Sailboat Saga – Creating the Hands

Boy sculpture on sailboat

Gimme a hand or two!

Everyone, give this boy on the sailboat a hand….or maybe two! As you can see he currently has no hands. Which ultimately means that he needs some hands! That is why I am doing this blog post. I will show you how I’m making the hands for my sculptures. Then this boy finally can have some hands to hold up the child who will standing upon his shoulders. Nonetheless he is very happy to be the first of the children sculptures to be on the sailboat.

Jig for making handsI have some photocopied directions that show how to make a homemade jig for making hands, so that’s what I did. I used a scrap piece of wood. Decided what size to make the hands. Pounded some nails into the wood and there is my homemade jig!

Wire handsI used 20 gauge wire to wrap around the nails on my jig. Then I carefully removed the hand shaped wire from the jig. Next I used a jewelers pliers to help “fine-tune” the finger shapes. After shaping the hand, I wrapped floral tape around the wire formed hand. I also used pieces of masking tape to cover over the wire.

Sculpted hand

The first hand I made!

Once the taping was finished, I started to add Apoxie Sculpt to the hand shape. When I had most of the hand sculpted with the Apoxie, I added it to one of my children sculptures. Since making that first hand, I decided that it would work out better if I added the “wire/taped” hand to my sculpture piece before sculpting the hand with the Apoxie. Currently I am in the middle of making more hands and adding them to my remaining sculpture pieces. I have a total 7 pairs of hands to make for my sailboat sculpture. Can anyone lend me a hand? (pun intended!)

Hands on girl sculpture

Yay! I have hands....but my hair is foil!

Hand on girl sculptureGuess I better be going for now. I still have plenty of “work-in-progress” updates to share with you. I hope you enjoyed today’s post about creating hands and that you will return to see future updates. Talk to you later!

Catch up on previous “Sailboat Saga” updates by clicking any image below!

Sailboat "Before"

Sculpted face and sketch for boy sculpture

Children Sculptures

Man in the moon

Sun & Moon

About christine

A watercolor and sculpture artist and avid crafter/designer. Working creatively with my hands is what gives me joy and contentment and makes me want to get up in the morning.
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7 Responses to Sailboat Saga – Creating the Hands

  1. Caroline says:

    Thanks for showing how to make hands!! I never knew!! You made it look easy but I know how difficult working with wire is! I appreciate you showing this!

  2. Kerin Gale says:

    Great information Christine! It’s so fun watching this being made too. I almost feel like I’m there in your studio. Thanks for sharing : )

  3. Myra says:

    wow. this is so inspirational… I’m looking at your “kids” and thinking… ahhhhh, that’s what I want to do! Thank you! I’m always moved by the freedom and sweetness that artists are willing to share with!

  4. Sheffra Williams says:

    Hi Christine,

    That was so cool how you set up the demonstration to create buy-in from your viewers: Even I wanted to make him some hands! Thanks for responding to Shannon’s call for interest. My number is 714.328.7343. I will email you from your email to Shannon, too. Be well! Sheffra

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