Blue Lippan Art Wall Clock

Hi There,

Looking for a cool instructable ? Are you a art enthusiast ? you have landed on the right page. This instructable is about Indian Lippan Art where mud, clay, mirror/ broken tile pieces will be used to create aesthetic home decor using creatures inspired by nature or geometric patterns (Mandala)

Traditionally they use mud as base, here i have modernized it by using MDF as base but still used traditional way of decorating it with mirrors.

Have given step by step procedure below, so it might useful if you consider it for doing something similar

Material list

1) MDF base 12 inch diameter (1 feet) , thickness 4mm

2) Mould it clay 50 grams - 2 nos

3) Compass

4) Procircle

5) Acrylic colours - White, Ultramarine blue, Blue & Aqua

6) Pre cut mirrors shape include - circle (10mm, 6mm) square(8mm), Rhombus (8mm), Drop (10mm), Leaf(6mm)

7) Glue

8) Knife

9) Sponge

10) Cardboard base (optional) - Rolling out clay

11) Painting brush (Multiple size)

12) Varnish

13) Talc powder

Clock Material

1) Acrylic cutout roman Numerical ( your choice by number or even strip) - 1 inch

2) Clock Needles

3) Clock machine

4) Machine housing

5) Clock numbering position marking cutout sheet

6) Machine fixing tool

7) 9v battery

Since doing for first time, it can't be done random, initially give a pencil sketch about the design you are gonna make. It really helpful to visualize your final out come. so the design marked will be given as border using clay

Estimate the circle dimension and draw keeping rough diagram as prototype, this is 12 inch base, i'll list the diameter of circle i have drawn from the center

Diameter of circle drawn from inside to out - 3cm, 4.5cm, 10 cm, 14cm, 22cm, 24cm were drawn using compass

Now for the flower petal pattern, measure 2cm radius to draw a semicircle, this is drawn in between 22cm & 14cm diameter. since distance is 4cm each side, drawing 2cm semicircle will give perfect ending to the start.

As for the petal formation using semicircle as base, draw a line the meets the circle, keep the line as terminating point for it and join the flower at the meeting point (line)

Also flower petal are drawn alternatively, so 12 flower petal pattern will be made

Inner flower is drawn in-between 4.5 cm diameter and 10cm diameter, here the space between distance is 5.5 cm, so the semicircle radius shall be 2.25 cm.

Here flower petal are drawn for all semi-circle, so there will be part of merged flower petal too, forming 12 petals.

Once you are finished with geometric patterns, erase the common points or unwanted lines and keep only the lines that needs to be clayed

Here i have used mould it clay which has two parts, resin - 25 gram & hardener - 25 gram. As per instructions provided in label, i have mixed it equal proportion for few minutes and merged both.

cut out the pieces as per requirement. It hardens at room temperature and its curing time is 90 minutes

Layout out old cardboard sheet, Apply talc powder and rolling out the clay, initially roll it out with your fingers and inorder to make it even use sponge and roll, it evens out as well gives nice texture.

Start applying glue on the circle, i have started from outside to inside, so first for 25cm diameter circle, keep the rolled clay as border following the drawn circle, when ends meet cut the exact amount nor short neither big but the exactly to meet the starting point.

Follow the same for other circle too.

Here i have decided to have a circle of 25 cm diameter too. so drawn it before rolling out the clay.

50g of clay was sufficient to border all circles.

Rolled clay border for circle was having a thickness of 3mm

Now open another packet of resin and hardener, start combining equal portion of resin(12g) & Hardener(12g) to fill up both big and small flower petal

Clay was rolled out in approximate thickness of 2mm.

Started off with big flower petal, placed clay as per marking and cut at meeting point, similarly for other side, give gentle nudge at meeting point clay so it gets merged without displaying cutting line. Repeat the process for 12 petals

Small flower has 3 meeting points, don't over lap clay as it will bulged that particular point, instead cut and combine as we do the meeting points, so that it has even thickness and no overlapping layers.

It will dry in 90 minutes

Even though we are gonna colour the MDF base with multi colour, base coat of white is necessary, i have used small sponge piece to dab white acrylic paint on the base as well clay.

Again roughly prepare two diagram similar to you model for colour selection. As doing it in mini version will guide you to visualize your final out come.

As going with design 1, Painted Ultramarine blue in exterior space of flower petal in both small and big, as well for 2cm center space.

Covered space 0.5mm circle using blue, Space 14cm diameter & 10 cm diameter, 4.5cm circle and merged space of small flower petals.

Exterior space, both big and small flower petals are painted using Aqua.

Even though managing to paint carefully within boundary, there might few strokes of color on the clay part, where they are not suppose to be, so for final touch paint the clay boundary with white.

Keep and see the position and pattern which works out for you, as an artist go with your intuition on this part. I have decided and worked based pattern and design which suited most apt for the shapes drawn here

Keep the leaf shape(7mm length) in blue circle, For Aqua petals drop mirror cut placed one each as the space resemble a gap of drop shape.

For Ultramarine space, place three leaf shape mirror as it brings out blooming look.

For Blue circle space giving a semi flower like pattern by keeping 10mm circle and giving out leaf shape mirrors as petals to flower. 12 mirror flower can be given if keep the small flower edges as mark point.

For this randomly kept a design of 3 drop(10mm) and 1 circle (10mm)

So far all design have been given in symmetrical pattern, so decided to go here with alternate pattern 6 space full flower design with Rhombus petals and square checker at placed at 45 degree in remaining six space

Place marking sheet and mark 12 position with pencil, stick you acrylic numerals and stick using adhesive. since its acrylic cutout remove the protection plastic cover and let it shine.

Place clock machine inside clock housing, turn and let the spindle be inserted in the mdf center and bolt it using clock machine fixer tool, place hour needle first, followed by minute needle and seconds needle

Your Clock is now ready to be mounted, clock housing itself has hole in default in it so it can easily fixed on wall.

Did you find this instructable interesting ?? do let me know in comments