When Making a Zombie Goes Horribly Wrong… Or Horribly Right!
Sometimes you start a craft project with a very specific idea in mind. You gather your supplies, start building, and picture how wonderful the finished project is going to look. And then reality shows up.
My original intention was to make a zombie. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, apparently not! This project reminds me why I don’t really care for planing.
The Plan Was a Zombie
I started by using wire to create an armature for my little zombie. The idea was to build the body and limbs around the wire using clay. Unfortunately, I ran into my first problem. The wires weren’t long enough to create the arms and legs the way I had planned. Rather than scrap the whole thing, I decided to work with what I had.
The result was a rather unusual little character with arms and legs that looked like they had been cut off at the elbows and knees.
And that’s when things started getting interesting!
An Accidental Crime Scene
Once I looked at the figure, I decided to embrace the severed-limb look. I even added a tiny pair of scissors where the wire was sticking out of one arm. Because apparently, when a craft project starts going wrong, the obvious solution is to add evidence of a crime scene! I also attempted to create an opening in the stomach area to give the appearance of exposed guts.
Time to Add Some Color
Once the sculpting was finished, it was time to paint. I went with a gray shirt, bright blue pants, and red details for the bloody areas. I painted the head to give it a decaying, rather gruesome appearance, with dark eye sockets and a creepy exposed-looking scalp. I also worked on the stomach area to make the exposed guts more noticeable.
The little scissors stayed exactly where they were. At this point, they were practically part of his identity. The final result was definitely not the zombie I originally envisioned. In fact, Mike said it reminded him of The Walking Dead mixed with Jason from Friday the 13th. I can see it!
What Did I Learn?
Mostly that sometimes you just have to roll with whatever happens.
– Make sure your wire is long enough before starting.
– Don’t be afraid to change directions when the original idea isn’t working.
And most importantly, don’t automatically consider an unexpected result a failure.
I could have scrapped this little guy when the arms and legs didn’t work out as planned. Instead, I changed the direction of the project and ended up with something much more entertaining.
The Final Verdict
I started out trying to make a zombie and ended up with what looks like the victim of a particularly unpleasant encounter. He’s a little rough, a little lopsided, missing a few important body parts, and scissors stuck in his arm.
What more could you ask for? 😂
This is exactly why I enjoy experimenting with different art materials. Not everything turns out the way I imagine, but sometimes the accidents are the best part.
Final rating: A successful craft disaster!
And yes, I’m counting this one as a win.
