For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Is it possible to make paw pads out of polymer/Fimo clay or Sculpey and fix them securely to mohair at all, to give 3D doggy paws? Or will it be make the paws hard and breakable?
You can do it...it is possible to attach them to an armature and build the fabric around that. If you are thinking of simply sticking clay pads on then, yes, I think they might break eventually. Unless they were a rubber or flexible resin type of foot pad bonded to the fabric.
Are you looking for a more realistic paw? I had trouble with finding the right material when I started too. I ended up using silicone.
I sculpt paw pads and claws using Apoxie clay. I used to use Fimo, but Apoxie is more resistant. I paint the paw pads, and attach them very firmly using instant glue. You just need to be careful to expose the fabric where you want to attach the tiny piece, trimming the fur. I find it a good solution. The pads are very firmly attached, and don't break that easily (I don't design my pieces for children, so I guess they wouldn't be child proof....collectors should be more delicate I think! )This is a picture of fox feet I did using that technique.
That is brilliant and so realistic! I like the claws too, but your paws are much bigger than mine, I don't think mine has the space to fit them on so they would have to be tiny and then they'd be very fiddly to make and fix on. Yours are awesome though!