Fantastical Creatures Project

Sculpture
The world is messed up. And sometimes art can function as a release for the mundane lives we all lead.
The best escapes and pieces of inspiration often come from fantasy or science fiction, or the dream worlds
inside our heads. This project is all about channeling the denizens of the fantastical and unreal.
Using Barbara Reids illustrations and techniques as inspiration and as a starting point, you must choose
a single creature or monster and manifest a version of that creature in as detailed a fashion as you can.
This project will require some research prior to beginning!

Do not choose a humanoid creature, select one that is as inhuman, grotesque, strange as
possible, or alter it enough to be so. (That means no elves, dwarves, mutated humans and
the like unless you drastically alter their form!)
You may choose a creature from the following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lovecraftian Horror (Cthulu, Yog-Sothoth, etc.)

Fantasy Creatures (Manticores, Unicorns, Chimeras, etc.)
Urban Legends (The Jersey Devil, Sasquatch, Ogo Pogo, Etc.)
Science Fiction, Movie, Manga, Comics (Cloverfield, Godzilla, etc.)
Video Games (The Covenant, Pokemon, Headcrabs, Murlocs)

Step 1: Research creatures

Through books or the Internet, collect as many images of different creatures as you can. You may
use these as a starting point for your rough draft.
Step 2: Sketch it out
You will now plan out your creature on the paper provided. This may take a few tries before you
have one that you like. Try to incorporate as much detail as you can, including colour and
texture.
Step 3: Watch Video
Have a look at Barbara Reids videos http://www.barbarareid.ca/plasticine.html to get some
ideas of how to work with plasticine.
Step 4: Create the Plasticine Version of your drawing.
Collect the colours that you want to use for your creature without forgetting about the
background. Start with your background first then add the layers as needed. Dont forget to use
sculpting tools for details, texture etc. The more details and textures, the more interesting your
illustration will be.

Assessment Rubric
Fantastical Creature- Plasticine
Name:
Excellent

Good

10-8

Average

7-6

Needs Improvement

5-3

2-1

Criteria 1: Preparation

You have researched images of Fantastical Creatures

You have created a few thumbnail sketches of your creature

Rate yourself __________________

Teachers rating ____________________

Criteria 2: Drawing

You have put a lot of time and effort into creating a 2D illustration of the creature,
including details and colour.

The illustration is done in a very creative way and not a copy of an existing image

Rate yourself __________________ Teachers rating ____________________

Criteria 3: Plasticine

Application of plasticine to the board was done in layers

Attention to detail and texture is evident
Plasticine image is a very close representation of the 2D image

Rate yourself __________________ Teachers rating ____________________

Criteria 4: Effort and Craftsmanship

Willingness to work through difficult areas

Proper clean up/storage of materials
Energy and focus went towards project

Rate yourself __________________ Teachers rating ____________________

Total Possible: 40

Your total:______________ Final mark: ___________

Evaluation response:
1. What was the most difficult aspect of this project?

2. What area of your image do you feel is most successful? Explain:

3. What area of your image do you feel is least successful? Explain:

4. Is there anything you learned from this project? If so, what?

5. If you did this project again, what would you do differently or what
would you like to explore as an extension of the project?