Clay Sculpture Tutorial

You have found the Clay Sculpture Tutorial you have been looking for. You can stop looking now!

Totally free advice on how to advance your sculpting skills from, master sculptor, Peter Holland.

Here's the reason this page is different:

Some tools are used for several techniques - i.e. they multi-task. So here I will outline a mini-tutorial for each tool, specifying which techniques it handles.

Use this page as well as the Online Sculpture Lesson: (a figurine sculpt from start to finish), Sculpting Tips about clay management and the Basic Sculpture Technique pages for an all round understanding of ceramic sculpture, and in particular, figurines.

Remember, this Clay Sculpture Tutorial is all about

....GOOD SCULPTING MADE EASIER.

Advance Your Clay Sculpture - Tools & Sculpting Tutorials

Tool By Tool... Here We Go...

The plain end is very useful for all your basic adding and blending. Basically, does most of your work. The serrated end removes and shapes excess clay on a even plane when you run it over clay.



This tool is a must - an important component of my essential clay modelling tool set.

The small cutter tool is a must, an important component of my essential hardwood tool set. You can't get such a tool elsewhere. I tried. I had get them made myself. Such a tool has to be very fine yet very strong and resistant.

A flat bladed cutting loop - round one end and angular at the other.

Important in my own design essential hardwood tool set because you NEVER get these two functions together. Normally, you'd be buying two tools.

There are many shapes and sizes of ribbon tool around ('ribbon' meaning flat cutting edge). The only two ends I have ever used for figure modeling are these two - so I combined them into one tool - one angled, one curved. They take away medium sized slices of clay.

Very useful for preparing a rough area for smoothing out - it takes off the top layers.

Included in the essential hardwood tool set because I, personally, need such a tool with a serrated edge and I have seen students trying to do the same job with their finger which is very amateur and ineffective and frankly annoying!! You can't get such a tool anywhere else unless you make your own.

The square end is a sharpened edge ideal for squaring off and cutting.

The above tools are the ones which will get your clay sculpture to a reasonable level.

If you wish to progress to a more advanced figurative level suitable for professional modelling, you will need to think about the types of tools listed below.

Different artist have different methods and tools to take them to the next level. The tools and methods below are my system of clay modelling. They are not the only way, but they might help to give you an insight - if you need it.

Forged Steel Clay Sculpture Tools

For me, M&G's forged steel tools take over after the roughing out and shaping phase has been completed.

This is phase 2 (which some artists do not get to - as they are creating more free and spontaneous sculptures), where the sculpt starts to get a bit more refinement (but no intricate detailing just yet!).

With this phase you are really working the composition of the piece until you gradually reveal what is n your mind's eye (or your visual references).

This is where slightly more refined and sharper tools are needed - hence the forged steel tools.

The steel tools I favour are made in UK.

Contact me if you want any of the following forged steel tools and you are difficulty sourcing them locally. I have a few in stock.

peter@theclayartist.com

Made in the UK (true Sheffield Steel), are hard to come by, but there is nothing else to compare with them on the market.

The firm is small and quirky and also makes beautiful handmade hunting knives and pen knives with bone handles - works of art each one handmade - but I digress....

These English forged steel tools are expensive (can be up to £10 GBP each) because they are hand made in the UK in small quantities, rather than mass produced abroad. However, if I couldn't get these tools I'd be stuck because they are not replicated anywhere.

I tested some 'copy-cat' tools made in Pakistan and much cheaper, but they just don't do the same job (at least for my type of work).

I have put a contact form lower down on this page so you can talk to me about getting hold of these tools if you want to.

By the way, the UK firm offer a big selection of forged steel tools, but I list and stock only those which I find useful for ceramic sculpture.

This curve edge serrated edge scraper is my number one tool for general shaping in clay sculpture development, finishing and refining of any piece I do (after the first roughing our phase is complete). Please remember that everyone is different, but these are my clay sculpting tutorials, so you an insight to my methods!

This round edge serrated scraper gets to the parts the curve edge can't.

This mixed use tool has mixed use. First its a good applicator tool for applying small pellets of clay to specific areas.

Finally (its the main use for this tool) I use it to sculpt hands and feet, by 'rounding off' the planes of the fingers & toes.

This tool has a very useful fine spatula end which comes off at a slight angle to help with access into difficult areas, such as, underneath the chin, or applying and pressing a tiny amount of clay to shape a cheekbone.

Obviously, other tools mentioned above can do the job of applying smallish amounts of clay, but when you are doing small intricate areas, you need this tool, or one very like it.

Tools like this are all about making difficult things just that bit easier.

1. Dentist Clay Sculpture Tools

I use two different dentist tools. They are very specific and absolutely vital to the fine detailing, particularly on faces. If you like my faces, these are the tools which make the art possible.

One has rounded ends (small and smaller), the other has flat ends at different angles.

A scalpel is used for slicing off thin layers of clay where the pressure of a clumsier tool may break off an arm or other unsupported area (remember, in this clay sculpting tutorial I am showing you how to sculpt in ceramic clay without using any armatures). Also good in small hard to access areas.

I find an invaluable tool I use all the time is the clay extruder. Clay is hard to roll into small strings as it tends to dry out too much. However, clay is easy to extrude in small strings and neat flat lengths. Also I use the larger shaped holes to sculpt musical instruments like harps and tambourines.

"A man who does not make his own tools does not make his own art." Michelangelo

This tool is made from a length of doweling and part of a hacksaw blade.

One end is flattened (not too fat & not too thin) then rounded off and used for applying and blending clay. This is my most used applicator tool in this second phase of the sculpt.

The serrated end is used mainly for gentle fine tuning of facial contours.

There are three types of brushes I have found useful over the years. Each has a specific use.

Medium stiffness. Used for wetting sculpt before adding fresh clay. Also, you use this brush for smoothing clay with water to the first stage of a neat finish. Note: Not all sculpts need to be smoothed, some you want to show tool marks and a rougher finish. You can also use this brush as a modeling tool to manipulate fresh clay (painting on).

Large Ceramic Smoother Brush. This is a specialist flat ferrule brush for smoothing to a final glossy finish. The wet bristles leave no brush mark on the clay, but still have enough resistance to remove a layer. Ask at your local pottery supplier or contact me for more information.

Small Smoother brush (cut-quill shank). This is a specialist brush for smoothing small areas of flesh tone on the face of ceramic figurine sculpts.

Go Here For Further Ceramic Sculpture Finishing Techniques