Nitadee
2009-10-26, 10:32am
I have so much fun making these little guys, thought I would share, hope you don't mind!
First some pictures of finished fishies!
182522
182521
Quickie Tutorial for my Flat Fish
Supplies:
1 rod for body color
1 contrasting color for fins & tail
1small stringer white
1 small stringer black
Something to make a hole with....these are my bail biters I use,
found a link..
http://www.lampworketc.com/ppc/showp...duct=171&cat=1
Pliers, or Tweezers. Pliers are better for this!
Old butter knife for tamping down the eyes, and cutting lips
OR Razor tool for cutting lips.
Bail Biters, or other hole making thingy! (thingy is a technical term)
Start by melting a good size gather on the end of a rod. I prefer brighter colors. This is going to be the body color of your fish.
I would suggest a small grape size for just starting out.
Get it nice and round, then smoosh (this is a another technical term!) flat, so you have what looks like a lollipop. Note here that where the rod is, will be his mouth later on.
It's OK if it's not a perfect round also! This gives you diversity, and personality which is always a good thing.
Don't worry about chill marks, they usually go away during the rest of the process!
Decide which looks like the top or the bottom. I usually decide this based upon where the rod is, a bit high of center is better than lower.
Now comes the fun part!
Start making his top fin by taking another color, (I like to use a transparent here and a full sized rod) And paint a long stripe on the top edge of the body.
(about 2/3 of the way across)
Melt this fairly well to make sure it adheres.
REMEMBER TO FLASH BODY AND END OF ROD IN FLAME TO PREVENT CRACKING BUT NOT SO HOT YOU MELT THE ROD!
Now paint a shorter line along the bottom of the body for another fin.
Keep building up these lines and KEEP HEATING!
I usually do more on the top than the bottom. Most of the time it's 4 or 5 for the top, and 3 for the bottom.
Now for the tail part,
make a large triangle somewhere between the 2 fin parts.
FLASH HEAT EVERYTHING. Do NOT get the rod too hot, as you will end up with your fish on your desk...ask me how I know;-)
Needle nose pliers, or tweezers are up next!
Starting with the bottom fin, heat both sides of just the fin, and Pinch just the fin with your tool, trying NOT to get body color at the same time! Pinch at an angle so the fin kind of fans towards the back of the fish.
.
You don't need this fin to be very large, but you can go fish-wild if you like, LOL!
Now for the top, since there is much more glass up here, heat it well, both sides and start pinching. This also is done on an angle. Don't make this too thin though, as you will be hanging this cute guy from this side!
Now for the tail...this is my favorite part...(well ok, next to the eyes and squishy lips)
Heat the fin, AND the body just in front of it. Using your tool, find center and pinch and slightly pull, this should bring the body color out a bit from the body. Now pinch the sides of the tail fin.
FLASH HEAT ROD AND BODY AND FINS
WHILE YOU ARE FLASHING ADMIRE YOUR HANDY WORK!
Now you need to make a hole in the top fin so you can hang this lovely....I have bail biters and use them here, OR you could make a loop if you know how to do that.
Ok, so good so far?
Let's do the eyes!
Just to the front of the top fin is a good place to put these.
Place one good sized dot of white on each side close to the front. Tap these flat, and melt to secure.
Add a smaller dot of black on each side.
THIS is where you can get really creative. If you place the black dots forwards, he's looking straight ahead, if you place them at the top then he's looking up etc...it's all up to you.
If you get the black dots slightly askew, no worries, just take your tapping tool..*(I use a brass thingy I made OR a butter knife)* and move that dot where ya want it...after heating it of course!
Still flashing this baby? GOOD!
Now, heat your pliers slightly and grab the tail and melt off that rod that we've been using for a handle..
I know, this is kinda scary, but trust me!
Melt off as close to the body as possible and gently pull...you will have a bump here, and those are going to be the lips!
Now for the fun part!!!!
FLASH PLIERS AND TAIL AND FINS
Use the edge of a knife, or whatever kind of tool you have to crease that extra glass into lips...just by heating it well, and pressing cross ways!
Lifting a bit on the ends to make him smile! OR you could just pull slightly and make more of a beaky kind of mouth as I've done in some of these fish....I prefer the smiley lips tho....have no pics!
FLASH PLIERS AND TAIL AND FINS
AND GET THIS BABY INTO THE KILN!!!!!
I hope this works well for you! I love these kinds of fishies, and they are fast to make.
HUGS,
Nita
First some pictures of finished fishies!
182522
182521
Quickie Tutorial for my Flat Fish
Supplies:
1 rod for body color
1 contrasting color for fins & tail
1small stringer white
1 small stringer black
Something to make a hole with....these are my bail biters I use,
found a link..
http://www.lampworketc.com/ppc/showp...duct=171&cat=1
Pliers, or Tweezers. Pliers are better for this!
Old butter knife for tamping down the eyes, and cutting lips
OR Razor tool for cutting lips.
Bail Biters, or other hole making thingy! (thingy is a technical term)
Start by melting a good size gather on the end of a rod. I prefer brighter colors. This is going to be the body color of your fish.
I would suggest a small grape size for just starting out.
Get it nice and round, then smoosh (this is a another technical term!) flat, so you have what looks like a lollipop. Note here that where the rod is, will be his mouth later on.
It's OK if it's not a perfect round also! This gives you diversity, and personality which is always a good thing.
Don't worry about chill marks, they usually go away during the rest of the process!
Decide which looks like the top or the bottom. I usually decide this based upon where the rod is, a bit high of center is better than lower.
Now comes the fun part!
Start making his top fin by taking another color, (I like to use a transparent here and a full sized rod) And paint a long stripe on the top edge of the body.
(about 2/3 of the way across)
Melt this fairly well to make sure it adheres.
REMEMBER TO FLASH BODY AND END OF ROD IN FLAME TO PREVENT CRACKING BUT NOT SO HOT YOU MELT THE ROD!
Now paint a shorter line along the bottom of the body for another fin.
Keep building up these lines and KEEP HEATING!
I usually do more on the top than the bottom. Most of the time it's 4 or 5 for the top, and 3 for the bottom.
Now for the tail part,
make a large triangle somewhere between the 2 fin parts.
FLASH HEAT EVERYTHING. Do NOT get the rod too hot, as you will end up with your fish on your desk...ask me how I know;-)
Needle nose pliers, or tweezers are up next!
Starting with the bottom fin, heat both sides of just the fin, and Pinch just the fin with your tool, trying NOT to get body color at the same time! Pinch at an angle so the fin kind of fans towards the back of the fish.
.
You don't need this fin to be very large, but you can go fish-wild if you like, LOL!
Now for the top, since there is much more glass up here, heat it well, both sides and start pinching. This also is done on an angle. Don't make this too thin though, as you will be hanging this cute guy from this side!
Now for the tail...this is my favorite part...(well ok, next to the eyes and squishy lips)
Heat the fin, AND the body just in front of it. Using your tool, find center and pinch and slightly pull, this should bring the body color out a bit from the body. Now pinch the sides of the tail fin.
FLASH HEAT ROD AND BODY AND FINS
WHILE YOU ARE FLASHING ADMIRE YOUR HANDY WORK!
Now you need to make a hole in the top fin so you can hang this lovely....I have bail biters and use them here, OR you could make a loop if you know how to do that.
Ok, so good so far?
Let's do the eyes!
Just to the front of the top fin is a good place to put these.
Place one good sized dot of white on each side close to the front. Tap these flat, and melt to secure.
Add a smaller dot of black on each side.
THIS is where you can get really creative. If you place the black dots forwards, he's looking straight ahead, if you place them at the top then he's looking up etc...it's all up to you.
If you get the black dots slightly askew, no worries, just take your tapping tool..*(I use a brass thingy I made OR a butter knife)* and move that dot where ya want it...after heating it of course!
Still flashing this baby? GOOD!
Now, heat your pliers slightly and grab the tail and melt off that rod that we've been using for a handle..
I know, this is kinda scary, but trust me!
Melt off as close to the body as possible and gently pull...you will have a bump here, and those are going to be the lips!
Now for the fun part!!!!
FLASH PLIERS AND TAIL AND FINS
Use the edge of a knife, or whatever kind of tool you have to crease that extra glass into lips...just by heating it well, and pressing cross ways!
Lifting a bit on the ends to make him smile! OR you could just pull slightly and make more of a beaky kind of mouth as I've done in some of these fish....I prefer the smiley lips tho....have no pics!
FLASH PLIERS AND TAIL AND FINS
AND GET THIS BABY INTO THE KILN!!!!!
I hope this works well for you! I love these kinds of fishies, and they are fast to make.
HUGS,
Nita