Sam the Squirrel

I got my little squirrel sculpture done yesterday, it's not got it's final varnish as I'm waiting for the oil paint 'patina' to dry. Since I used an ivory toned clay I should have been able to leave him the way he was, as the light causes a bit of color variation in the thinner parts. But I'd used a black rubber smoother and some of the black dye rubbed into the clay. The patina is just hand rubbed ochre and antique white Paintstiks. It dries overnight if it's applied thinly. Usually I rub some burnt umber into the recesses to bring out the detail but I've learned that using deeper undercuts works better. He's 2 1/4 inches tall and is quite lovely to hold, he fits perfectly in my hand.