We are going to continue our series with what might be considered the “main event”: sculpting, or modeling. Sculpting is the ability to visualize, interpret, and transfer an idea into three-dimensional space. If we consider sketching and research as the “watering and weeding” involved in caring for an idea, then this is where that idea takes root, sprouts, and grows into a full-grown tree.
This entry may be aimed more at the curious than at the practicing artist. For a comprehensive approach to learning how to sculpt, I highly recommend getting a copy of Modeling and Sculpting the Human Figure by Edouard Lanteri. This might be considered the “bible” of sculpting, and I have yet to encounter a reputable sculptor who has not referenced or used this book. For our purposes today, I am going to focus primarily on my personal philosophy behind sculpture, why it is important, and how I approach it.
The Armature
To begin, we are always going to start with what is called an armature. The best way to understand this is as a skeleton. This is pretty straightforward and easy to understand, but a common mistake is to think of this skeleton as strictly structural. It has taken me a long time to realize the importance of this distinction. While structure is a part of the armature, it is not its main purpose. In fact, most of the “structure” actually comes later, when we begin to map out the hard, bony landmarks of the model.
Instead, the armature is intended to establish our gesture, or the general “flow” of movement carried through the composition. There should already be a general understanding of this gesture developed during the sketching stage, but we are going to spend a lot of time perfecting it here. We should be able to achieve a sense of aesthetics and balance at this stage. Rather than something that looks like a rigid stick figure, the gesture should be appealing at every angle, even though we are technically creating just a stick figure. This is often a practice in subtlety, and a unique challenge arises here: almost all of the “subtlety” will be covered with clay. It is vital to remember that we are learning about our sculpture during this stage. As we progress, it is often the work we do in the gesture that will echo back to us saying, “oh ya! This arm twists this way” or “This curve was stronger before, let’s exaggerate it.” Allowing ourselves to learn from the piece actually helps us inform the piece. The more time we invest in understanding our beginnings, the less time we struggle later on.
Modelling
Now it is time to start building up our forms. I usually begin by blocking in the major structures—the hips, rib cage, and head—with foam shapes that are hot-glued to the armature. I like using foam insulation board, but many artists use aluminum foil. These materials primarily serve as fillers to help address weight issues that can arise from using excessive amounts of clay. These foam shapes should still be “sculpted” to fit the anatomical structure of the represented body part and should not conflict with the gesture of the armature. Each step in the sculpting process should be worked rigorously until there is a continuation, or “flow,” from the previous step. It can be far too easy to lose what we have already accomplished so this is often one of my main concerns, but this must be balanced with the understanding that anything I add will also add to the gesture and “change the spirit” of what has already been established. My goal is that any change is aimed in the correct direction and not leading me away from the vision.
After these shapes are properly in place, I begin adding clay. I start by applying larger chunks while paying close attention to the contour of the figure from every angle. The leading principle that defines sculpture is form, not detail. In fact, “details” in sculpture are a bit of a myth.
If we consider sculpting a mouth, most of us might begin by drawing a line that represents the area where the upper and lower lips meet. While we do use a line to initially identify the mouth, it is vital to recognize that this line is not actually a “line” but rather is determined by the shapes, or forms, that make up the upper and lower lips. The “line” is created by the shapes as they meet, not the shapes being determined by the line. This principle carries through the entirety of the figure.
Another helpful way to think about this is to return to our concept of the tree. We should all recognize that a tree starts with one solid trunk that then splits into two smaller branches, which themselves split into even smaller branches, and so on. Each branch could be seen as a smaller “tree,” having the same structure, similar to a Russian nesting doll. This fractal pattern is exactly what we are doing with sculpture. In the anatomical case, our fractal pattern deals with curves, convex or concave, and their relations with each other. The layering of shapes follows this pattern exclusively, leading to the development of complex contours.
We begin with the big shapes and progressively move toward smaller and smaller shapes. We start by sculpting the entire rib cage as one solid structure and slowly move toward each individual rib without losing sight of the main structure. We will begin to move toward the muscles that attach to the rib and then the skin that lays on top. Each element has its own form, yet that form is determined by what came before it. This last point is vital, and we address it by constantly stepping back from our piece. This allows us to momentarily lose sight of the tiny details so we can see the whole picture once again. I can assess which direction I am aiming, and if I must readjust. When I am working on something like an individual rib, I must literally step back to see the whole thing. This immediately tells me whether the individual rib “fits” within the whole rib cage.
In the end, sculpture is about form and balance. It is a perfect expression of nature. That same expression is found in humans, too. I love to think that when God was forming Adam from the dust, He was creating the first sculpture, because the story of Genesis is quite literally describing sculpture!
In the same fractal way, we humans, as images of God, are sculptors—metaphorically speaking for most of us, but quite literally for some of us.
In the posts to follow we are going to begin discussing the practical components to the production stages. These will be far less philosophical and hopefully serve as a good starting point for those interested in learning how to take their sculptures beyond just the clay.