A salt dough model, explained step by step

Here's a step by step guide to making a model that draws on both salt dough and wood painting skills.The wooden object is sandpapered and the dust removed.Then it's painted in white acrylic paint all over (the paint being sufficiently diluted to let the grain of the wood show through).
In the lower right hand corner of the wooden item, paint in the planet in blue-gray, adding extras like orange flowers, craters, smoke...let yourself go back to childhood for a little while...Don't add the stars (yellow with a very thin black border) until the clay models have been set in place, that way you'll know where best to place them to balance the whole scene.
Click to enlarge !
Now let's make the character himself : The Little Prince. For the head : an elongated ball and a coil for the neck. Push a toothpick through the neck as far as the head.
Mark the head with small, fine-bladed scissors to produce a good, curly head of hair.
The body is made from a large, flattened coil, from which take out two arms, detaching them to produced a short sleeved look. The arms (slightly thinner) can be added next. Mark off the pants using a knife. Next, the legs have to be made.
Add the head to the body. It's time to create the face, two little holes for the eyes and a wider one for the mouth, then a little nose and a bow tie for the neck.
Mark out the shirt with the blunt edge of a knife, add two buttons and a belt.

To add on extra parts in clay, you need either to dampen the piece to be added or the area where it's to be added to. Don't forget to dampen the whole model whilst you're working on it.
Add the arms, then the little pointed shoes. Also make the stars (from rolled clay), planets (with a ring for more depth), and even, if you feel like it, a sheep!
Once the various pieces have been baked (see explanation on Baking), we can get down to painting.

A hint for painting the pupils or the eyebrows, use a needle, there's no finer brush! Try it out first on paper for a little practice.
The modeled items are stuck to the wood using a universal adhesive. The whole assembly needs to be varnished at least twice (by brush or spray).