Sculpture 101 - clay - first ever sculpture

[scottbaird]

This is my first post in this forum and the first sculpture I've ever made. We're using clay in class but not going to dry/fire it, so that allows us to make interesting forms without having to worry right off the bat about it holding its shape.

The project was to combine elements from three photos into a sculpture, without having a clearly defined objective in mind; to just allow it to "happen" while you're developing its form.

The base it's on is 2 feet square.



And some closeups:






I'm totally excited about this I had a lot of fun, I can't believe I actually get college credit for this.

Any comments or critiques are appreciated!

Scott.

[sculpturedolls]

I can see why you are so excited. It's full of life and energy and interest. I can't tell if it's an underwater creature or a piece of wood with interesting form. In any case, that's part of what makes it good is that it captivates the imagination.

You could fire sculpts like this at low fire and not have problems with warping at all. The main thing to be concerned with is having it be hollow and not more than 1 inch thick (if you are using a grogged clay). Some say 3/8" to 1/5" max for wall thickness. I guess it depends some on the type of clay you use but as for me, I've had walls up to 1" thick and has been okay.

Also, you don't want to have trapped air from constructing the clay pieces quickly and leaving air bubbles inside. But I've done it before too and if fired slowly, haven't had problems with that either.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I hope you can fire it so that you can keep your first sculpt forever!

Happy sculpting and it sounds like you are hooked!

[ArtsyLynda]

That's a fun piece! I love the twisting motion of it and the little mushroom shapes that stick up like little islands or something. Welcome to the wonderful world of 3-D! Happy sculpting!

[nzuriel]

Great imagination. Job well done!

[song_bird]

Very interesting piece! Clay is a lot of fun. And credits for playing with mud are an added perk, lol. Can we see the 3 photos? !

[ragin_cajun05]

2 words awe- some (my 9 yo DD Zoe)

I say that is really cool!!! I love the twisted tree!! (11 yo DD Emma)

Great job!

[MichaelGross]

I love it!
It's fantastic for a first try, you've got some incredible talent. Do the world a favor and keep at it.

[shakeyjake]

I love the way the 'branches' of the tree section look like hands weaving to the sky in unision - reminds me of one of those world peace sculptures.

If this is your first work, I look forward to seeing what your future holds. Keep it up and keep posting!

[Lendar]

Great job. This is an amazing sculpture for a beginner. Welcome to our world and keep up the good work.