After a design is agreed on, I sit down at my bench with a blank canvas. The glass cutting board makes a good base. It can go in and out of the oven and is absolutely flat. That's the project sketch hanging above my work light.
I reprinted the sketch "lifesized" as a guide. Normally I work by eye but the relationship between the figures was so tight I wanted a to scale reference.
The pins at the neck are removable. The option to remove and adjust various bits is very handy. Each step has been fired separately. This keeps you from sticking your fingers in something finished but still soft. A couple of surrogate heads here and the beginnings of arms. Overall composition is what's being worked on. Plus major details like the bottom of his tunic and the drape of her cloak/robe.
I bake a core for each head then add the faces to the firm foundation. After adjusting angle, distance and neck length clay is added around the necks and prayers sent up that nothing move during baking.
Lots and lots of details are added. The pin through her hood has a wire rod inside for strength. The faces are not connected just very close together.
I like to paint the big blocks of color first because it seems like you're getting a lot done. Painting from the inside out (skin to hair to clothes) is good too. Painting differently colored faces kissing distance apart is a road to madness.
And here's what you end up with. Warts and all.......
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