Sculpting a Head Study – week 3 and 4 January 21, 2009

Step 9: Measure from the top of the head to the ramus and mark a horizontal line across the ramus.

Step 10: Sight the angle from the occipital plane to the measured point of the ramus and build clay along this angle.

Step 11: Sight and mark the angle from the top of the sternal notch to the 7th cervical vertebra. 

Step 12: Measure the distance from the top of the sternal notch to the 7th cervical vertebra and build clay up to this distance.

Step 13: Drop an angle in clay from the angle at the point of the ramus down to the 7th cervical vertebra.

To build the width of the head:

Step 14: On the model, measure across the widest point of the head, about an inch about the ears.

Step 15: Mark the halfway point along the angle from the frontal plane to the occipital plane. This is about the point where the ear attaches to the head. Build the widest point of the head about an inch above this mark until it matches the measurement previously taken.

Step 16: Measure the model’s frontal plane from temporal to temporal and build clay out to this measurement.

Step 17: Sight the angle where the ear attaches to the head and mark it at the halfway point from Step 15. Bring this angle down. This is the jaw line.

Step 18: Measure the height of the head from the top to the chin. Draw a horizontal line at the base of the chin to intersect with the jaw line.  Fill in clay from the widest point of the head along this line to the frontal plane. 

Step 19: Fill in clay from the brow to the chin line so it creates a vertical plane. 

Step 20: Measure the width of the ramus and at the jaw line this will be the widest point. Fill out clay to this measurement.

Step 21: Mark the halfway point from brow line to chin. This is where the bottom of the nose is located. Draw a horizontal line to the back of the head. This is the base of the skull at the back of the head. Fill out clay to this point.

Sculpting a Head Study – week 2 January 14, 2009

Step 4: Mark the distance from the sternal notch to the brow along the angle previously built.
Step 5: Sight and build the angle of the frontal plane.
Step 6: Sight and build the angle of the plane that meets the highest point on the top of the head above the ear.
Step 7: Build two curves between the two planes.
Step 8: Sight and mark the angle from the middle of the frontal plane across the top of the ear to find the middle of the occipital plane. Measure the head depth – the distance from the frontal plane to the occipital plane and build the clay up to this point.

Sculpting a Head Study – week 1 January 6, 2009

I am taking a 12 week evening sculpture class at the studio. Our instructor is Stuart Mark Feldman. He  apprenticed with the founder of the Tyler School of art who studied with Rodin. He is excellent as a sculptor and teacher. The three dimensionality of sculpting helps us to have a greater understanding of the form when we translate the head/figure to a drawing or painting. 

We are first working on the “helmet” portion of the head, because this portion is bony and doesn’t shift as does the lower portion of the face with the soft tissue and muscle.

Step 1: Pack the armature with soft plasticene clay. Build up two inches at the top of the head.

Step 2: Measure the height of the head from the highest point above the ear to the top of the sternal notch at the base of the throat and mark it.

Step 3: Sight the angle of the throat to the brow and build it up in clay.

Level 1 week 17, 18, 19 January 6, 2009

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays (Figure drawing) 

We started doing head studies, beginning with 5 minute gestures and building up to 20 minute block-ins.

Instructor example (Steve Early):

My work:

5 minute gesture

10-20 minute block-ins

Wednesdays (Still life)

We are working on 5-6 hour long set-ups with full tonal range. In the second study I tried to keep more of the tones in the mid-value range and use the highlight and darkest dark sparingly. I think it makes a more subtle, delicate, unified rendering. 

Fridays (Still life)