Portrait Sculpting Workshop with Lori Kiplinger Pandy

I am teaching sculpting classes and workshops this year.
More info on my site:
http://kiplingerpandy.com/classes.html

Sculpting from the Inside Out

5 day workshop

Sculpting expression in the portrait bust

April 28-May 2 from 9:30-4:30 pm daily
Held at the Sculpture Depot (map here)
$425 ($100 deposit*) Class size limited to 10 students - minimum of 5 students
Additional: model fee and clay (I will post or email soon)

Sculpting a portrait is one of the most demanding yet satisfying forms of sculpting. In this class we'll work on understanding the anatomy of the face and neck, learn about the planes of the face and build a portrait from the inside out. Knowing the structure of the head and understanding the core muscles that come into play in facial expression is key in creating a good portrait. You can choose between oil based clay or water based clay for this class. There will be some ecorche building of the muscles in days one and two, refining shapes and planes in day three with the introduction of the model and days four and five will be devoted to likeness and expression in the sculpture.

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Intro to Sculpting Sampler Series

5 week class

Wondering where to start? Confused about the different sculpting materials? Looking for hands-on guidance with practical tips and techniques for the different materials?

In my Intro to Sculpting Sampler Series I'll address those issues. During this weekly class you have the opportunity to try different clays and sculpting mediums and learn the pros and cons, advantages and limitations of each one and tools that work best with them.

Class meets weekly Wed. from 10am-12pm
March 26-April 23
Class held at Sculpture Depot (map here)
$95 ($50 deposit*) Class size limited to 10 students - minimum of 5 students
Additional: $4 group rate foundry tour fee -

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Eleanor Roosevelt sculpted portrait sketch finished

 Here is the finished sculpt - started as Mystery Sculpt #2. This is a small scale sketch in clay (called a maquette) that I'll use as reference when sculpting a life-sized portrait sculpture later.

This was created using ceramic paperclay, hollowed out and seamed back together, then fired in a kiln. The patina is layers of transparent acrylic glaze and the sculpt is mounted on a double round back wood base.

"Eleanor"
Measures 7.5"h x 5"w x 6" deep.
Portrait sculpture bust of Eleanor Roosevelt

Amaco Pasta Machine & Great Customer Service

In addition to working in fired ceramic clay and oil clay for purposes of bronze, I do work in other mediums as well. I've produced work in air-dry paperclay and also in polymer clay. Sculpting in different mediums requires different tools. When working in polymer clay, I work in miniature and small scale, sculpting the human figure in the form of fairies and sell them on Ebay - perhaps I'll have some on Etsy soon.

One of my goals of working small and in polymer clay is to master this clay and do some work for the collectibles industry and by sculpting the fairies, I am teaching myself more about the medium and sculpting on this small scale.

When working in polymer clay is is imperative that you condition the clay careful to distribute the oils, soften it to a workable consistency and ensure blended clays and colors. To do this, I cut the clay into small pieces and feed them through my Amaco Pasta Machine. I'm sure that I purchased this piece of equipment 10+ years ago and use it for oil clay and polymer clay as needed. One day, while clamping it to my desk, the thumb screw on the clamp broke in two. I used epoxy clay to rebuild the thumbscrew and got another year of use out of it but it broke in two again when using on January 7th.
This time, I went to Amaco.com and contacted them about possibly getting a new thumbscrew piece to replace the broken one. On January 8th, I promptly received an email reply that they would send one to me.

Yesterday the part came in the mail - the packeage is postmarked Jan. 8th. Same day service! They not only sent the thumbscrew - they sent a replacement handle and clamp to boot. This is excellent customer service and Amaco will be at the top of my list for any supplies that I need in the future. Love companies that respond quickly go the extra mile.

Continuing the portrait

 Today was one of those days - modem was coughing and sputtering and finally gave up the ghost - second time in 8 months - I spent several hours trying to get a different brand but alas, this one is the only one in town for dsl.

So even though I've gone through two of these already - I had to exchange it for the same model....and know that it will probably go the same way as the first. Will be giving some serious thoughts to new ISP if this keeps up.

Anyone out there know of a truly reliable DSL that will play nice with my Airport?

I did some refining of forms, but my time was broken and that makes it less productive. Tomorrow I should get some real time into the piece and perhaps get a chance to start blocking in the clothing too.

Any guesses as to who the person his?

Ecorche - back muscles

 

Today I'm layering in the muscles of the back in this ecorche study. I'm following the gain of the muscle fibers as I place the clay- emphasizing the shape, form and function of the muscle.  Once I've built up the form of the muscle, I'll go back and refine it a bit. Time-consuming but effective way to build the figure.
I'm using Jmac Classic clay in medium and working 1/3 life size.

 

 

Ecorche' - Sculpting the muscles of the face

écor·ché

ey-kawr-shey  - noun

an anatomical model of part or all of the human body with the skin removed, to allow study of the underlying musculature.

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 Anatomy....If you plan on sculpting the human figure then make no bones about it (....*groan*...pun intended ;-) you really need to know and understand anatomy.

It's a good idea to to try your hand at sculpting individual muscles in order to truly gain an understanding of what is happening under the skin. This exercise pays huge dividends when you sculpt because as you make the forms, you'll begin to understand how these bones, muscles and tendons give life, emotion and expression to your art.

This will infuse your work with greater authority and sculpting from life, or your imagination will become easier.

You can take workshops or classes if you have the time and availability, but if that isn't feasible, roll up your sleeves and get to work on your own.

Some books that I find useful for anatomy:

The Human Figure (David K. Rubins)
Classic Human Anatomy* (Valerie Winslow)
Anatomy for the Artist (Sarah Simblet)

*I especially like how this book is broken down and the phonetic help.