How to Create a Clay Character | Stop Motion

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So if you'd like to make a clay character or a clay puppet to be animated, there area few great tips I can give you. First, get some clay. The clay that you animate with is really up to you. There are a variety of modeling clays on the market. You're probably looking for a non-drying, non-hardening modeling clay, something with wax or oil in it so that your puppets don't harden up on while you're animating. That would be a bad thing. So we have some of this red modeling clay here, and I'm taking a whole bar, and I'm softening the clay in my hands first. When the clay feels soft enough, I'll roll it out. And I think I'll start by making a very basic humanoid puppet, two arms, two legs, a head.

You want to keep in mind that your puppet needs to be sturdy. So using your finger and your thumb, you can start on the bottom of your oval of clay by pinching out a leg and another leg like so. As you're pinching, keep in mind You want your creation to be able to stand, maybe even walk in your animation. So you want to keep those legs fairly thick. You want to bring a head and two arms out on top. Same pincher fingers, same approach. We'll start with the head, gently pinching one way and the other way. And really I'm not pinching the head right now. I'm pinching a neck.

You leave yourself a little clay up on the top, and that will actually just be your head, and you can round it off. Be gentle as you pinch. Try standing again. Once you have that head, you can pinch out an arm on one side and an arm from the other side. Stand him up again. Is your figure animatable?

Does he or she balance? These are important things to consider when you're building a puppet to be animated. So we could also create a four-legged creature. It's a similar approach. Suppose we were making a dog. Pincher fingers. You can start almost anywhere on the puppet, but pinch out that neck and that head first. It's great to work from one piece of clay, rather than taking a piece off of another piece of clay and sticking it on, say for the tail of your dog, where it's likely to maybe just fall off during animation. You don't want that. It's best to pinch that tail. I'm pinching the legs of the dog. Again, you just want to consider will the animal stand? Can you animate? So again, when you're making a clay puppet to be animated, use one block of clay, one piece of clay. Pinch those parts out.

Make sure your subject can stand, that you can move isolated parts of him or her. And of course, this is just the beginning. You can add eyes, a nose. You can add a mouth to your puppet. Different colors, accessories. But this is a great way to start and perfectly ready for animating.

[JZGreengo]

I’ve been messing with clay for years and never thought about claymation, I think it’s time for me to give it a try

[skalex]

also use baby wipes to get rid of finger prints

[jayraldratuita]

I like that this video goes step by step carefully and it gives you steps that are not cliche

[TheSeanmortimer]

I don't know how he could keep a serious face when he was killing that man...

[five]

thank you very much! my dad bought my sister clay to make her stop screaming and crying and actually wondered if its easy, then i found your video and it made my sister very happy

[nicoleknauer]

thank you for this, my Kindergarten classloved learning about clay stop motion animation!

[bearykindly]

Awesome thanks for the tips. I've been using playdough and it's been very difficult as it dries. But it's a lot of fun I will try some modeling clay.

[kevinmagee]

It's just straight clay and not an armature correct? To make the character out of a movie, do you let the clay/play doh dry out? If it's dry, will you be able to form it and change it's shape?

[lilliloveXD]

which kind of clay do you use? or which brand? :)
i also love this stop motion part <3

[monkey]

I made a T. rex in stad of a a dog it's the same but shorter arms

[muss]

excellent, just what I was looking for, I scale g scale model railroad. I have a very large underground coal mine and need that special look and pose for the job they will have. Thank you

[pleasedont]

I use plasticine it never drys out and never sticks you can use a clay scraper on it as well

[ferenosanimations]

Impressive I made a godzilla 2019 out of clay and Im 13 I would show you picture but I dont know how to but still a good character though

[kelseyanne]

Thanks howcast I was struggling before I watch this but it helped me alot THANKS…..🥳💀👍👍👍

[himi]

I think he's​ just really good at it

[samjpenrose]

Hi, first of all, thanks for the great video, this helped me a lot! Secondly, what brand of clay do you use? Thanks 😀

[me]

You never actually proved that those could stand on one or two leg(s) like they would have to for claymation. I assume that they can’t, because I did that and they couldn’t.

[arssview]

How much time it takes to make character dry so we can work please reply

[DaBOOMKid]

I’m planning on making Earthbound clay models like how they promoted it

[czxd]

I’m gonna use Googley Eyes for my Future creations