How to Sculpt the Figure of a Bust

Sculpting the figure of a bust in clay requires reshaping the clay from a generalized bust to a refined figure. The figure of a bust should have unique character with a proportionally balanced design. A bust's figure must be brought out by removing excess clay from the bust and defining the details of the figure.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Model the figure on a sketch or photograph. This serves as the guide for the sculpture, but will not necessarily be used to create an exact duplicate in clay.

2. Compress the clay to add contours to the bust. It's always not necessary to remove clay in order to create contours such as those which define the bust, waist and groin.

3. Reshape the outline of the figure to bring out the musculature and created an implied skeletal structure. Although a figure does not have to be entirely realistically sculpted, the bust should incorporate realistic elements to accentuate the figure's human qualities.

4. Add clay to the create volume where the bones and muscles are located. The clay can then be smoothed later to create a solid figure with finer details which create the illusions of human characteristics.