How to Make a Mini Human Figure Out of Clay
One of the earliest known uses of fired clay was to make miniature human figures. Ancient people used ceramics to make human figurines before they made pottery. The oldest figures are called Venuses and were sculpted in eastern Europe over 25,000 years ago. Stoneware, earthenware and sometimes porcelain and terra cotta red clay are still used to form small figurative sculptures at the beginning of the 21st century. It takes practice and concentration, but almost anyone can produce a mini human figure out of clay.
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Things You'll Need
- Clay powder
- Bucket
- Water
- Wedging wire
- Drawing materials
- Plaster bat
- Sculpting turntable
- Wooden ceramic tools
- Wire-loop tools
- Carving knives
Instructions
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Prepare about a half-gallon of clay for a mini-figure sculpture project. Put the dry clay powder in a bucket and add water as you mix with your hands. Continue adding water and mixing until the clay reaches a workable consistency. Roll a coil of clay and bend it. If it breaks or cracks, add more water to the mixture. Thoroughly knead or wedge the clay to remove air bubbles. Wedge the clay by repeatedly cutting it with a wire mounted on brackets and slamming the two lumps together.
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Observe and study the human figure to get the proportions right. Look at how limbs are attached to the body. Practice figure drawing to understand basic anatomy. Draw the figure you want to sculpt or just wing it and improvise as you go. Have at least a general idea of the figure's pose. Choose a sitting, kneeling or reclining figure. Let the clay and your imagination determine the style and form of the clay figure.
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Use a combination of the coil and pinch methods to make a human figure. Build the figure on a damp, circular-shaped plaster bat. Set the bat on a sculpting turntable. Roll out a short, thick, rounded coil for the main mass of the body. Flatten it and form it into a human shape using your fingers to pinch and shape the clay. Pinch the thighs and upper arms out of the clay, or make four smaller coils by rolling balls of clay between your hands to form tubular shapes.
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Attach the coils to the torso. Flatten the ends of the tubes and score with a sharp wooden tool. Make some slip, or liquid clay, by adding water to the clay until it's runny. Dip the coils in the slip and stick them to the torso. Make four more coils for the lower arms and legs and attach them to the body. Turn the rotating turntable frequently to view the figure from all angles as you work.
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Employ an additive method of shaping the figure by sticking on and molding small pieces of clay to the figure. Wet your fingers to weld the clay together and smooth the joints. Add details such as facial features and hair with wooden ceramic sculpting tools. Let the figure dry to a leathery texture, then carve it using a subtractive technique. Cut away excess clay with wire-loop tools or knives to sculpt the figure. Dry and fire the figure when you're satisfied with it.
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Tips & Warnings
Store unused clay in a sealed plastic bag.
Cover the figure with wet paper towels between work sessions.
Always wear a respirator when mixing clay to prevent silicosis.
References
Resources
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