How To Sculpt FAQ's - Where do I start to learn about Ceramic Sculpture?

by Dani
(Marietta, OH, USA)

How To Sculpt FAQ's - Where do I start to learn about Ceramic Sculpture?:- I'm fascinated by sculpting and art and eager to get my hands on a lump of clay and give it a go... but I don't even know where to start. What kind of clay do I need? where do I buy it? What supplies will I need? How expensive is this going to be? If you could help me get started I'd appreciate it so much!

THANKS

Dani

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Reply by Peter (admin)

to :- ‘How To Sculpt FAQ's - Where do I start to learn about Ceramic Sculpture?’

Hi Dani

Good questions! Glad you took the time and trouble to contact the site and ask.

You sound like me when I started out. I went into London retailer Alex Tiranti and picked the brains of all his sculpture graduate store assistants - until they were sick of me.

If you gotta know, you gotta know!

This website is trying to emulate the help I got there. Just 'paying it forward', as they say.

Your questions:-

What kind of clay do I need?

where do I buy it?

What supplies will I need?

How expensive is this going to be?

We have already got all the information on the site, but obviously, it is a big site with lots of sections, and I need to make it more easy to navigate for a self-starter like yourself.

Let's start right here:-

First tip is remember the in-house search box at the top of the home page.

Put in any term you might be wondering about e.g. 'ceramic modeling clays'. You will get a list of my pages covering this topic. Read through them all, then go back to the most relevant.

Secondly, there is an important sculpting tips starter section on different types of modeling clays - your RAW MATERIALS.

You download this section as a pdf and keep on your computer use as the basis of your initial research. This file contains live links to all the relevant section which will automatically open in your browser when you click on them.

Why a download file? Well, apart from it being easy to share with friends and send by email etc, it ensures you never lose this website! (How many times have you 'lost' a bookmark?).

This important pdf 'tips' section tells you all about your choices of raw materials and how to make an informed choice.

Ceramic clay is always the least expensive option in terms of the cost of the clay. Polymer clay and plasteline is much more expensive pound for pound. If you pay a local potter (anyone who has free kiln space) a small fee, most will accept your work for firing - as long as it has dried thoroughly and has no large air-locks.

Overall, therefore, to get a 'finished product' the ceramic clay route is the least expensive, unless your into the 'critter' or 'floral' type of art associated with air drying clays like Cold Porcelain.

Using wax, plasteline, plastercine, will always be more expensive to buy and also have to be cast in order to get a final piece of artwork.

Polymer clay costs and arm and a leg, but can be oven fired. However, for me the finished artwork is too brittle and soft for my liking.

If you decide to go the ceramic (pottery clay) route - which is my own personal choice - to get detailed information on exactly which ceramic modeling clay is best suited for sculpting, please go to my page here.

This section is supported by a page about drying and firing ceramic pottery clay - especially useful if you plan to fire your work rather than make castings.

There is also a Sculpture Lesson: showing the process of how to make a figurine from start to finish and not forgetting the Sculpting Tutorials: which are all about more advanced techniques.

The Sculpting Supplies section will help you with your tools and equipment and there is even a page dedicated to helping you find sculpting supplies in your location.

Once you have browsed these various sections, please figure out what questions you still have and post further comments - either start a new thread if it's a beefy topic, or post here on the comments page if it's general.

Best regards,

Peter (admin)

These pages show our new English made bone china figurine collection

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