Sculpting Techniques Bible

Claire Brown

• Publisher: Chartwell Books
• Year: 2006
• eBook ISBN: 9781610583749
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

 An essential illustrated reference for both beginner and experienced sculptors.

Chapter One

Getting Started

Studio guidelines

Having a designated studio space will make your sculpting experience all the more enjoyable, and allows you to close the door on your work if it ever gets frustrating. A garage, attic, basement, spare room in the house, or disused warehouse can all be equipped to provide just such a space. The basic necessities are good lighting, storage space for tools, materials, and finished work, plenty of work surface space, and access to running water for mixing materials and cleaning up.

It is important that you keep the studio as tidy as possible. Tools and equipment stored neatly on shelves or in a cupboard are more likely to stay in prime condition and can be quickly found when needed. It is also vital that different types of material are kept apart—for example, clay should be kept well away from chips of stone, and plaster, which needs to be kept dry, must be stored away from clay, which has to remain damp.

Studio layout

Important factors in working out the design for a studio are good light (1), both natural and artificial, and ventilation (2), as much work surface as possible (3), secure storage facilities (4), and clear floor space (5). It is also vital to have a sink and running water close at hand (6), large garbage cans (7), a fire extinguisher (8), and plenty of electric wall sockets (9).

Essential tools

It can be useful to keep a few pieces of equipment in the studio that are not specific to working with a particular medium. These include scissors (1) and paintbrushes (2) that are reserved for sculpting work only, calipers (3) for measuring dimensions, a bradawl (4) for making holes, a general-purpose craft knife (5), clamps (6) for fixing work to the work surface, and cloths (7) and wire wool (8) for polishing.

Modeling stand

A modeling stand is not an essential piece of kit, but if you find you enjoy working on portraits or life figures, you may choose to invest in one. The height is adjustable so that you can work more easily on different sections of the sculpture.

Cleaning up

It is essential that the studio is kept clean, so be meticulous and always clean up after every session. A good vacuum cleaner is indispensable for cleaning up dust.

Clay

Clay is one of the most commonly available sculpting materials, and you can even dig your own. However, few naturally occurring deposits yield clay that is sufficiently uniform and plastic for sculpture purposes, so most sculptors buy their clay from potters’ suppliers.

In sculpting terms there are two uses for clay. It can be used as a material in its own right, which is fired to become the finished piece, or used to make models for moldmaking, where the final piece is cast using other materials, or repeats are cast in clay, then fired.

Clays can be smooth or rough, depending on whether or not they contain sand and grog—clay that has been fired and ground up. The smoother varieties are better for small, finely detailed work, whereas grogged clays have a ruggedness and resistance in handling that smooth clays lack, so are most useful for making large sculptures.

Types of clay

If you are using clay as a transitional medium—to make a model for moldmaking—choose a gray (1) or natural (3) clay of a suitable texture and plasticity to be worked into the required form. Terra cotta (2) makes a good clay for firing, although ceramic sculpture can also be made using any of the earthenware or stoneware clays. Air-drying clay (4) hardens without firing.

Clay slip

A mix of clay and water, known as clay slip, is used to aid the adhesion of joined pieces of soft clay.

Storing clay

Unused clay needs to be kep...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One Getting started
• Chapter Two Techniques
• Chapter Three Themes
• Glossary
• Suppliers
• Index
• Credits
• Copyright