How To Carve Clay Figures
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.
How to carve clay figures. At this point I may add dots and lines with a slip-trailing bottle filled with porcelain slip to add visual three-dimensionality and tactile communication back on to the surface figure. 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. Most carvers use photos and other reference material but this technique has limitations.
Depending on the design and patterns additional detailed carving and slip decoration are added afterward figure 9. This and the print block can be purchased at an art supply store. The secondary carving is done with a needle tool or the carving tool but afterward I dont smooth it with the cosmetic sponge as I want to preserve the sharper edge.
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. 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. When carving clay consider the first lines incised into the clay to be the skeleton of your design.
Recesses can also be created by pinching the clay digging out with your thumb and forefinger. The cool part is that the stronger the alcohol solution is the mushier the surface of the clay will become. The carver may focus on the clothing folds and carve into the body parts beneath the fabric.
Each motif is different and made quickly and instinctively. Bath-based ceramicist Jo Taylors clay sculpture technique starts with fragments of clay. 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.
Start with 91 Isopropyl rubbing alcohol. A common question from beginners is how to make clay figures. Sculpting or Carving A sculptor uses a variety of tools to carve into clay.