COVID-19 shows no signs of abating and care is required every time we venture outdoors. At times such as these, what would be a better idea than spending some stress-free time with your children watching how to make clay cats on YouTube (^^)?
During the coronavirus outbreak, we created a number of videos where Ms. Risa Takahashi shows us how to make clay cats. Editing the videos took time, but we have now posted video lessons 3 and 4 on YouTube.
These videos were shot in mid-September and the crying of cicadas from the large park nearby her studio could not be kept out of the recording. This was especially the problem with lesson 4. While a bit of seasonal atmosphere can add to a recording, the cacophony they provided was a bit too much (grief) – so we took pains to find background music that would make the insect element a little less intrusive.
Lesson 3 Kitty Loaf
Lesson 4 Sideways Kitty Loaf
* If you like the video, we hope you will click the cat icon at the bottom right of the video to “register the channel.”
** Lesson 3 video has subtitles in Japanese (original language), English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Lesson 4 has Japanese, English, Spanish, and Russian.
Previously, we shot the video from above, but from now on we will shoot from diagonally left above. We had trouble with color changes during shooting, but as we shoot 4K (YouTube is perhaps 2K) image quality has improved.
Lessons 3 and 4 describe how to make clay cats in the loaf position. This is the position when they have their paws and tail tucked beneath them. It is called “loaf” because cats in this position resemble a loaf of bread. ”Cat loaf,” or “kitty loaf” for younger cats, may be the most common name for this position, but there are many others. In Japanese, this position is referred to as hakosuwari (箱座り猫) or koubakosuwari (香箱座り). Since this position makes quick action difficult, cats sit in this position only when they are relaxed.
A search for “kitty loaf” on the Internet will display numerous photos like those shown below.
According to Ms. Takahashi, cat loaf is a simple shape that can easily be mastered using a technique she teaches. The point is to first create the overall shape. We hope you will give it a try.
The next lesson, Lesson 5 will describe how to make a curled up cat. Please stay tuned. ◆
