Onto the body now.
I first cut out all the 23 parts (the whole model) and then started on the body.
Picture 1 – This shows the three parts to the body – two identical (mirrored sides) and a small tail. I have labelled the main areas to make the building process more evident.
Picture 2 - This shows part of an instruction diagram that illustrates the sequence in which to glue the tabs. Doing this ensures the body shape is correct. Note that at a certain stage there will be tabs left unattached – these will attach to the other half of the body and the neck…..
I started by making one half of the body……………
- Dry fitting.
- Gently bending the curves needed to get the first tab glued easily.
- Gluing only one tab at a time and letting each tab dry.
Follow the glueing sequence for the tabs shown in the instructions.
- Because there are two halves to the body I worked on each alternatively.
- When glueing a tab I placed the next tab ON TOP of the part. This ensures the first tab is “seated” accurately. After the first tab has dried, the next tab is flipped back down, and the following one up etc. This helps to get the seams spot on and tight.
- The above process is repeated.
- All of the exposed edges were coloured in with watercolour paint or water colour pencils. See Picture 3.
The one half of the body will come into shape slowly until there is “half an egg”. Then repeat for the other half.
After finishing each half, I then used my fingers to reshape each half, along with some burnishing tools I found in a craft shop (sold in a kit to make paper flowers). The latter are very useful for smoothing out shapes – I burnish from the inside straight onto a hard surface.
Picture 4 – This shows the burnishing tools.
The two halves were then joined together – again using the tab glueing sequence for the tabs shown in the instructions. One body!
I then folded the tail in two, glued it and then attached it to the body.
Picture 5 – This shows the completed body with the tail attached.
An easy and straightforward build, if care is taken and it is not rushed.
Next – the head and legs and claws!