How to Build a Base for an Eagle Sculpture

Before you begin carving your clay into a sculpture, you need a base for the clay. It doesn't matter how big your sculpture is; without a solid base it will collapse. A simple, secure base can make the difference between a good sculpture and a failure.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose the material you want for your base. For a clay sculpture, wood is easy to work with and provides a strong base.

2. Decide how big you want your sculpture to be. Use a 3D model if you have one. You can also use pictures to help determine the size and shape you want to make.

3. Select a flat block of wood for the bottom of your statue that is big enough to completely cover the bottom of your clay sculpture. You don't want anything fancy because you want the focus to be on your sculpture, not on the base.

4. Attach a vertical support to the block of wood. Determine the length of your support piece based on how tall you want your sculpture to be. Drill a hole through the bottom of the wood into the support so that the vertical support is perpendicular to the base. When you finish, the block of wood rests flat on the table with the support sticking up from it, like a flagpole.

Tips & Warnings

• The choice of your base material depends on what type of sculpting material you are using. Other choices of base material include objects like wire, newspaper and even tin foil.
• Make sure your wooden base block is level. If you need to, plane the surface until the block rests flat on the table.
• Use safety goggles when you drill or plane your wood.