Whilst art acts as a great form of expressing one’s thoughts and feelings, it is something that most people out there have never actually tried to do for themselves. In order to do any form of art, including sculpting, one must first learn some of the most very basic techniques. For instance, when working with clay, it requires the use of some specialist tools, in addition to a certain level of knowledge about how to manipulate and shape it. The more that you understand these basic things, the more chance you have of being able to master the discipline.
If this sounds like something that is of interest to you, keep reading to learn about what you need to do to start sculpting.
Decide on a work space
Having a big enough space where you can do your work and without any sort of distraction is vitally important for any sculptor. There needs to be sufficient space to house all of your tools and materials, as well as space to be able to move around the sculpture itself whilst working on it. Some artists use their home or a garage space, whilst others rent out a dedicated workshop.
Draw out a design
Prior to working with any materials, you need to first take a seat and draw out your design onto paper. Do not worry if your drawing skills are not up to par, the sketch does not have to be the best quality, it is just there to act as a guide or a reference tool to look back on during the sculpting process. It can be helpful to draw the sculpture from a number of different angles, as this will prove to be helpful further down the line.
Begin with a basic form
Once it is time to start actually sculpting, the process starts by taking off lots of the material. At this stage you do not need to worry about the finer details, instead you should be looking at your drawing in order to get the rough shape right. It is important to remember that sculpting is all about getting rid of material, so do not be afraid to do exactly that.
Add a finish
After the finer details have been added and the sculptor is finished, it is then time to add a gloss or any other kind of finish to it. What finish is used comes down to personal preference or is based on the type of finish that you are hoping to achieve. Think about if you want the sculpture to be shiny or have some colour on it. Based on this, you can use the right finish.
For anyone that likes the idea of becoming a sculptor but does not want to commit to do any of the things above, then there are sculpture classes all over the country that you can attend. Firebird Bronze is a full service foundry that offers individuals the chance to learn how to become a sculptor in Troutdale, OR. check firebird bronze website here.
