How to Sculpt
How to Sculpt: It might sound like a straight forward question. But really... is it? How to sculpt... you might say "Well its about sculpting A sculptor is more than just someone that makes a form. I want to clarify this for you. A sculptor is someone who makes a form out of building this form up from nothing. Where a carver - who is also broadly know as a sculptor. Getting confused.... don't worry. I shall explain.
I am a sculptor, not a carver. So if you hear that someone is said to be a sculptor, you need to find out which category they really fall into. Being a sculptor myself, I have never carved a form out of a slab before. All the rules are different. And if I was asked to carve something, granted.... I would probably do a better job than the average person at creating a sculpture, through my previous earning of my own sculpting. Though you would not get me to do your commission for you. I am going to teach you how you go about sculpting in the mediums I use, in order to get my finished sculptures. They are all different, and different rules apply to each of them. We are talking about temperature, to what sort of tools you would use. Sound specialized.... you bet your booties it is.
How to Sculpt Wax Wax was not my first form of sculpting material, though it has become my main material that I use when sculpting. 
Fairly hard in form, there are different grades. You are going to need heat and if you live in a hot climate, it makes the process allot easier; though it also has its down-sides. You buy your wax in slab sheets or slabs, I had to import my wax from America many years ago. Depending on where you live in the world. I'm sure it is more accessible these days. After building your armature, you will then need to get your wax fairly malleable. I would leave it outside in the sun to get soft. If in a cold country, the near the heater is a good bet. Once fairly soft, you
How to Sculpt Clay I like using clay for the bigger sculptures. Its malleable, and is easy to build up on an armature. I find it faster to work with. And smooth on the fingers and hands. You have to take note on the weather conditions. If you are living in a hot place you need to take care of you sculpture. When not working on it by keeping it damp. I use the good ol wooden tools that you can but for clay sculpting. Dentil tools don't work well, as clay seems to stick to them. I also make my own tools, from things like ice-cream sticks for instance. You just see something that would work well, how to sculpt - just try it. 
Clay is the only substance here that will dry out. So armatures will need to be used with great care. As with any clay. It dries out, and with drying out - it shrinks. If your sculpture is fine and with only a thin layer of clay covered over it. You will find that the clay will shrink, and start to crack; breaking away from the wire armature. If I use clay just to make a sculpture, not planning on firing it. I will use an armature. If you want to fire your sculpture - then using an armature is out. "The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation."~ Auguste Rodin I find clay fast to use and the natural texture of clay feels good on your hands. Though I do cream my hands after a session of sculpting with clay. As it tends to dry them out a little. And the last thing a sculptor wants is dry hands. You need the sensitivity in your hands to sculpt, whether using your hands or tools, more than you know. I hope that I have clarified the do's and don'ts with these mediums of sculpture material. It certainly helps you in deciding which is going to be best for you. I will go more into detail about sculpting with these materials later. As I couldn't possibly fit it all in one page here on How to Sculpt. And these are my chosen materials to work with. They give me the best performance. So why change to other materials that wont perform as well. Return from How to Sculpt to Sculpting Tutorials
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