How To Ensure Your
Clay Sculpture Success

The Only Tip You Will Ever Need For Clay Sculpting Success

That reason has nothing to do with lack of artistic genius.

The reason is simply "lack of persistence once the going gets tough".

Here's a short example:-

A married couple came into my studio. They were well-healed and lived in the local manor house. They were used to having their own way. They were new to clay sculpture.

They had a vision of themselves as somewhat arty and creative types. The lady indulged herself in creating wonderful interior designs for her home.

First they wanted to create a pair of terracotta lions for the garden - they would sculpt one each.

As soon as they got their hands on the clay it all started to go wrong.

A couple of lessons later, they were deeply troubled when the clay just would not produce anything that looked remotely like a lion's head.

It looked like a turnip with a mane. It looked like Winston Churchill wearing a fur hat. Anything but the magnificent lion in their minds eye.

They gave up. Impatience won the day!

Many people new to clay sculpting are put off by this initial 'hump'.

What I didn't tell them was if I, the consummate professional clay sculpture artist and sculptor, had attempted the same lion sculpt, my initial efforts would have also looked like a turnip.

However, the difference is that I would progress through the 'turnip' stage, safe in the knowledge that with a bit of hard graft I would start to see clay sculpture success.

The more practice you have, the quicker you can ride over the hump.

Rose Garden Clay Rough By Peter Holland

You will have the opportunity to watch the progress of my sculpts if you fill in the form on my 'bone china figurines' page

Just fill in the form and make sure you always open emails from me.

Some people are slower to get over the hump than others. There is no right or wrong in clay sculpture success.

It may be the tortoises who are the ones to watch in the long run.

If you recognize yourself as a tortoise, take heart and keep plugging away.

Below, I am building a page of FAQ's.

Please be free to contribute a query to the frequently asked questions page, but you need to but you need to fill in a form here first..

Return from clay sculpture success to go to ceramic sculpting FAQ's or alternatively go to the figurines sculpture home page