Making miniatures takes time, skill, and practice and you really shouldn't start out making 1 inch sized miniatures. They can be very difficult and very frustrating. You should start out with some larger figures so you get a feel for the materials the techniques and the process. In this part of the tutorial we make our first miniature which is six inches in height so it is approximately 1/12 scale.

Once you have made your armature and I recommend you make just a simple pose for now you can begin to apply the clay. The point of this is to be a practice run and you can use just about any clay you want for this. In the tutorial I used Play doh which works fine but of course will dry out in a day or two and won't be something to look at. You can use Sculpey or Super Sculpey if you want to miniature to last longer. I have these products in my miniature sculpting supplies store

This is our first miniature and it is six inches in height. I realize this doesn't look spectacular but you have to walk before you run. And this first miniature will help you a lot.

The process, at this point is easy. Refer to the drawings you made then make a six inch armature then try to duplicate it in clay. Use your fingers and some of your tools to slowly add clay and sculpt away! The normal process, when you are doing very small miniatures is to just coat the wire with a thin coat then add small amounts of clay to build up sections. You can practice this by doing this same process on this miniature.

Remember that it is clay and you can take some away, add some, cut it, shave some off, push it, knead it etc. Have fun with it and learn the properties of the clay. I recommend you make several of these and you try different poses and different creatures. You will gain a lot of skill easily in this manner. Especially because you don't have to worry about it being so small. You will visualize 3 dimensional objects, and create them easier.

Here is the video tutorial:

Once you are confident with the tools and the skills needed to make a six inch miniature you are ready to really get going and make something smaller. In the next part of the tutorial we make a three inch mini.

Continue on to part 5 where we sculpt a three inch miniature

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A master modeler reveals the tricks of molding marvelously realistic fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheeses, breads, pastries, and cakes-plus display stands and boxes. "Full of step-by-step projects for bakery goods, meats, fruits, and vegetables, all photographed in great detail....This useful book is certain to please in public library crafts collections."- Library Journal.

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Fairy House is a fascinating adventure into the making of miniscule kingdoms of the fairytale realm from objects found in nature. Through more than 350 clear, detailed, full-color photographs and understandable yet whimsical guidance, the reader will learn to fashion intricate, tiny cups from acorn pods and grapevine tendrils, dreamlike beds from delicate flowers and leaves, and an amazing array of other beautiful and unique pieces that will inspire the reader to find their true artistic ability and imagination. A photo gallery of other stunning pieces provides the reader with more possibilities to create.