How to Carve Wax Head Facial Features

Wax sculpting is one way to express your creative impulses and feelings. Forming "portraits" in clay, stone, metal or some other medium is a skill that requires honing. You can start with the basics to carve a head out of wax.

Instructions

1. Carve the nose from a picture or a living model. Focus on the lines and features that make the nose. This is the center of the face and you must carve this feature proportionally to balance the sculpture.

2. Carve out the eyes and cheeks next. These are another important aspect of balancing the structure. You have many decisions to make at this point, including whether to include pupils and eyelashes. Many sculptures do not include these features because they are too delicate and do not look realistic.

3. Study your model and its mouth. The expression on a mouth can dictate countless different emotions. Study the curve and the shape of the mouth, lips and teeth if they are exposed.

4. Sculpt your figure's hair carefully. This aspect can have just as much character and complication as any part of the face. The problem is that there are so many different looks and textures associated with the hair. Study it closely and think about how hair translates to wax before beginning.

5. Finish off with detailing the rest of the face. Include any beauty marks on the face, bags under the eyes and wrinkles on the forehead. The human face has a million quirks. Determining which features to include on your face is a fascinating process.