Lesson 4

SCULPT YOUR HORSE

Deanna Cummins

Lesson Four

The First Stages of Sculpting

In this lesson you will learn the differences between three dimensional (3d) and two dimensional (2d) sculpting, the applications of technique and the first stages of sculpting in clay.

Medallion Versus 3D Sculpture

Medallions can be 2d or 3d art depending on the preference of the artist.

Many medallions are a combination of the two where the depth of the image is 2d and the foreground is 3d. Much of Greek art is sculpted in this way because it adds a very dramatic effect to a medallion sculpture.

Three-D sculpture will depict part of the subject or the entire body, but you can always rotate the piece 360 degrees so you can see all sides.

In 3d art an artist has the opportunity to structure many compositions inside one piece of work. For example, if an artist is sculpting a herd of horses the composition can be from all angles depicting different events that are happening in that moment. By placing each horse in a specific manner the artist can draw attention to specific events happening in the sculpture.

Techniques used for a medallion

Creating the 3D medallion

a. To make a medallion you first need to create your shape. It can be any shape you like from square, rectangle, oval, round or you can get creative and make it a hexagon and so on. The shape you choose should compliment your composition. For example, if you choose to sculpt more then one horse you might want your medallion to be a rectangle shape so that you will be able to fit horses standing side by side. Or if you are sculpting a horse’s head you might want to choose the circle because the head will not require a lot of room and the shape will draw attention to the horse’s eye.

b. The shape should be symmetrical on all sides. To do this it is best to use a pre-cut peace of plywood. Plywood comes in all shapes and sizes. If you are not able to find the shape you are looking for you can get plywood cut to shapes at many hardware/lumber stores.

Start by smoothing your clay over your plywood about ¼ to ½-inch thick. You want sufficient thickness for adding detail later. Cover the entire shape of your project. Smooth the edges of the clay. You can get as creative as you would like with the edge of your sculpture. You might want to add embellishments or texture depending on your focus.

Smooth clay over plywood

Clay covering edge of plywood

Make the entire clay surface as smooth as you can. A little water on your fingers helps smooth the clay, but be careful, too much water will keep the clay from sticking to itself. Once the clay doesn’t blend into itself, it is difficult to fix. If this happens, often you simply have to replace your clay.

c. Once you have smoothed your surface and created the edge, your medallion is ready for the application of the first detail.

In a 3d medallion you will want to start from your background and work to your foreground. This will give you the ability to add detail in areas which will later be more difficult to reach. (Do not add any desirable 3d detail at this point. The reason for this is that the detail must be added in a specific order so that you will not destroy your detail while you are in the process of sculpting other parts of the medallion.)

Let’s start. Is your horse in front of trees, mountains or the ocean? Choose your background carefully. You will not want to add too much detail to the background. The reason for this is that it will create distraction from your focal point which is the horse.

Begin by tracing the outline of the background with one of your smaller tools. Remember to use light pressure as if you where drawing with a pencil.

Along your tracing, start adding small amounts of clay so that your image is slightly raised. Assuming that your medallion is fairly small you will want to keep it between 1/8 to ¼-inch thick. A smaller relief in the background will give you more contrast with your foreground. See video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjN5SKhoww0

d. When you have finished adding your background relief you are ready to start adding your first foreground detail.

This detail will be partly 3d. For example, if you are sculpting a cantering horse this would be the hindquarters of the horse. This part of the horse would have more intricate detail and would be raised on top of your background another 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. The detail that you will be adding in this part will be muscles, tail, hooves, chestnuts and so on. The detail of this part is still 2d similar to your background.

See video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJGjolQUTIk

e. Now we can begin adding the 3d portion of the medallion. A 3d image is when you are able to see all sides (360 degrees around). Again, if you are sculpting a cantering horse part of the back and torso will be protruding from the 2d background. The forelegs, chest, neck and head will all be 3d; meaning that they will in no way be touching the background of the medallion. (Techniques for sculpting detail will be discussed later in this course.)

The 2D medallion

A 2d medallion has the same process as the 3d. However, rather than following step “e.” you will continue with step “d.” for your entire image. In this part of adding the relief you can add as much or as little detail as you feel is necessary in creating your sculpture.

Techniques used for a 3D sculpture

A 3d sculpture like the medallion requires proper measurements, angles, and proportions. It is necessary to understand your image from all its angles. The sculpture should look in proportion, when you view it from the front, side, top, back and underneath. When sculpting, it is very important to always rotate and look at your sculpture and be ready to make small or major adjustments if it does not look proper. It can take a number of times sculpting and re-sculpting a part of a figure to get the desired look and proportion. It is important to always refer to your original image (your horse). Study the photographs of your horse while you are sculpting. It is always helpful to review the exercises you have learned to help in understanding the proportions of your image.

The armature

The armature is what will give you the proportions and size of your figure. The most critical part of the armature is the torso. This will directly determine the size of your figure. All the other areas of the body such as the four legs, neck, head and tail should all be measured longer then needed so that they can later be trimmed to the proper proportion according to the torso.

Size, measurements and angles

A sculpture is measured from its highest point.

Your armature will be made of three pieces of wire. This wire should be measured 3 times the desired height of the sculpture. For example, if you want your sculpture to be 8 inches tall you would measure your wire between 24 to 26 inches long.

The torso for a wire armature of a horse is measured from mid shoulder (which is in front of the withers) to mid hip (behind the loins) this would measure about 4 inches long; half the height of the sculpture. These measurements can fluctuate anywhere within a half an inch.

Height – 8 inches; length – 4 inches

When considering proportions and measurements, remember that it will need to compliment the size of the sculpture as well as the other body parts. Each body part will relate to another. Take the foreleg of the horse as an example. The leg is made up of four basic parts. The upper arm, cannon, pastern and hoof; if we measure from the elbow to the back of the knee this measurement will be very close in length to the cannon measured from mid knee to pastern. These similarities will be repeated in other parts of the body. (More will be explained about proportions in lesson 5.)

Tools for building an armature and how to use them

There are only a few tools needed to build your armature. You will need two needle nose wire cutters, galvanized wire and some tinfoil. The circumference of the wire will depend on the size of your sculpture. You will need a larger circumference for a larger figure. Be sure that the wire is firm. This is necessary because the wire must be able to withstand the weight of the applied clay.

Building the armature

a. You will need three pieces of wire cut and measured to be the same length (3 times your desired height.)

b. Place your pliers next to each other in the center of your three pieces of wire and twist them together until you have your desired length of the torso.

Make sure your wire is the same length on both sides of the torso. A finished torso should measure close to half the height of your future sculpture. For example if your sculpture is 8 inches tall you will want the torso to be about 4 ¼ to 4 ½ inches long.

c. If you plan to use a sculpture mount (recommended) before bending the wire, thread it through the top portion of a metal Tee pipe. You can build a mount yourself as described here.

Building a Sculpture Mount

A sculpture mount will help you keep the detail in-tacked while you are sculpting. This offers a "hands free" method of holding your sculpture while you work. For purchasing a sculpture mount kit please visit http://sculptingtools.weebly.com/ for additional details

You will need:

One flat peace of plywood (shaped to your preference)

One ¾” floor flange, threaded (four matching screws)

One ¾” x 12” steel nipple, threaded

One ¾” Tee pipe, threaded

All the above materials are available at most local hardware and home supply stores.

Attach the floor flange to the center of the plywood (you will need to drill the holes for the screws) with the four screws. Attach the steel nipple to the floor flange. Thread your wire frame through the top of the Tee pipe and fill the tee with some clay to keep the wire frame from sliding from side to side. Screw the Tee pipe to the steel nipple.

To attach the floor flange without screws you will need some epoxy (found at most hardware stores) place a generous amount of epoxy under each screw hole and press the floor flange down hard. Be sure you allow the epoxy to dry for 24 hours before using. WARNING: Epoxy is a toxic material! Read all safety instructions on the packaging before using! Always keep out of the reach of children and animals. Wear gloves, a face mask and work in a well ventilated area.

d. Bend the neck, head, legs and tail. Trim some of your excess wire. Be sure not to trim it too short.

e. Wrap the torso with tinfoil a number of times. This will make your clay figure lighter in weight and speed up the first step of applying the clay.

Keeping your finished sculpture in mind

It is always important to keep your finished image in mind! This is because you want to create something that is practical from a sculptor’s point of view. Practical meaning that it will have the ability to stand without extra mounts.

Your sculpture will need an attractive means of standing. This is most often done by creating a small clay base for your horse to stand on. (Base options will be discussed later.)

It is always good to look ahead and plan your finished sculpture. You can do this by getting ideas from other sculptures.

Get creative! Your composition is very important and without a good concept of your finished image it will be very difficult during the process to sculpt your ideas.

Assignment

1. Choose one technique of sculpting from the three we discussed in this lesson. Build your frame if you will be sculpting a medallion, or build an armature if you choose to sculpt 3d.

2. Write a paragraph about your chosen sizes and measurements and send it to me with photos of your frame or armature prepared for clay application.

Send your assignment to: Deanna Cummins dncummins06@yahoo.com

Please be sure to put your full name on all work.