Here's a quick and dirty tutorial on how I made the bust of Mars.
Things you'll need:
3 pounds of STAEDTLER FIMO Air Basic
Styrofoam block about an inch smaller than you want your finished piece
Plaster bandages. 1 or 2 rolls should do it.
1/2 inch dowel at least 2 ft long
5.5 x 5.5 x 7 inch block of wood for the base.
wood filler
vinegar
cooking skewers
wood primer
black mat spray paint
silver acrylic paint
Black felt
Tools:
1/2 inch wood drill
sandpaper rough, medium and fine grit
basic set of sculpting tools
craft knife
clay cutting wire or knife
paper towels
scissors
hot glue and gun
Spray adhesive
cling wrap
large flat soft paint brush
Start by filling any holes in your wood block. I dried my block out in the oven at 230 degrees for about 3 hours. It was in an outdoor wood pile before I found it and I needed it to be dry before I started finishing it. After the block filled with wood filler I sanded it with a rough sandpaper. I moved down to a medium and fine grit to finish the surface smoothly. I dusted the piece off and gave it a primer coat and let it dry. I roughly carved a head and shoulder bust shape from a hunk of Styrofoam using a craft knife. I paid attention to the recessed areas like the eyes and under the chin. I coated the foam bust with two layers of plaster bandage. I cut 2 inch lengths of the bandage and wet each one as I worked my way around the piece. I made sure to cover the whole piece except the area at the bottom where the dowel would be inserted. You can insert the dowel now but you might want to carve a point at the tip of the dowel to make it easier to insert it into the foam. Be careful not to come out the side of the neck. the armature had to cure so I set it aside for the evening.