Scary Clown Doll

Photographer Kevin Goode

Every so often I like to step outside of my comfort zone and create something that has a different aesthetic appeal to me. I grew up a voracious reader with Stephen King being one of my go-to authors for terror. I read the novel, IT, when it was first published and “it” scared the s**t out of me! I had to light up all the dark corners of my room and check under the bed thrice before I could lay down. Then, in the late 1980s, ABC network aired an adaptation of the book starring Tim Curry (most famous for The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) as Pennywise, the terrifying clown. The 2017 version of Pennywise is portrayed by Bill Skarsgard and this is the version I chose as my inspiration.

Materials:

Egg-shaped foam ball (foil will also work as the core).

Paperclay

Wire for the armature

Aluminum foil

Batting for the body

A grey men’s dress shirt from a thrift store. (wash before using)

Gesso

Acrylic paint

Sealant

Felt and yarn

Beads

Sanding paper and/or dremel

A stick was used to hold the foam ball in order to work around the circumference and so that it could dry evenly. The hole made by the peg will also provide a means to attach the head to the body. I plan on using a combination of hot glue with the neck of the armature for head attachment. 

I left the head to dry over night and added rudimentary features such as eye sockets for placement of the other facial features. 

*The shoes were made from all paperclay as the clay will completely dry during the hot spell. Otherwise, I would have used aluminum armature as the base. I adjusted the design of my shoes so that the figure will (hopefully) stand on its own. I will use the color and other features from the 2017 Pennywise to remain true to the overall design.