This wing project started with a 9 gauge galvanized wire armature.
The wire is bent to approximate shape, and the joints are secured with smaller gauge tie wire.
The excess of this twisted wire is clipped and bent over.
To begin building the basic shape of the wing "bones,"
Long thin strips of polyester batting are wrapped around the metal armature
and glued in place with liquid latex.
Once satisfied with the rough form, texture layers of cheesecloth are added.
The cheesecloth is fully coated with liquid latex. Two light coats seal the majority of the pores
without masking too much detail.
We chose to span the bones with a mosquito netting membrane.
Beginning at one of the bones in the center, the mosquito netting is glued in place
with liquid latex. Brush it through the netting, ensuring a good bond between the netting and
latex bone beneath. A hair dryer or heat gun helps speed the drying process.
Before moving to the next bone, You'll want to decide how the wing membrane should look.
We wanted to keep the wrinkles and sags, thinking it will add to the overall effect of an old tattered wing.
It would be easy enough to stretch the membrane between bones to create a smooth
taut look, providing the bones are rigid enough to maintain their shape/position.
We'll add a second layer to the membrane. Cheesecloth will contrast the mosquito netting layer
in both texture and opacity. The cheesecloth was cut to approximate shape for each web span.
These pieces of cheesecloth were stretched and pulled to break the uniform woven texture of the fabric.
The cheesecloth is glued to one bone per span and allowed to dry.
The cheesecloth is then fitted to meet the second bone of each span
and glued in place. Once dry, the excess is trimmed and a top coat of latex is applied to
smooth the transition. This step helps create the illusion that the webbing runs into the bone,
as opposed to simply laying on top of it.
We modified the edges of the mosquito netting and
added a few holes in the field of each span.
Take some time to position the cheesecloth.
A little more stretching, pulling, etc., can make a big difference.
Once satisfied, mist the cheesecloth with water. This step will
cause the cheesecloth and mosquito netting to cling to one another.
Lightly brush the cheesecloth "into" the netting. You can adjust the
"grain" of the cheesecloth and smooth things over.
While the wing membrane combination is still wet,
we brushed on a thin coat of reduced liquid latex (roughly 1:4 latex to water)
Notice the plastic drop cloth here ... highly recommended.
Coat each span thoroughly, and allow it to dry undisturbed.
Once dry, the weave of the mosquito netting is mostly filled with latex, and
the cheesecloth layer is permanently attached to the netting layer.
Considering the latex coat is very thin, it is quite translucent at this stage!
You'll also notice the wrinkles and sags (if applicable) are beginning to hold their shape.
Apply additional coats of the reduced latex mixture until
you reach the shape and texture/detail/opacity you like.
Applying thin coats of reduced latex is certainly a slower build-up process,
but you'll have more control over the amount and placement of further latex coats.
Both wings, one photo of the "front" face, and the other of the "back" side.
Thin brown washes are applied to the bones. Brown and black are
airbrushed to detail the bones and membrane areas.
Closer view of the finished colors and textures,
and a photo of both wings together. (One front, one rear facing.)
Click here to return to the Skeleton Marionette page 2, wing section.