How to Paint a Sculpture

Sculptures are fine pieces of art that everyone can appreciate. When creating your own pieces of clay sculptures, you get to decide how they are best finished, whether with paint, glaze or simply left natural with a clear coat. Quite often, clay sculptures are painted to add shading and detail to your art.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lazy Susan
• Spare cardboard or paper
• Clay sculpture
• Spray paint in multiple colors
• Paper towels

1. Place the sculpture on the Lazy Susan. This makes it easy to turn and manipulate while you are painting, so that you don't risk smearing your paint as you work.

2. Choose the base color of spray paint that you wish to use.

3. Spray the paint first on a piece of scrap cardboard or paper. Take this opportunity to ensure that your spray can paint is flowing smoothly.

4. Paint the base coat onto your clay sculpture. Make sure the paint goes on smoothly with no runs. All surfaces of the sculpture should be covered.

5. Wait approximately half an hour, then paint a second coat of base coat onto your sculpture. This second coat should have 24 hours to dry before adding any additional details to your paint.

6. Use a slightly darker shade of paint to add depth to the shadowed areas of your sculpture. Use a slightly lighter shade of spray paint to add highlights to your sculpture. Let every coat of paint dry about half an hour before adding more layers.

Tips & Warnings

• When done painting, turn the spay can upside down and depress the nozzle until it no longer sprays paint. This may take a few seconds. It also ensures that your paint will not dry in the nozzle.
• You can add more details to your sculpture using a fine brush and liquid enamel paints.
• Spray paint can be considered a toxic substance and must be used carefully. Only use spray paint in a well-ventilated area.