Wellll….I tried making him a Snowy Owl. Then tried purples & blues. But I guess he just wanted to be a more traditional little Barn Owl. :) I'm waiting for the base layers of paint to dry, then I'll add some details and he'll be ready to fly. Or ready to perch rather. Check back soon for his finished portrait!
I can't remember if I mentioned it before, but he's made with a muslin base – kind of sewn in the shape of a bowling pin. I filled his bottom half with some fine gravel & his top with regular polyfill stuffing. Paperclay is then applied over the base in a series of layers which each take a couple days to dry. The paint is regular craft-store acrylic.
If you want to learn how to do dolls or characters similar to this, check out the Cloth & Clay Dolls workshop by Jane DesRosier. This little owl is my own original creation, but I never could have made him without the techniques Jane teaches. Once you pay for the workshop, you have access to it with no time limit (very nice) and there's a video to follow for every step. It's like having a one-on-one class!
♥