In the old days, in every city and large village of our immense homeland there was some special craft, and sometimes several. Having come up with something original and having achieved high-quality production in large enough volumes, artisans kept the secrets of their craftsmanship secretly and transmitted them exclusively by inheritance. Some ancient crafts have survived to our days, for example, everyone knows what a Dymkovo toy looks like. How to make plasticine figures reminiscent of the real products of masters from the village of Dymkovo?
Craft history
Clay is a material characterized by ductility in its raw form and acquiring a sufficiently high strength after firing. Due to the combination of such characteristics, clay products are incredibly popular from ancient times to the present day. In the old days, dishes and clay figures were made in almost all regions of our country. At the same time, in each locality, their own forms and copyright traditions of painting and decoration appeared. The village of Dymkovo (Kirov region) became famous throughout the country thanks to its craftsmen who make small bright figures that can make a variety of sounds. Curiously, the traditional Dymkovo toy was invented not for the fun of children, but for protection from evil spirits. In ancient times, it was believed that evil is afraid of loud noises. That is why in ancient times, all Dymkovo toys could rattle or whistle, they were traditionally made for the holiday of Whistle, during which it was supposed to expel evil spirits and have fun with the whole world.
Features of toys made by craftsmen from Dymkovo
What is the difference from all the other
Dymkovo toy, how to make the most similar figure out of plasticine? Today, even in the village of Dymkovo, not only whistles and rattles are made, but also ordinary figurines, figurines that are not able to make loud noises. A distinctive feature of these toys can be considered a relatively small size. Masters, faithful to ancient traditions, usually make figures of animals, birds, young ladies, less often - men. However, quite often there are also difficult-to-form products - women holding a loaf in their hands, or good fellows on horseback. A simple pattern and the use of a small number of flowers in painting is what distinguishes a Dymkovo toy.
How to make a beautiful do-it-yourself
horse out of plasticine in the style of this folk craft? Everything is quite simple - the shape of the figure should be simple, and simple lines and dots are used to paint finished products. Note: in the traditional version, the background should be white, but today more and more often you can see toys painted in full with multi-colored paints.
Materials for home creativity
Creating a Dymkovo toy at home is a great idea for the creativity of children in collaboration with their parents. The most affordable and inexpensive material for modeling is clay. For the manufacture of figures in the traditions of the village of Dymkovo it would be more logical to use white material. But since plasticine is often sold in sets consisting of different colors, you can mix everything together and sculpt from the resulting mass. It is good to cover the finished figure with a primer, and only after it has dried, proceed to painting. Traditionally, in Dymkovo, toys are not varnished, leaving them with a matte texture. But if you use ordinary unstable paints, it makes sense to fix them additionally.
Dymkovo toy: how to make a horse out of plasticine with your own hands?
The horse is one of the simplest and most popular Dymkovo toys. Even the smallest child can offer to make such a figure. Start modeling from the body - roll up a “sausage” for the future body, and then carefully pull out one of its ends. You should get a “carrot”, bend the thin end twice so that you get a neck and head. Now you can start making legs. For them, you need to fashion four “sausages” of the same length and size and stick to the body. Useful advice - cut off the upper parts of the legs at an oblique angle, in which case the junction will be more even and accurate. Already at this stage you should have a recognizable Dymkovo toy made of plasticine. How to make a horse from a similar blank? Everything is quite simple - it remains to fashion a mane, sharp ears and a tail. We attach all the small elements to the figure, after which we ground and paint to your liking.
We sculpt the lady in the Dymkovo technique
Masters from the village of Dymkovo from ancient times made figures of women. Among them there are real mistresses in kokoshniks, and simple peasant women with children in their arms or buckets on rocker arms. Despite the variety of decor options, all female figures have a fairly simple shape, thanks to which you can immediately understand that in front of you is a Dymkovo toy. How to make a lady of plasticine? For a fluffy skirt, you need a frame - it’s convenient to take a cropped neck from a plastic bottle. Wrap it with a thin layer of plasticine, retaining its shape. Then, based on the cork from the bottle, form a torso, attach a ball-head to it. Then you can give free rein to your imagination - fashion hands, hair and a hat. You can add some more decor, give the young lady something in her hands. Cover the finished figure with soil and paint.
Useful tips for beginners
If the theme of your today's creative lesson is a Dymkovo toy made of plasticine, a photo of a finished figure, or even she herself as a model should always be before my eyes. It is especially important to have a sample for children, do not forget that babies do not have such a great life experience. If you want to decorate a finished toy with complex ornaments, be sure to try to make them on paper. In fact, combining circles and stripes you can achieve a variety of interesting effects, the main thing is to choose the right colors. Red, yellow, blue, green, orange - all these are the colors in which the Dymkovo toy is traditionally painted. How to make such a figure out of plasticine at home, you already know. If desired, in the process of painting, you can also use orange or pink paint, and highlight individual elements with gilding. Do not forget that you do not need to carefully draw a face, just outline it schematically.