How long do i have to let clay setup around the eyes until i can tuck the eyelids and do the eyework? Should I wait and sew up the incision until i finish the eyework?
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Clay around the eyes is the very last thing I do before adding a cape, and tucking is the first or second thing I do after the cape is in place. I like the clay fresh, not hard.
I always set the eyes before sewing and setting the ears. That way you have a lot of skin to work with the set the eyes correctly. You can only rough set the eyes in while the clay is fresh, I come back the next day and really sculpt them out to the right size and shape, eyelids etc since the clay is a little harder then.
Your clay needs to be soft and movable. You can either do it once you put the cape on, or after you sew up the incision. it is a matter of prefferance. Do all your detail work when the clay is fresh, if you thinned the skin down enough there will be little or no movement as the clay dries.