"But it was not the unnatural design of the beast or any particular skill on the part of the artist toward the bizarre that gave the bit of stone its repellent aspect. It, itself ... was simply a malignant thing. A sketch of it or a photograph ... would never be able to convey the monstrous horror one discovered through simple proximity. Merely staying in the same room with it for any amount of time was to invite nightmare. Handling it flirted with damnation."
- --Patiently Waiting, C.J. Henderson
Making 
a statue of Cthulhu takes a bit of talent to pull off, but is very rewarding. It will probably be the most visible Mythos prop you will make.
I have made two statues so far. The first one I made for my friend Eli's birthday. He is a fellow Lovecraft enthusiast. When I made the statue I had the flu, and was running a fever of 102. I suddenly decided I would make a statue for Eli. Two hours later my first Cthulhu was done. Shades of Henry Wilcox? Maybe....
For this project you will need:
-
1 box of Sculpey modeling compound (a 2LB box will make two statues with plenty left over)
1 sheet of wax paper
1 ball of tin foil (about the size of a Lacrosse ball)
1 set of sculpting tools (pencils, letter-openers etc. will do just fine)
1 conventional oven
1 wooden base
1 can of wood stain
1 brush or cloth suitable for staining wood
1 lid from a shoe box (optional)
1 container of paint
1 small brush
3-4 pieces of sponge
1 can of spray finish
1 container of adhesive
lots of newspapers
For this sort of project I really recommend Sculpey modeling compound. It is cheap (about $10 dollars for a 2 LB box) and doesn't air dry. This makes it ideal for inexperienced modelers because it allows you to take your time.
Now that you have all your supplies you are ready to begin. Start by preparing a work area. Put down a sheet of wax paper to work on (the Sculpey won't stick to it). Place a picture of Cthulhu which you like nearby for inspiration. Lay your tools out and you are ready to begin.
I recommend using a ball of tin foil for your statue's center. It reduces the amount of wasted material considerably. Build up the body and limbs from there. Keep the limbs as close to the body as possible for added strength.
Form the head from a separate ball of clay but don't add the tentacles until it is attached to the body.
Don't limit yourself by conventional ideas of evolution; Cthulhu is an alien being after all. Does he (it?) have a mouth? Eyes? How many? You decide. In the end what you really want to do is make something that will stop people in their tracks and really make them look.
Now that the body and head are sculpted, consider adding small details like veins or moles. Texture will really bring it to life when you paint it.
Decide at this point whether you want the feet to lay flat on the base, or curl over at the toes. If you want them to curl, you will have to rest it on something like the lid of shoe box. Now you are ready to bake!
Follow the directions for baking on the back of the Sculpey box carefully. If your statue's toes are supposed to curl, you can't bake it on a flat surface. Try placing it in the oven on the edge of an upside-down glass pie plate. Don't leave the statue unattended, it only takes about 15 minutes to finish. Any longer and you risk burning it. Whew! And you think Abhoth stinks...
Once your statue is baked, you should start on the base. I recommend using wood, however you could sculpt one from the clay, or use a piece of stone. I used wood. I stained it with some wood stain I had on hand that looked nice. Always test it on some scrap wood. A variety of wooden bases are available at most craft shops.
The next step is to paint your statue. While you are at the craft shop buying your Sculpey and a wooden base, take a look at the paint supplies. Look especially for the faux stone and marble paints.
I bought Heavenly Hues® Transparent Wash "Brush-On, Wipe-Off" Soft Black. You apply it evenly with a small brush and then wipe off the excess with a damp sponge. It gets into all the small recesses of the statue and brings out the details very effectively. I did both my statues without making a dent in the small bottle I bought.
Although it washes off your hands with soap and water, I recommend putting down newspaper to protect your workspace. Fill a small dish with water to rinse your sponges in.
Now that your statue is painted, you will want to protect it. I bought DecoArt® Acrylic Gloss Spray Finish. While it did a great job of giving Cthulhu an oily, greasy sort of appearance, it dried tacky. This isn't totally a bad thing. Anyone presumptuous enough to pick it up without asking will find that Cthulhu doesn't want to let go. So far I haven't found an alternative to this spray finish. However, Donald Eric Kesler tells me Krylon Quick Dry Lacquer works quite well. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, though.
The final step is to attach your statue and your base. I used LOCTITE® Handyman's Choice Adhesive and Sealant to do this. It does an excellent job of bonding the wood and the clay together. Now that your Cthulhu is finished, write the date on the bottom and find some place to display it!
Have you made anything you would like to show off? Email me at: xn@geocities.com
