I gave the back legs of this sandblasted guy a soak in vinegar and water to remove some investment material, and accidentally created a patina example. Check out the different patches the legs. The vinegar darkened his legs, forming a patina. The spots where I held him without gloves didn’t darken as much, due to the patina being impeded by skin oils. The spots, like the claws, where I’d just taken a grinder to, patinaed as well, but went golden. Fascinating! This is why it’s best to sandblast a piece right before patinaing it, to give yourself a clean spotless surface!
Sandblasting is also useful for spotting surface flaws, which is why I sandblasted this guy even though I wasn’t ready to patina him.
I’d waited until the piece was nearly complete, with the heads firmly attached, to hang it vertically. I didn’t like the result at all! They were far too static. I took a gamble and sliced them off, doing far more adjustment than I normally do at this stage. I’m already feeling better about the piece, though it’s alarming to hold all the unattached parts up to make sure it’s working
The black drips are a departure for me, but I very strongly feel like it’s the right thing. It’s nerve racking and invigorating to go out on a limb like this. The image of the bold drips had been floating around in my head for a while.
