Wednesday 10 October 2007

Making Leafs with Fimo Deco Gel


Fimo Deco Gel is dyed with an oil paint mix of Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre and Prussian Blue.


The gel is painted over the photo-etched leaves. Surface tension of the gel helps to contain the shape of the leafs.


The gel is baked with a heat gun to cure to a rubbery hard finish. It's then peeled off from the photo-etched fret with a scalpel blade.
Close-up of the reproduced leaf.


..and now the clones are ready!


Attach the leafs to a dried weed root with super glue. You may apply some heat from the heat gun to curl the corners of the cured polymer gel and after that it is ready for paint.


Calvin



11 comments:

Dani Serrano said...

Awesome idea, my friend!

One Q! When you say "heat gun" you mean a air-dryer?

Muchas gracias :)

CALVIN TAN said...

De nada Amigo,

si, the heat gun is like a hair dryer, abet more powerful.

Calvin

Dani Serrano said...

Gracias, olvide la "H" (Hair dryer) ;D

Ross Mahoney said...

Calvin that is excellent. what is decon gel?

CALVIN TAN said...

It's like liquid polymer clay which cures to a solid state when heat is applied.

Calvin

Robert Crombeecke said...

Hi Calvin,

great technique!
I guess that heat gun is something that painters use to strip off the paint from window- or doorframes etc. ?

cheers

Robert Crombeecke

CALVIN TAN said...

Hi Robert,

yes, that's exactly the same one.

cheers,

Calvin

Julian Yap said...

Calvin,

very interesting & novel technique. I'll definitely have a go at this. Beats using PE since the polymer dries giving it 'volume' to an otherwise flat leaves.

Where can i get fimo deko gel thingy?
I'll probably need some bondite putty also.

Julian

muncheberg LI said...

Hi calvin! I come from Taiwan.

The Leaves are really Lifelike.

Where can I buy the "Fimo Deco Gel "?

Or what can instead of it?

CALVIN TAN said...

You can buy the Fimo Deko Gel from here:

http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/shop/fimo_gel.htm

Calvin

Mary Anne Enriquez said...

Just bought your book last night calvin! I am so amazed at your skill!

How do I figure out how long to bake the fimo with a heat gun for? I have used an oven in the past for thicker sculpted fimo...but this technique you posted is awesome as well as inexpensive.

Be careful not to burn the fimo either. The fumes are toxic, and the result is awful.