It's looking great so far!! Keep it up!!
And yeah, the clay can be pretty tough on the paws sometimes. What type are you using? Looks like Chavant or Monster Makers possibly?
As of right now, I'm only playing around with Chavant NSP medium. When I started out, I would try putting the clay on straight from the package but it took for ever and chewed my hands raw. I tried warming it with a blow dryer, but that was kind of ridiculous. Next I moved to cutting slices and chunks off of the block, and heating them in the microwave. It works pretty well and I still do it quite often; but for blocking out the main forms I found an old crock pot. (You can buy a new one at walmart for like $25) I still cut the clay into slices or chunks and then throw them in the crock pot on low for a while. It softens the clay right up. It's your choice how long you want to leave it on for. Once the pieces are a bit more pliable, you can shut it off and use them like that; or you can keep it on and (with Chavant NSP Medium) completely melt the clay down to the point where it's pourable. For something like a bio, that would probably be over kill, but you can actually paint it straight onto the armature at that point and cover a lot of area in very little time.
*Word of caution, molten clay is ridiculously hot and will burn you. So be careful. And research first, some clays can actually burn or be destroyed if you overheat them)
Sorry, I always ramble way too much. Just thought I'd share that tip. Keep it in mind as you move forward with other projects. it may come in handy!
Again, it's looking great.
One question, What did you use for the measurements of your Bio Armature? Did you just wing it, or is it built to a specific size? I've wanted to make one for a long time but have been trying to nail the correct size before going ahead with it.
Thanks.