A cat rock with tutorial

So, here's my cat on a rock as promised.  Mr. Gadget let me borrow him long enough for a photo op.  His eyes aren't very well defined in this photo, but his ears are good.  There was no need to yank them off and do over.

Here's how he was constructed in case you want to make your own kitty on a rock.  First, find a rock.  This one came from the beach, but I've also helped myself to one or two from a front yard in my neighborhood.  After dark.  With a flashlight.  Just kidding.

Then, brush off the dirt and cover the rock with aluminum foil. My cat was made with paperclay, but Sculpey works well too.  The advantage of paperclay is that it air dries.  Other types of clay have to be baked in the oven, and most cats don't like that...

Form your cat on the foil-covered rock and let it dry.  You really don't need any special modeling tools.  Nail files, small knives and toothpicks will work.  You'll want a small craft paint brush to dip in water and use to do some smoothing work on him. I usually do this along the way to keep him moist and to smooth out any wrinkles.

After a few days he'll be dry, and you'll be very happy at this point that you used the foil.  Just gently remove the cat and the foil from the rock.  Slowly peel away any remaining stubborn foil.  Kitty's rock will be nice and tidy, but he might need a little once-over with some fine sandpaper.

You can paint a base coat on him....or not...this isn't a big deal. I use gesso. Then have fun painting your cat any color(s) you choose.  Regular craft paint works fine.  When mine was done and dry I added some accents (mouth, toes, etc.) with a fine black permanent marker.  Then I added a glossy sealer to make him shiny.  A satin sealer will work well too and he'll be a little more muted. Note:  Make sure it's a permanent marker or the sealer will smear it.

The final step is to glue him onto the rock.  Hot glue or tacky glue would work, but my glue of choice....which I learned about through trial and error and tears....is E-6000.  Here are some helpful hints:

• Buy the package with 4 small tubes.  It doesn't keep well.
• Before gluing, try the cat on the rock to find the right fit and put several light pencil marks around the base.  

Enjoy your cat-making project.  I suggest you take a bag along when you go rock hunting.  You'll probably want to make several.  And don't forget the flashlight.