tool in the middle is actually the one I use the most. I feel out of sorts when I misplace it, and I've tried to buy substitutes, but they never feel the same or have the same finish. I guess over time, I've polished this one just to where I want it.
I use these three tools about 90% of the time, for all my work. Here's a look at my latest-
You can see the face, where I used the bobby pin tool for the eyes and mouth. The rest was all pinch pot, and using my favorite 3 tools, and the back of a ball point pen for the buttons.
Oh how happy she looks with all those cute little birds all over her... I too stick to some tool like I don't have any other... if you don't mind I will copy your tool because you are right about the bobby pin it has a different edge and is perfect for many things! Thank you for sharing, I enjoy looking at your work!
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