Step 16. Time for the old feet! On the right you can see the blob of clay that will become a foot. On the right, I've smoothed it out and added a pants cuff using the same technique as the shirt cuffs. We've held off the feet as a separate step, because now we've got enough mass on the figure to set the balance. Wet a nice flat piece of tabletop and press the figure down. If he stays standing when you let go, this step is done. If not, you may need to fiddle a little and maybe even add some more clay to get him to stand properly. When he does, it's time to BAKE.

Now I want you to take a deep breath, do some yoga, do some meditation, have a glass of red wine & relax. I don't want you all tense just because the next step we're doing is the...HEAD!!!!!!

Don't PANIC! We'll get through this together! The head is without doubt the hardest part of doing figures, especially this small. The challenge is fitting all those eyes, ears, noses, etc., in such a small face. That's why so many figures have heads that are too large. If you haven't made any mistakes so far, don't get cocky, kid; this is the real stuff. GO SLOW! Check continually against the pattern to be sure your head isn't inflating. Don't worry if this first head you do isn't all you want it to be. It takes a few to get it right usually and we'll be focusing on the head and face in later chapters.

Okay, roll a little bit of clay in your fingers and use it bring the thickness of the neck to the right size. This may be a very small amount of clay or a lot, but the chances are it won't need much.

Bring some of the clay halfway up the head and firmly smooth the edge down onto the cured clay underneath. Because the head is a small area that gets a lot of pressure when it's getting worked from so many angles, the clay wants to break loose. So a primary concern is keeping this clay squeezed tight on the skeleton.