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Course Information

SPECIAL PRICE: 20% discount at registration
Use coupon code - jetsp-brhd20off - at checkout.
Expires February 22nd, 2023

Description: Students will build a wire bear skull armature and using batting and wire sculpt the bear's eyes, nose, ears and teeth. Covering with a combination of painted pantyhose and faux fur a creature will emerge with character and the possibility of adjusting wire shapes for more expression.
Media Category: Mixed Media 
Course Type: Interactive  (refer to the FAQ page for full descriptions of each course type)


ACADEMY PROMO: New Spring Course
Release date: March 1, 2023 - Course content will be accessible to students.
Special price: 20% discount at registration - Use coupon code - jetsp-brhd20off  - at checkout. Expires February 22nd, 2023


Course Format: Full project
Course Begins: March 1, 2023 - Ongoing
Course Duration:  No time limit

What will Students learn? Students will learn to apply these techniques used in creating a small bear skull and shaping it to completion using wire, batting and pantyhose in this project and then be able to apply the same learned skills to future projects found in their own imaginations.
Instructor/Students interaction: Answer questions via emails, “Live” Instruction (eg: Facebook Live, Zoom), Private Facebook Group/Community Room
Class Size: No Limit
Skill Level: Intermediate
Required skill(s): Basic sewing skills are necessary and the ability to cut and bend wire and minimal painting skills.

Supplies and tools: 
- Water jar, a palette and a paper towel
- 18 or 20 gauge galvanized steel wire, 28 gauge wire
- bonded wire batting, pantyhose (can be recycled)
- Acrylic Paint: (red, blue, yellow, black and white)
- Thread, needle, straight pins, scissors
- needle nosed pliers, a wire cutting tool
- Sobo glue, a matt medium
- brushes for glue and detail painting
- scraps of fabric, faux fur, stretchy velour.
Downloads: List of downloads

Course Curriculum

    1. promo bear head

    1. B) tools you will use.pdf.png

      FREE PREVIEW
    2. stretchy velour I use for skin

    3. acrylic paint

    4. Brushes you will use

      FREE PREVIEW
    1. graphic.jpg

    2. wire start bear head

    3. Why all these wires?

    1. cutting 2 wires (a1.jpg)

    2. making a first armature shape

    3. binding wires together

    4. close up of binding

    5. where the snout wire will be

    6. another close-up

    7. wire for building the snout

    8. the snout wire

    9. from the inside out look

    10. another view of where you are

    11. eye socket wires

    12. from on the bear photo

    13. adding a bottom jaw wire

    14. IMG_1051.jpeg

    15. adding upper jaw wire

    16. upper jaw video

    17. addingsubtractingbatting

    1. eye graphic.jpg

    2. nextstep eye

    3. formingbear eyeball

    4. coat of glue on eyeball

    5. painted black.jpg

    6. head eyeglue.jpg

    7. textexplain.jpg

    8. lidglue.jpg

    9. glue.jpg

    10. drying.jpg

    11. lidwire.jpg

    12. eyepaint graphic.jpeg

    13. tiny eyeball paint

    14. preliminary eye shaping

    15. eyecorners edited bear

    16. moving eyeballs around

    17. eyesmade smaller.jpg

    18. doneyelid1

    19. big eyeball

    1. batbefore addnose

    2. noswirebat

    3. 1nose lookIMG_1243

    4. 2nosestitchMG_1246

    5. 3nosestitcMOV

About this course

  • $100.00
  • 73 lessons
  • 4.5 hours of video content

Instructor

Jo-Ellen Trilling

Fabric - Mixed Media

Jo-Ellen Trilling created her own toys. Playing as a child, she sewed cloth scraps together, using bits of wire, glue, and paint to make an idea come alive. Her doll making technique is essentially the same. “A finished figure can be built in a series of illustrated steps,“ she says. Jo-Ellen has taught techniques in doll clubs across North America and Australia. Images of her figures have been published as illustrations and as editorial artwork in books and magazines. Jo-Ellen's artwork is in the permanent collections of museums around the world.

VISIT: Jo-Ellen Trilling Portfolio