Unit 3 · Project 4Final Project
Masterpiece Sugar Skull
This is your final piece for Unit 3 — a fully realized Día de los Muertos sugar skull that combines your polymer clay cane work, your painting skills, and your cultural research. Using your color map as a guide, you'll build the skull form, apply cane slice decorations, bake, and then paint with acrylic paints. The finished skull should feel like a complete, intentional artwork — not just a practice piece. It will be displayed in the class gallery.
Objectives
- 1Skull form must be structurally sound and fully baked
- 2At least 6 cane slices incorporated into the design
- 3Painted with acrylic paints following your color map
- 4Design must reference Día de los Muertos visual traditions
- 5Finished piece must be sealed and display-ready
Materials
- Polymer clay
- Your completed cane slices
- Acrylic paints and fine brushes
- Sealant (teacher-applied)
- Reference: your digital color map
Tips & Techniques
1Apply cane slices to unbaked clay — they'll bond during baking
2Paint in layers: base coat first, then details, then fine line work last
3Use a toothpick for the finest details
4Sign the bottom of your skull with your name and the year
Lesson Videos
Polymer Clay Cane Techniques
14 minStep-by-step guide to rolling, stacking, and slicing polymer clay canes.
Sculpting a Sugar Skull
16 minBuilding form, adding detail, and painting your Día de los Muertos-inspired skull.