Fresh Start 2
This is my second try at Fresh Start. This time I’ll be using a self dry clay. I did a lot of preparatory steps for this project. Hopefully they will help me gaining more skill.
I used some reference photos for the pose of the girl. From the photo I drew a quick sketch. Ok, I couldn’t resist and I messed around a bit with her face just for fun. I didn’t sketch a full figure for years, but it felt good.
Next I made an armature after a tutorial by I Sculpt (http://isculpt.org/index.php/all). Sorta. Because I simplified wherever it was possible. I Sculpt’s blog has a lot of useful information about sculpting. Thanks for the help with my first “real” armature.
Armature twisted into position more or less.
I’m adding the clay on. I love this type of clay, not too soft, not too firm, just the right consistency.
This is the stage where I usually want to give up. 
Going on.
Side view.
Usually I’m not happy with the back, but this one is good so far. Photos do make it easier.
Tomorrow I’ll work on hands and feet, maybe the head. I’m not sure at this point whether to leave it as a sketch or finish it. This is an intermediate piece for the large piece on the drawing. Hopefully I won’t work it to death.
I finished one hand, but the other one dried on me. I gave the piece a good spraying, hopefully it will make it more workable. Tomorrow I’ll try and break off that piece and reattach a new one. Did not have time for toe detail either, it was getting too hard. Silly me I should have done one at a time. I worked on her face for a bit. I might add a base to it and paint her with some outrageous pattern. Obiously this air dry clay is not good for detail work. Although the whole piece is tiny.
Well, I haven’t given up yet…
Final version. I just remembered that this is my first full nude, so I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. Unfortunately I cut the wire too long on her feet, and it was sticking out when I wanted to remove clay. So her feet can’t be as detailed as the hands. Had a very hard time with her face, since she is so tiny. Ended up with closed eyes, as my tools aren’t small enough.
A nice demo. You’re doing this one just like a real pro. You’ll have to work fast to finish those details before the clay dries. Can it dry without splitting around your armature? If you can do this you can try wax next time–then there’s no worry about either support or drying.
Erica, great sharing blog and great insight into your methods. The sculpt is looking great. I think I may be a bit more technical and a bit less artistic than you, but part of my prep would be to measure up the real person and measure up an armature guide to help me refer to correct measurements. Maybe I don’t trust my eye, but my eye lies to me all the time!
I would love to have your input in my air drying clay section – as I have never used it myself.
Peter
Thanks Swallows. I didn’t work fast enough, the clay got too hard. It’s a different brand, and it seems to dry even faster. Gee, I didn’t even think the armature may cause cracking as the clay shrinks. Will see. For the large one I think I’m going back to mache.
Hi Peter,
I’m glad you liked the process. I’m trying to be more self-disciplined and doing all the homework, as opposed to jumping into it as I used to. Next on my list will be measuring. Unfortunately my eyes failed me. Her left arm seemed too long, and I made it shorter, now it’s way too short.
I’ll go and check out your blog.
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Peter, I love your site and your art. I did not work much with air dry clay, but I’ll share my experience when I get a little more time. Your quote hit the mark with me, I’d like to copy it here as a reminder if you don’t mind:
“You look at the work of others with wide eyes, wondering how they did it, how they made that jump to excellence. Then you find one day after working until you drop, that you glimpse an inkling of merit in your own endeavors. You can’t stop looking and smiling, wondering how it came to be, wondering if you have won the war or just fought the first skirmish.”
Peter Holland
Today, although I feel my piece failed as a whole, I see a tiny ray of hope: her back came out quite nice. Thank you for your words and that ray of hope.
erica, nice. I hope there isn’t extra cracking from the armature. I told you how I do my armatures for clay, so they are removable. One straight metal rod mounted on a board holds the torso while the clay is very soft, and is removed as soon as the clay can hold its shape. to support arms and legs, I use metal shish-kabob skewers you’d buy at a grocery store. These can be easily removed and repositioned at will during construction.
I will have to take pics of a work in progress so you can have a better idea of this crazy stuff I’m talking about. I’m still in the middle of installing wood floors in my house so my art is on hold. my soul is dying to express itself, but the wood floors are a good, solid project and torturous lesson in self deprivation for me.
Kim, nice to see you stopping by.
Yes, I can imagine how hard must be for you to put your artistic self on hold. But the shiny new hardwood floor might be just as satisfying in a way.
I could to very little work over the summer with my son being home, and couldn’t wait to get back to it. But now I’m frustrated of course. It’s both a blessing and a curse, but that’s ok.
I’d love to see a step by step tutorial of your technique, I learn best from visuals. Hope to see you back at work soon.
hi erika its chris from the sculpture forum just checkin out your progress here looks great. that self drying clay looks like it must be a pain butt though.looking foward to seeing your end result
Hey Chris, thanks for dropping by. I think today might consider her finished. I’ll post a pic later.
This came out really nice, erika. She’s pretty. Problems with the armature–that it is too long somewhere because of a change in your idea, or in the wrong place–are present always. That’s sculpture. But this piece shows you are already a great modeller. I will say it again: if it had been in wax there would have been no armature problem and you could have worked on detail forever without worrying about its drying.
Thank you, Swallows, you’re too nice. I guess wax would be fine for practice and something like this piece. But I have no idea how to start on it, what tools do I need etc. I couldn’t find much info other than jewellery modelling. Can you recommend any books, tutorials etc?
I don’t know any book on working with wax. I think most sculptors learn when they go to the foundry. The foundries sell the wax by the pound in sheets about an eighth of an inch thick. It isn’t real beeswax but a synthetic material, usually an ugly red. You can use real wax, of course. Melt it in a can within another can full of boiling water and pour it onto a stone or tile floor that you have painted over with vaseline (so it doesn’t stick). You can add a little vaseline to the melted wax too, to soften it.
Cut off a few pieces(with a heated knife)and roll them into tubes for legs, arms, and torso, and “glue” them together by melting the surfaces slightly with a candle or a torch (actually: by heating a spatula on a flame that you have going beside you as you work). You heat the tool in the flame and then touch it to the wax, which melts slightly. Do the same to the surface of the piece you want to add and hold it to the mother piece until it hardens. A candle will do if you don’t have a little gas torch. The usefulness of the torch is that you can spray the flame over your surface and heat it in a hurry.
Everyone has his own tools. Sculptors’ little spatulas are good. You can use a hot knife to cut off pieces. It’s all a question of only a few hours practice. At first you will get frustrated that you can’t smooth the surface as easily as with clay. But with practice you can smooth just as well with the light touch of your tool or a rag soaked in gasoline. Clean your hands with a scotch-brite when you are done.
This is getting long. But I hope you get curious.
Thank you for all the info. You bet you got me curious! I remember seeing sheets of beeswax at the arts/crafts store. The only problem I have with this, anything made of wax can’t be considered a finished piece. And I love to see a piece complete. And I’m not ready for bronze. But I’ll definitely give it a try sometime soon.
fantastic anna
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