Clay Sculpture - Online Tutorial

You have found the clay sculpture site 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. ..... Continued from the preparation for advanced sculpting tutorials page here.

The Advanced Clay Sculpture Tutorial

The following are the key advanced techniques
and the essence of these Sculpting Tutorials:

1. adding & blending
2. cutting & repositioning
3. scraping & shaping
4. painting on
5. smoothing

6. fine detailing (e.g. face, hair, fabric sprigging, hands & feet)

These Advanced Clay Sculpture Tutorials work differently from the Online Sculpture Lesson which takes you through a piece from start to finish.

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 advanced 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, the Clay Sculpture Tutorials in this section are aimed at making advanced techniques more accessible.

Advanced Clay Sculpture Tools - Mini Sculpting Tutorials

The small cutter tool: Very useful for taking away subtle areas of clay, particularly - facial contours, fabric flow etc.

Note that the small cutter tool, although used in advanced clay sculpture techniques is included in the basic tool set, explained in more detail on the basic sculpting tools section

techniques used for - scraping & shaping, esp. faces & neck/shoulders

Forged Steel Clay Sculpture Tools

Three tools in this section of the Sculpting Tutorials.

Made in UK. Contact me if you want them and can't get them locally.

1. Claw Scraper (serrated edge)

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. Please remember that everyone is different, but these are my Sculpting Tutorials, so you get my methods not other peoples!

A nimble cutter, the curved serrated edge also serves to shape flowing, even, curved planes. Although it's steel versus clay, I wear this tool out every couple of years. I'd be lost without it.

techniques used for - scraping, shaping, cutting, smoothing

2. Round Edge Serrated Scraper

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

Apart from that, similar in use to the claw scraper apart from the fact its not so nimble used as a cutter.

techniques used for - scraping, shaping, smoothing

1. Mixed Use Tool

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

Second, sometimes you have to shape and model precise edges - say the edges of clothing.

Last but not least (its the main use for this tool) I use it to sculpt hands and feet, by 'rounding off' the planes of the fingers & toes.

techniques used for - adding, cutting, hands, fingers, toes

1. Dentist Clay Sculpture Tools

I use two different dentist tools. One has rounded ends, the other has flat ends.

1. Both ends round. One smaller. Used for facial detail especially eyebrows, mouth, nostrils etc. Don't just use the end, use the side and corner . sculpting tools - dentist tool flat end

2. Both ends flat. One on edge, one flat. Used for applying tiny amounts of clay especially for face and hands etc. Also very useful as a small accurate cutter.

techniques used for - fine detailing, adding, cutting, scraping, shaping, smoothing, blending. All on small areas.

Now a selection of other tools very useful in clay sculpture techniques which I will explain individually below.

Scalpel

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 these Sculpting Tutorials I am showing you how to sculpt in ceramic clay without using any armatures). Also good in small hard to access areas.

Scalpels are available here online.

techniques used for - cutting fine slices off thin areas which do not have an internal armature and are therefore delicate to work on (eg. a slender arm away from any support). Also for slicing through small areas in order to move them slightly or work on them off-sculpt.

scalpel potters knife for clay sculpture

Scalpel Potters Knife

This scalpel potters knife, sold by Amazon , should be on everyone's wish list. It enables you to do all the things you do with a scalpel (see above), but gives more freedom because it allows you to do it on a larger scale than a scalpel. I love this bit of kit.

techniques used for - like the smaller scalpel above, it can cut fine slices off thin areas which do not have an internal armature and are therefore delicate to work on (eg. a slender arm away from any support). Also for slicing through larger areas in order to move them slightly or work on them off-sculpt (eg. repositioning an arm), or cutting through the waist to tilt the upper body slightly, or cutting in order to hollow for firing.

Clay Extruder

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 really good clay extruder is available online here (recommended)

techniques used for - adding, making thin bits of clay for decoration and finishing. A must have tool for finessing.

Handmade Tool

"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.

techniques used for -

1. adding & blending 2. shaping 3. shaping & scraping

Brushes

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.

techniques used for -

1. wetting 2. adding & blending 3. shaping 4. smoothing 5. painting on

Go Here For Further Ceramic Sculpture Finishing Techniques

See also other sculpting tips on how to manage clay , basic sculpture technique

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