Process of making my hybrid mould- stage 1

It took quite a long time to think about the best way I was going to make my clay mould and get the right texture I wanted. For the top 2 pieces I individually made each of the scales and then moulded them onto a flat piece.

• Firstly cut off a small amount of modelling clay, you may think you’ll need a lot but you only need a small amount. You can do this using any of the tools but preferably one with a sharp edge.  
• Get the right amount of clay that you need and place it on a flat surface, preferably something like a tray so you have enough room for when you place the cup over it to make the silicone
• Using a hair dryer on the cool setting gradually blend the clay into the tray making sure the edges are seamless
• When you have to correct shape you want your clay to be you can start adding to the design
• For this part I hand made each of the scales and then blended them onto the flat piece.
• place all the scales as close as possible to get a scaley effect, making sure that it is as smooth as possible and that there is no parts of the scales sticking out that the silicone could get stuck to
• For the second part do the same again and cut off a small amount of clay and blend into the tray
• Then using a tool with a round edge imprint into the clay to get a scaley effect
• When you are happy with your mould make sure that you keep it in a safe place if you aren’t going to create the wound straight away, preferably in a plastic container.