# Site General > Off-topic Cafe > Creative Corner >  Bonsai Tortoise Sculpture

## piedlover79

This is a thread just for this project a sculpture of a tortoise with crystals and bonsai on it's back.  I found a Easter Box Turtle (Tortise) shell replica in a junk shop that's really well done.  I'm going to faux bronze the shell and then sculpt in the tortoise.  I bought a crystal on ebay, hopefully it will be the right size when it arrives. I'm going to sculpt some bonsai trees on him as well.  I have to wait for the supplies to come in before I can really get started.

Concept Art (not going to add the crystals on the head):

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_AlexisFitzy_ (02-13-2017),_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),_Fraido_ (04-07-2017),_ladywhipple02_ (02-13-2017)

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## Nellasaur

Saw this sketch on IG, I'm really excited to see this one come to life!

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## LittleTreeGuy

As someone who has been learning to grow bonsai trees for about 4 years now, I'm excited to see this progress.   :Smile:

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_AlexisFitzy_ (02-13-2017)

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## piedlover79

Thanks guys!  this one should be fun!  Just waiting on the crystal to get in!  Heehee.  

I've had two bonsai for about three years now, I'm very proud they are still alive!

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## Craiga 01453

I'm pretty new here, so not familiar with your work.  Excited to see this piece though!

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## AlexisFitzy

Ooooooo so exciting!! I wish I had time to be this creative  :Smile:  I'll like through all your artwork though 


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## piedlover79

Thank you guys!  I've gotten distracted away from this sculpture by a few commissions...but I am going to get back to it!

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## piedlover79

Okay!  I got started on this!

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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),Craiga 01453 (03-24-2017),_Fraido_ (04-07-2017),_Kcl_ (04-07-2017),predatorkeeper87 (03-27-2017)

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## piedlover79



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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),Craiga 01453 (03-30-2017),_Fraido_ (04-07-2017),_Kcl_ (04-07-2017),Nellasaur (03-30-2017),_tttaylorrr_ (03-30-2017)

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## Craiga 01453

looking good. Thank for sharing, it's cool watching it come together

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## Meerna

Awesome!

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## piedlover79

Thanks!!

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## tttaylorrr

love love love your work, and this is especially cool! great concept.

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## piedlover79

Thank you!  I've got a bunch of these opalite marbles so I'm making lots of 'blind' sculptures.  Here's an octopus I started today.

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_Fraido_ (04-07-2017)

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## MissterDog

This is super cool! Your design has a lot of charm to it  :Smile: 
what kind of clay are you using? Was the shell sculpted as well?

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## piedlover79

thanks!  I'm using Apoxie Sculpt, a two part epoxy clay that self hardens once mixed. 

The shell is actually a highly detailed replica that I found in an antique store.

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## Ba11er

i love your creativity! These posts are always fun to come back to and watch the progression. Thank you and good luck on the new project.

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## piedlover79

Thank you all!  I'm having a ton of fun!  If you want more art updates I post a lot of WIP to my Instagram PhoenixCryNebulas (there is taxidermy on there just FYI). 

Here is the octopus finished: 



Had to start another octopus because I love them!!  This one will be a Blue-ringed and I will add some resin to minic water in the copper box.

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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),Craiga 01453 (03-31-2017),_Fraido_ (04-07-2017),_GoingPostal_ (04-01-2017),_kxr_ (03-31-2017)

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## kxr

that is so cool! 


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## piedlover79

Thanks!  Octopus ruuuuule!

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## MissterDog

Very cool!! I've read a couple places mentioning apoxie being reptile safe because it's non-toxic and I think non-pourous? Do you think it would be a good base to use to make snake hides? I was originally going to try sculpey but others mentions while it says it's non-toxic, it's still very pourous and sealants only do so much.

how long does it take to dry and how do you prevent it from drying too soon? Like has it ever started to dry while you were still working on your sculpture or polishing features?

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## piedlover79

Apoxie Sculpt will be perfect for reptile stuff.  Sculpty is porous and breaks *so* easily, this stuff turns to steel.  

The cure time is highly temp dependent.  In a room about 65 degrees it takes 4-5 hours to cure completely, it is very wet and sticky for 30 mins, takes some form in 60 mines, accepts detail for another hour, then needs to be left alone.  You can not really slow it down other than making it colder so you have to have a plan when you work with it.  It sands very easily and smoothly.  I do my work in stages to prevent it from curing on me while I'm working on detail.  However it also sticks to itself very well so you can add new wet to dry clay. 

If you put it in the oven at 250 for 5 mins it will harden like a rock (but becareful because it gets softer before it gets harder this way so you need to make sure the clay is supported to keep it from collapsing.  If you take it hot out of the oven and pour cold running water over it you can get some cool bumpy patterns in it.

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_MissterDog_ (04-01-2017)

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## piedlover79

Recent sculpture using a horse shoe and some real quartz crystal.

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_Fraido_ (04-07-2017)

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## MissterDog

Thanks for taking the time to reply and clarifying things, this is super helpful!  I'm hoping on starting my own sculpt project soon and I'm thinking of giving apoxie a try!

How do you normally go about layering? For example on your tortoise I'm guessing the scale details were added after the base has hardened? How well can undry apoxie clay stick to dry apoxie?

Also what sealant do you use? For reptile hides I've seen Minwax Polycrylic water based sealer suggested a fair bit. 

Sorry for all the questions! Really admire your work! You got yourself a new watcher on DA :p

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## piedlover79

The wet sticks right to the dry!  Minwax is perfect!

DA squeee!

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_MissterDog_ (04-01-2017)

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## piedlover79

More octopus!  These two are set in resin as 'water'.

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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),_Fraido_ (04-07-2017)

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## Craiga 01453

Those are awesome!!!!

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## piedlover79

Thanks!  Octopus are my new favorite thing to sculpt!

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## piedlover79

Finally got back to the tortoise!

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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),Craiga 01453 (04-07-2017),_Fraido_ (04-07-2017),_Prognathodon_ (04-07-2017)

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## Meerna

Love it!

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## Fraido

Love seeing the progress as you create these.  :Smile: 

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## piedlover79

Thanks guys!  I love sharing the process!

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## Asami

:Surprised:  thats so cool!

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## piedlover79

Here is a quick video to give you a better idea of the 3 dimensions. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eeGxGHGplAA

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## piedlover79

Sculpture part done!  Time for paint!!

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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),_Fraido_ (04-11-2017),_MissterDog_ (04-09-2017),_redshepherd_ (04-11-2017),_tttaylorrr_ (04-11-2017),_zina10_ (04-11-2017)

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## Fraido

Love it!

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## Zincubus

Nice work as usual

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## piedlover79

thank you!  Paint tomorrow!   Next up a sculpture is a bust of a bear with a honeycomb integrated into his chest.  I bought a real honeycomb to see if I can preserver it in resin....but first I have to get the honey out (yum).

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## redshepherd

That's awesome!! I actually like when it's pure white and unpainted!

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## piedlover79

Unpainted is a fun stage but the color will make it pop!

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## piedlover79

All done!






Detail of the face (I do still need to clean up the eyes)

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_Alicia_ (04-12-2017),Craiga 01453 (04-12-2017),_GpBp_ (10-18-2017),_Lizardlicks_ (04-12-2017),_Prognathodon_ (04-13-2017),SpaceJellyfish (04-12-2017),_tttaylorrr_ (04-12-2017)

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## Meerna

Wow! That's awesome

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## piedlover79

Thank you!

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_GpBp_ (01-20-2018)

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