Marena Kehl
Madison, Wisconsin
Psychotherapist, English and ESL Teacher, Artist (but have made little art for many years)

Marena Kehl
added comment inTop 10 Parts of the Skull Artists Should Know
1yr
10 parts of the skull: Great lesson, Andrew. Thanks.
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2yr
You could try using a small paint brush, and a bit of white vinegar, along with a bit of slip also mixed with vinegar. You may have let it dry too fast, thus resulting in the gaps. (Are they almost cracks? Then certainly it dried too fast and unevenly.) If using the vinegar slip, be sure to soften the area on the ears with a bit of vinegar before you apply the slip. You don't want to get it too wet. After the repair, keep the bust wrapped in plastic, letting the repair dry slowly. The vinegar sort of "melts" (for lack of a better word) the dried clay. Sometimes one needs to make the gaps or cracks a bit bigger to repair them. If I were you, I'd experiment on a separate piece of clay as dry as the bust is now. She is beautiful!

Marena Kehl
2yr
Sorry, Brandon. I forgot to look at the date of your post, so my advice obviously didn't help!
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2yr
Asked for help
Are the "Poses for Artists" (for $16.50) in the round? That is, can you turn the models 350 degrees? Alternately, is a pose photographed one shot by one shot in the round? Or are the poses all just one pose photographed from one direction? Thanks!
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2yr
Asked for help
Where can I purchase Stan's Richer, Hale, Loomis Human Proportions chart? Thanks. (The Tumbler site refers me here and this site says "whoops"....)
2yr
Thanks, Andrew, for the critiques. Very helpful in training one's eye.
2yr
How do you recommend warming the Chavant to make it easier to work with? My house is quite cool and it's very stiff at room temp. It also doesn't seem to warm up too well just in my hands, but they're also cold! Is it safe to microwave? Should I warm small chunks at a time and repeat as necessary? I also have a heat gun, but am not sure if I should just aim it at one end of the block or take off a chunk and warm in a bowl or something. Any advice would be appreciated! Loving the content so far, and thanks in advance!
2yr
Hi. I have the same issue. I've been cutting the Chavant into small pieces --less than one inch square--then using a hair dryer to warm the clay. I then massage the clay in my hand, attempting to keep it warm as I'm working. Hope this helps.
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2yr
Asked for help
Hello everyone I just completed the Eye Study Exercise and I would love to get feedback on my work. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to do it!
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2yr
I posted this to the wrong place a few days ago. I did purchase the chavant clay so I don't think I qualify for the contest.
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2yr
I took a hammer to this one. I don't have photos of my very first sculpture.
2yr
Well, I've had fun. Made my first ever wire armature and overdid it on the arms-- the armature is actually bigger than the sculpted arm should be. And I got the proportions a little off to begin with, so... not a good start. The armature is showing through in the arms, hands (paws) and feet. I nailed the armature to the board and then could not sculpt the round under the feet.
I had trouble working with the chavant clay. That clay will be a steep learning curve for me, I think. I prefer working with water based clay, but it is difficult keeping it moist, (overnight, days at a time, etc.) so I want to learn how to use and smooth or texture oil based clay. My lady looks like her entire body is a mass of cellulite and divots.
The next time I do a piece this small, I think I will try doing the head and face separate from the body. The hands are such disasters that I didn't even attempt the face.
I learned a lot. 1. Learning anatomy would be a great advantage. 2. Getting the armature correct is necessary. 3. Every new day allows me to see the sculpture differently. 4. I really like to work with certain tools. (It was incredibly tempting to just forgo the contest and use tools, but I didn't.)
I hope you'll give concrete feedback so I can see what needs attention and what is heading in the right direction.
2yr
Help, please. I have no idea how to add photos or a video from my iPad to this site. Thanks.
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2yr
Is anyone else having trouble navigating the Classroom? I have purchased your course but the site says I am not participating in any courses even though I have added them. I can only access them through the notifications. Also how do I access the figure poses you are working from that are supposed to be included with the price of the course?
2yr
I'm having trouble, too, David. What I can find on the site on one day in one place, I seem to not be able to find the next day. But I know they're having to work out bugs. A new platform, new programs, unexpected glitches....
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2yr
Ugh. I've been working on my first sculpture (in many many years) and my first full in-the-round sculpture with oil-based clay. That is where the "ugh" comes in. So many little bumps and tiny divots.
I'm learning a lot. Made my first ever wire armature and overdid it, so that has been a bit problematic, and working so small (like a one inch face) with no "real" tools is a challenge. But the surface! Google posts and you tube describe using various solvents to smooth. I'd almost like a rough texture, but it is a bit late for that now, and how does one do that without losing detail on something so small (@10" tall)?
Suggestions? I'm trying a tooth brush for a tiny bit of texture, but don't know if it's going to work. Am thinking of putting it into the fridge....Will cold help me smooth with my fingers? Trying to burnish with a spoon or stone doesn't seem to work. Burnishing with an eraser makes the clay a different color until smoothed out by a finger. Aw, well, I'll keep going.
Am looking forward to learning how to use the Davinci app with a sculpture. AND how to make oil-based clay smooth.
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2yr
Re: Our first assignment and the "challenge"--
Because the challenge photos are on You Tube, do we need to use the bra or can we put in real breasts?
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2yr
I've mostly worked with water based clay, which one doesn't mix ( if firing). Can one mix different brands of oil-based clay? For example, if Chavant Hard is too hard, can one mix cheap Dollar Store clay with it? Can one mix different brands of plastalina? Thanks
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2yr
Andrew, Is this the place your students post questions? Or do we talk on Instagram? Or You Tube? Anyway, this may be a silly question, but my old batch of plastaline is two different colors--clay that has been schmushed together but has not been blended. I'm thinking that if they are not blended, that it will affect the way I can see shadows and planes, particularly when working small. Am I just worrying needlessly or do I actually have a legitimate concern. ( Partly, I'm just being lazy because it takes time to heat and then blend clay.)
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2yr
Hello, Andrew. I purchased your course last week for $109. I assume this was the discounted price? Thank you.
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