Task 6 A collection of samples – scanned and photographed

So for my mini-beast I went with a mantis inspired 3D model and to start it off I went and started cutting shapes out of cardboard that I thought were similar to that of a mantis's body structure I then created the neck by simply cutting a rectangle out of cardboard and then rolled it so create a long hollow cylinder, after this I cut out a triangular shape to cover up the chest part of the mantis then I started assembling pieces together. 

For the head I thought that it was too hard to cut it out of cardboard so I decided to make it out of wire instead because wire is quite flexible and I was able to shape it the way I wanted to, so I started it off by creating a base shape which basically looked like a boomerang and from there I just started layering on a combination of the thin wire and fine gardening wire which then resulted to the shape it is on the images below. 

For the legs I used the same wire that I used for the head of my 3D model and then I bent it in half and twisted it together to create a much stronger, stable and thicker wire I then bent it to create a 'Z' shape, one side to pierce through the cardboard and the other as the leg/stand and then I just repeated this process for the other limbs including his front pincers. 

I also added masking tape to support the the two front legs because it was little bit unstable from where I had pierced it, this proved to be quite effective and my model was able to stand properly. 

After every thing else was set in place I decided to go over it with mod rock instead of paper mache because I thought that it would adhere better to my model and I like how mod rock gives the model a sleek and minimalist look making it look more refined and because the product are for 5 year olds I thought that it was good idea because of the Fact that its like an empty canvas which the kids can freely draw or paint on.