How to Add Legs to a Bust

Adding legs to a bust increases the sense of action and realism. Legs imply motion and by sculpting legs onto a bust the artist gives kinetic energy to the piece. Legs must have an interior skeletal structure if they are designed to support a heavy bust.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Attach a mass of clay to the bottom of the bust to create the legs. This mass has to be worked into the material of the existing bust in order for the sculpture to have structural integrity.

2. Define the muscles of the legs and accentuate the hip and rear where the legs transition to become the torso. This area needs special attention in order to assure the piece is proportioned correctly.

3. Pose the legs in a manner that imitates motion. The legs of the bust should appear to be walking or balancing the weight of the body. Put one leg in front of the other or turn one slightly to the side to increase the lifelike appearance.

4. Increase the structural integrity and balance of the bust by adding a supporting layer of clay to the bottom of the legs. This can make the bust appear to be entering the water or as a three-quarter bust.

5. Add clothes to the legs and torso of the bust. The clothes can be used to visually and structurally connect the legs to the rest of the bust.