How To Carve Clay Figures
Bath-based ceramicist Jo Taylors clay sculpture technique starts with fragments of clay.
How to carve clay figures. Most carvers use photos and other reference material but this technique has limitations. Each motif is different and made quickly and instinctively. While the clay is fairly wet place the stamp where you want your carving to go and gently push the stamp to create your outline.
This and the print block can be purchased at an art supply store. Begin by laying down directional lines that define the motion and flow of the pattern then flush out the drawing by working back from the tip of each spiral 2. When carving clay consider the first lines incised into the clay to be the skeleton of your design.
The cool part is that the stronger the alcohol solution is the mushier the surface of the clay will become. Start with 91 Isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Sculpting a figure with air dry clay is a terrific option if you wont want to bother with firing your sculpture in a kin or casting it in plaster.
Learn clay sculpture with professional sculptors Chuck and Vicky Oldham. The resulting carving may have great detail but overall look slightly off. The sculpting-off technique is the act of carving the clay to remove everything the artist does not intend to be part of the finished sculpture.
A common question from beginners is how to make clay figures. Learn how to sculpt using modeling clay and building simple geometric forms. The best way to carve realistic-looking fabric is to start with a clay model.
When the clay is very soft it is formed into a rough coil and smeared onto a bisque surface joining additional coils to form a basic motif. Each fragment is created by a gesture of her hand. A quick overview of my favorite sculpting tools.