Step 10. Uh-oh, we're really doing it now! Knead a small section of Premo and work it around the body. This polyclay must be pushed onto and into all the crevices in the foil. This is what gives the armature it's strength.

What we're doing here is "fixing" the position of the armature by giving it a THIN layer of polyclay. Once this layer is baked on, the armature becomes a sturdy form for our real sculpting. Do not underestimate the importance of getting this step right! This is where a lot of people go wrong. If this layer is too thick , the entire figure will get too large when the final layer is applied. If it isn't even enough, it may lead to distortions as well. So the key here is to keep this layer thin. It doesn't matter if the foil shows through here and there. Keep checking against the pattern to see if your figure is getting too large. If it is...STOP! Take some clay off, squeeze a little more, smush the Premo around until it's thin enough and you feel confident that you'll have room for another layer of clay that will still fit within the outline of the pattern.

Continue on in sections, working from the center of the armature outward, the opposite of twisting the armature.

Don't cover the feet or hands at this point. Your "skeleton" should look something like this. Don't worry if it's not an exact match, none of them are.