I made a giant bead lizard out of clay

//THE ORIGINAL ARTIST
Jeff Rubio

In this week's Steal like an Artist video, I tried to recreate the work by the amazing ceramic artist Jeff Rubio. This was one of the most tedious, but also most fun projects I've made in a while, and I am obsessed with the result!

//MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO

//ONLINE CLASSES

//SHOP

//TOOLS & CLAY
Stuff I use and recommend:

//SAY HI!

//EDITING
Thanks to Carolina Fudala for editing this video! 🤍

[kappagrapes]

I love these ridiculous, silly, wonderful, charming art projects. Giant bead lizard! Yeah!

[nikoanderson]

The short tail is thematic, lizards frequently lose part of their tail as an escape strategy and will regrow the tail or just heal up and go about their lizard life.

[kinoumenthe]

It's okay if your beads aren't regular, seed beads usually aren't (they're not even "square", they're usually less high than they're wide), unless you go for brand ones where they take a lot of pain to make the beads even. But regular cheap seed beads often vary in width and height, so that makes yours closer to the real thing in a way xD
What a fun project 😊

[yesterdaydream]

I'm suddenly FURIOUS I've not seen this done before. Why haven't giant bead lizards been ubiquitous since...always?!

[nalicoan]

This concept makes me so happy!! My mom is a ceramic artist and I grew up going to her studio, which was connected to a beading studio. I made a lot of these lizards in that time and always associate them with ceramics!! You really brought me back to my childhood 🥰

[calico]

For some reason, seeing the thumbnail i assumed the beads were just solid clay with the hole in the middle - seeing you shape them so they're hollow on the inside makes so much more sense 🤦🏼‍♀️

The lizard turned out so cute!! There's something about making 'kid craft' things but in like, , , professional and BIG. I loved watching the process <3

[xingcat]

Honestly. single beads of the yellow/green or red (or a drippy brown over red) could be a fabulous "caramel apple" art piece in itself. The sticks could be ceramic pieces of their own, maybe unglazed, or raku carbon-black?

[clutterbot]

i'm scared because literally 10 minutes before this popped up on my feed, i had an unprompted conversation about these guys with friends on discord. LIKE 10 MINUTES BEFORE THIS SHOWED UP. AFTER A DECADE OR MORE OF NOT THINKING ABOUT THEM

[felicityhollis]

I actually think that the first bead you did had really good proportions. The beads used are pony beads and they are wider than they are tall

[WHATTHEFREAKISAMETER]

The original stitch is called the ladder stitch and that stitch is still used to make these and now they fall under the category of “Kandi”

[adampope]

I love the steal like an artist mentality. It’s so challenging trying to learn new techniques on your own, but taking inspiration from other artisans makes it so much easier and more fun!
Thank you for these videos!!!

[serefine]

I saw the title and I was : HECK YES

Edit after finishing the video: The big guy ended up adorable! The regular Kandi Beads are actually irregular too thats why its just perfectly fitting that they are slightly different sizes. Im curious to see how you get them on a wall lul, I think Burrito wrapping or putting him in a 60 l tub could help getting him into the final room.

Also would love to see a video about the Room restructuring and organizing. As a crafter its always interesting to see how other people organize their spaces even if I dont do the same craft

[CRAZY_JUGGALETTE]

To anyone wondering where to get and what those beads are called they are kandi beads! What scene or any kind of people would wear/make!!! You can find them in art stores and Amazon! Hope this helped (correct me if I’m wrong!!!)

[janiegregory]

0:08 *beaded lizard* proceeds to show a possum in one of the pictures

[Duderus]

The sounds when they clank together is so satisfying omg

[themomandthemaverick]

Honestly beads aren't all the same shape. So they are perfect!!

[brandindupreez]

I love this so much. He looks like he would be a lovely garden ornament actually

[viceb]

The slightly irregular sizing is actually making it way cooler to me! I love seeing the hallmarks of handmade things.

This is hitting a nostalgic note for me so hard 😂❤

[stormnasca]

When you buy beads for crafting they are typically irregular so anything minor from bead to bead will actually make it more realistic.
I'm at 11:44 and very much enjoying watching the process.

[TinyToebaby]

4:48 I like how she starts explaining how she does it like we’re gonna make a giant bead❤