It's Jest 'er Clay!!!

 

                                                                        

What you need:

Polymer Clay: 1 - 2 oz. pkg. yellow

                       small amount of orange for feet and beak

2 black beads for eyes (seed beads or the flat back wiggle eye beads will work fine)

toothpick

knitting needle (or other tool for sculpting)

needle tool (or you can use a toothpick)

 

1.  Condition your clay.

2. Using the yellow make one ball approx. 1 1/2" diameter (body), one ball about
1" diameter (head) and two balls approx. 3/4" diameter (wings).

3. Using the orange clay make two balls 5/8" diameter for the feet, one ball about 
1/2" diameter (beak) and two balls 1/4" diameter for the cheeks.

 

4.  Starting with the feet, take your two 5/8" orange balls and shape them into
teardrop shapes.  Place them on your work area where you want the feet positioned. 
Using the knitting needle, or other tool of choice, make indents in the feet to look
like webbed feet.

 

5.  Now let's add the body.  Get your 1 1/2" yellow ball and roll it into a teardrop
shape curving the narrow end up to form the duck's tail.  Press the body onto the feet. 
Break a toothpick in half and insert into the body where the head will attach.

               

6.  Now we will place the 1" yellow ball on the toothpick for the head.  Then we
will put the cheeks on the head by using the two 1/4" orange balls.  Shape each of
the small orange balls into 1/2" logs with the ends tapered.  Bend the log into a U shape
lightly pinching the two ends together.  Place them in the cheek areas of the face.

7.  Let's add the beak now.  Shape the 1/2" orange ball into a short, squat
cone shape.  Using a blade or knife cut the cone almost in half starting at the
top of the cone going through the middle.  Place the beak between the cheeks
and shape to personal preference.  Now you can add your bead eyes, too.

 

8.  It's time for his wings.  take the two 3/4" yellow balls and shape each one
into a teardrop and gently flatten them.  Curl up the small end of the flattened
teardrops to form the wing sand press onto the sides of the body.

9.  Using a needle tool or toothpick draw little laugh lines on the outside of
each eye and three or four lines on the chest to fluff it up some.

10.  Finishing.  Now is the time to make it YOURS by adding the final little
details that make a sculpt personal.  Some things you might add are:  sailor hat,
cowboy hat and neckerchief, Easter bonnet, baby bonnet and pacifier, Santa hat,
fireman's hat, Rain hat, flowers, etc.