OK, I started on the left side and that is now pretty dry, but the closer you get to the right, the wetter the paper clay is. Usually I work in slabs that fit the space, as in the Tudor Market Hall, sometimes I work in rows, as in the vault ceiling; in this case I had to cut bricks to fit sections together. It is not altogether even, but I think by the time I paint the mortar lines and vary the colour of the bricks, it will look better. And practice can only improve my technique!
Although each 3/4 by 1/4" (approx. 2 x .8 cm) brick is carefully shaped and textured, some of that does get lost as the clay dries. And while I roll the clay out between two battens to get a uniform thickness, there is still some variation. Fortunately the clay can be sanded and cut after it dries, which means I can tidy up the bits that really irk me.
My carpenter-in-chief was able to find some self-adhesive lead tape for me today, at a business that repairs sports equipment. This means I can do a nice leaded window, suitably aged, with the glass distorted as it would have been in the Tudor period. Tomorrow I hope to brick the chimney wall, and the c in c has already dug out wood to make the separate roof. For that, I get to build 8 or more small louvered roof vents, so I'd better figure out a way to get them all the same size. As mentioned before, cutting straight lines is so not my forte....
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