Building Out The Sculpture

Figure Sculpting Fundamentals

Sculpture Techniques

Building Out The Sculpture

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Building Out The Sculpture

19K
Mark as Completed

You'll be creating a thin figure with all of its primary forms and hints of secondary forms and be sure to include the centerline and guidelines. You can make your sculpture any size you want, but I would suggest sticking between a height of 10 to 18 inches.

If you wish to proceed with adding the secondary forms as shown in the next video (Building Secondary Forms), then be sure to take progress pictures to show the completion of the primary forms before moving on. I will be doing an assignment video for this episode, so if you'd like me to critique your primary AND secondary forms, please post your assignment here by March 23rd!

Newest
John Sumner
Sculpture Build Up #2 - Part 1: Gesture and Primary Forms Addressing Notes from V.1 - Sculpting thin through the torso, and even throughout. I also build the stand correctly this time too. I'll be moving on to the secondary forms later tonight, and will update this post with pics when I've got 'em.
Abi
3mo
I enjoyed working on the rib cage the most.
John Sumner
Sculpture Build Up : Part 1 - Sculpting Thin Here's the armature at around 11 inches, (1" = 1 Cranial Unit) and the start of my build up in clay. My main goals were to get the armature built up and put on a stand, find the gesture of the pose, and add clay for the primary forms. I'll add more pictures as I finish out the primary forms and move on to the secondary forms in the next lesson.
Andrew Joseph Keith
Looking good! can't wait to see it develop! remember to sculpting thin in the torso and head. Also try to sculpt evenly throughout the figure. You're doing great and I'm enjoying seeing so much work from the course! I wish all students had your drive!
Jose Ardern
I used a very thin wire for the size of the sculpture and also did not use an additional support which gives me problems as the mass of the sculpture increases..
Andrew Joseph Keith
Hey this is looking great! a really good start! Yeah external support can definitely help when it gets larger than a foot or so.
@babysculpt
Can you sculpt a baby
Cat M
3yr
Somehow I missed that there was an assignment until I got a proko email. This was the first time I used the armature stand, and the threaded rod and I didn't get along. It ended up being too long and I wasn't able to move the spine, so I wasn't able to get as much gesture as I wanted. I wasn't going to submit anything because I wasn't happy with it. But the ghosts of instructors past started haunting me to remind me that submitting something is better than submitting nothing at all.
Andrew Joseph Keith
Yes absolutely its better to submit something than nothing! It’s coming great! The stand looks good. I’d just keep going and build in the “safe areas” where you know there needs to be more clay like between the rib cage and pelvis.
Scott Camazine
Here is my submission for "Building Out the Sculpture". I started with one of the PoseSpace figures with a Contrapposto pose that I liked, and then modified the pose in another software program to get a gesture that was "reaching" and somewhat more elongate. My original armature was a bit flimsy, so I added a right-angle pipe. I think I will change this to a hanging armature as you showed in your video. I prefer to be able to sculpt all around the figure without the armature poking through the figure's back. I was having some problems maintaining the correct proportions, even though my armature appeared accurate. So I temporarily superimposed some toothpicks over the form. Each toothpick was 2 heads in length. I would appreciate any critiques you can offer before I move on to filling out the form. Thanks Andrew.
Scott Camazine
Thank you Andrew. I must admit that even with a correctly proportioned armature, and continually checking the proportions (In terms of the head length units), I often find that my proportions are “wandering”. Perhaps, after several dozen attempts like this, it will become easier 😉
Andrew Joseph Keith
Looking good! I like the use of the toothpicks to check the angles of the pelvis and rib cage! Looks like the rib cage is too short as well as the pelvis. I would try to get those feeling more accurate as far as the heights before you start to build out the widths and add thickness.
Rone Waugh
3yr
I saw your video using aluminium foil for building an armature. I wanted to look at it again but can't find it. Can you help?
Rone Waugh
3yr
As soon as I posted the question I found it!
Maciek Komenza
a study of a gesture based on a drawing by George Bridgman. I'm asking for Your critic Andrew.
Andrew Joseph Keith
Really awesome! I would love to see the reference for the gesture study too. As far as a gesture study I really like it and it feels like you’ve got the masses at about the right amount in the right areas so that’s great. The proportions also feel good. Do some more! Keep it up!
Maciek Komenza
One more
Pete McG
3yr
Not sure if i made the rib cage wide enough. What do you think?
Andrew Joseph Keith
Hey that’s looking great! No I don’t think it’s too thin, remember at this stage it should look fairly thin throughout. Now you could probably start to build out the thickness of the legs and arms and start to focus on the silhouette. Great job.
@jakeyboy123
Andrew, I wasn't sure how far to take this one. Will there be a follow on lesson to bring this along a little farther? Anyway, let me know your thoughts. Hip are a little wide I think
@jakeyboy123
Andrew, Here are few additional images after the first submission. Kind if a tricky pose. She still looks a little emaciated from some angles but overall I am pretty happy with it. I did work on the hips to make them more proportional. She looks a little off balnce in the pictures. One thing I find really interesting is that while I am working on the sculpture I feel like I am really nailing it. Then I take some pictures and reality sets in. Funny but helpful to take a couple of looks before wrapping up. Let me know your thoughts. Hope everyone is enjoying the course.
Andrew Joseph Keith
Yes the hips are a bit wide. Try to make all of the features build up together slowly. Here the hips might be too thick even for the finished sculpture. The gesture is getting there. Keep it up!
Maciek Komenza
the task is over. thank you for this lesson. do you have any comments ??
Andrew Joseph Keith
Looking great! The only thing I’d say is try to keep the primary forms of the head, rib cage, and pelvis thinner. Remember that we’ll still need room to build out the contours on top of these forms so if they are too big the figure starts looking too bulky and wide. Keep it up!
@bivius
3yr
When will your next lesson be your amazing
Andrew Joseph Keith
There should be a critique video coming soon. Because the Proko editing team is so busy lessons may not be released every week.
Marena Kehl
Good lesson! Thanks!
Andrew Joseph Keith
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Proko sculpting instructor. Sculpting takes drawing to a whole new dimension.
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