Sculpting Tutorials

Sculpting Tutorials:

I have been sculpting since I was a child. Inspired by looking in the gallery section in the "Western Horseman Magazines" that had been bought for me as a child.

Seeing all the different sculptures of animals and the West, I was drawn to doing my own. Though....  not knowing that much about sculpture as a child, I didn't really have anyone to help me. I found out about the process of sculpture the hard way; through trial and error.

I started off with clay, soon finding out that this medium didn't give the freedom in detail that I needed for the smaller size sculptures I was doing. I found the right medium upon seeing it for the first time on TV.

I went into using wax which I had imported from America (as Australia didn't have the facilities of sculpture materials like this years ago).

I sculptured from: animals, people, to action scenes. Even went about sculpting the character of Yoda, from "Star Wars" once in those days.

"By the way, my subscribers to "Pet Art Newsletter" get more advise on sculpting tutorials in different clay types.

Though... through years of moving, many of these original sculptures of mine were lost. And you know how things get lost when you move...

My sculptures might have been chunky in build at that time, as I tried to sculpt in clay, with no armature, I may add. I tried keeping my clay sculptures together with match-sticks of all things, and pipe-cleaners. Well I learnt........

Anyway... only one original sculpture remains left with me today, from all those years ago. And it is a stark reminder of my humble beginnings in sculpture. And something I will always look back on with fond memories.

Now in Sculpting tutorials, I am going to teach and share with you; what I went through to achieve the sculptures that I do today.

Many of my works are scattered around the world, and because of this, it is my greatest reward..... to see the look on a new buyers face as they realize they have brought one of their favourite sculptures for their very own.

We are also going to be covering in these sculpting tutorials,

• Sculpture Techniques

• Sculpting Materials

To name a few..........

Sculpture is fascinating and rewarding. And the more you learn, on the road to becoming a sculptor yourself, the more fascinated you will become with the process of it all.

With these sculpting tutorials, I'm going to guide, and take you to the world of the Sculptor.

"Zaheem" Artist ~Andrea Balch   (Sold out)

One of the most important things when starting a sculpture is proportion , if you don't get this right, then your sculpture just wont look right, and is very hard to fix once you have your armature done and your sculpting material formed on it, so here is a  lesson on proportion that you need to be aware of.

Polymer Clay

Polymer clay is a new medium to the art world, it is a man made material and has really taken off. I am even using it myself.

Sculpting with polymer clay is something I want to get you familiar with, if you try polymer clay, you are bound to try it out for yourself.

And learning about polymer clay techniques on sculpture will give you more idea of how to use it, and what best to bake it with and have a look at some supplies you can buy.

Molds you can buy specially for polymer clay to the tools you can use.

There are some different types of polymer clays, so you should see just how versatile this product is.

• What is Metal Polymer Clay

• Learning about Liquid Polymer Clay

• What is Translucent Polymer Clay

• What are Polymer Clay Canes
   

Here I have collected some tutorial videos on polymer clay for you to have a look at.

Casting

Unlike painting, it dries itself and being flat ids not prone to the damage that a sculpture can befall.

The most basic of casting is one off  plaster molds, I have done this many  times, so lets get cracking and see how you go about it.

Polymer clay does bake in the oven and your original is then hard enough to not need any other form of casting, but if you want to make more of the same sculpture you have done, then you need to make a one part polymer clay mold, this is only for the most basic of sculpture though.

Made with plaster molds you can then cast your porcelain by the technique of slip casting.

 

Sculpture

Sculpture has been around as one of the oldest forms of art, if not the oldest. So why the great fascination.

Its three dimensional and you can touch its many surfaces.

Have you ever thought when you are looking at something you automatically touch it, its part of us, and a way that we communicate with surfaces to tell us many things. How solid it is, how smooth.

We are also going to be covering,

• other artists work

• Sculpture History

• selling sculptures

I would say that inspiration for most sculptures comes from Roman sculptures I cannot say for the modern sculptor, but for most traditional sculptors of such fine art sculpture you can see just how much influence the Romans have influenced the sculptor of today and yesteryear. you only have to just look around you. You only have to look at some famous sculptures, whether you have seen them in a museum or on your travels.

In the world of the internet we have moved from viewing and buying works of art, now this also applies to sculptures being online, you don't have to go out your door to buy a piece of sculpture you like, or for the your next collectable sculptures.

Lets have a look at some horse head sculptures, a close focus of an animal subject. Not all sculptures need to have the whole subject as a sculpture, they can be fragmented. Think about some of the old world sculptures.

Have a look at some sculptures for the garden  in the form of animal garden sculpture.

One Dimensional Sculpture

Many form of one dimensional sculpture can also be known as wall sculpture mainly because it is hung on the wall most of the time, this can also apply to tiles that have a motive on it.

I have done relief sculpture, itself its very different from doing a normal three dimensional sculpture, much easier to made molds from, being one dimensional. You will also see this form of sculpture known as friezes, also adorned on many ancient buildings of the ages. Such as animal wall art.

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