Clay! Yeay!

Hello everyone!

So here is a blog concerning my sculpting work. You will find in here tips about the way I like to work both in sculpting and digital modeling. I've mostly been running trials with different techniques and materials. I'll start at the beginning using simple clay available in all art supplies shops.

- Clay doesn't need an underneath wire structure and is very easy to experiment with. I would at first, recommend to sculpt an easy pose: seated or laid down so you don't need to worry about the character's balance yet.

- Start with the basic shapes and be sure to blend them all in one solid structure on which you'll be able to start detailing quite easily. You don't really need tools at this step, just use your hands (the best tool EVER!) to feel the volumes and get the shapes right. The fastest you are, the best your basic shapes will be. Don't pay attention to details now.

-As the clay starts to dry you may want to get more into those shapes and start to add the main muscles and tendons. This still is a block-in step of the process, feel free to change whatever you want to for it's the last occasion you'll have to do so. I personally use guitar strings scotched on a pencil to shape clay... it is the most amazing cheapest tool (thanks to John Mahoney for the priceless tip!) Remember to have a little squirt bottle close to you in order to wet the clay from times to times and smooth it.

- Finally, when you're done with your main design, just feel if the clay is ready to get carved with thin tools to texture the skin and all organic parts that you want to get crazy on. There are many ways to do it: by hand, texture pads made of latex (fruit casts are particularly helpful), or just a simple color pencil will do the trick perfectly! Blend the details into the skin with a wet brush to have a killer looking organic rendering.

- Remember to recover your model with a plastic bag full of wet paper towels to ensure the clay won't dry between two working sessions!

All right that's all I got for now on clay sculpting. Here are little samples of my work in John Mahoney's class in Calarts.

Hope you'll enjoy and make kick-ass models!