How to Build a Model Ear

The visible outer human ear is an elegantly formed and highly efficient shape that captures sound waves in the air and directs them down a funnel-like passage to the inner ear's mechanisms. By following the directions in this tutorial and using the anatomical pictures in the provided Internet link, you can learn how to model the outer ear using any artist's modeling clay or the recommended polymer clay, Sculpey, which can be baked to a lasting hardness in a kitchen oven. The model presented here was made by the author using only his fingers and an ordinary wooden Popsicle stick.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sculpey polymer clay or any modeling clay for artists
• Standard wooden Popsicle, craft sticks or any artist's clay modeling tools
• A flat, non-absorbent, smooth surface to place the model on as you form it.
• A metal baking pan or cookie sheet if using Sculpey to make a permanent model

How to Build A Model Ear

1. Click on the link in the References section to view the online slide show images of the Human Ear Anatomy for Artists. If your computer is connected to a printer, print out the images as visual references for your model. If someone who will pose for you, use them as a live model.

2. 

   Knead the clay thoroughly to to make it soft and flexible. Form the kneaded clay into a round ball as wide as the palm of your hand. Flatten the ball gradually into an oval form that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Refer to the reference picture and shape the oval to match the basic outer shape of the ear. The finished model will be about two times life-size.

3. 
   Pinch and Roll Technique

   Continue to form the contours of the ear by pinching the clay one-quarter of an inch inside the outside edge and rolling the edge forward. Continue pinching and rolling the edge to form the overhanging curled top and side edge of the ear. Study the reference pictures to determine the shape, depth and length of the curling outer formation. Shape the basic rough contours of the ear by alternately pinching, rolling and bending the clay.

4. 

   Form the concave surfaces of the ear (the parts that bulge inward) by pushing firmly into the clay with the tip of your finger. Use the reference pictures to determine the placement and relative depth of the concave surfaces. Push, pinch and roll the clay to form the raised ridges and concave surfaces. Occasionally smooth the surface of the clay by running your fingertips lightly over the surface. If necessary, add small bits of kneaded clay in areas that have become too thin or in spots that need building up to match the contours that you see in the reference pictures. Most of the shaping and modeling of the model ear's form can be done using only your fingers.

5. 

   Form the lobe of the ear by alternately pinching the clay or placing pressure along the edges to create a smooth, rounded, but flattened form. Study the reference pictures and locate the two small, bulging forms at the outside of the ear canal. (The ear canal is the funnel-like passage that angles forward into the head.) Pinch, pull and depress the clay to form the two small bulges, which are on opposite sides of the canal, facing each other. Small amounts of kneaded clay can be added to build up these bulges if necessary.

6. 

   Use the Popsicle/craft stick or any round-ended modeling tools to remove the clay in the deepest concavities of the model's surface. Study the reference pictures to locate areas that have slight undercuts. The shape of the undercuts can be created by lightly removing material in the concave areas with the rounded end of a stick or tool. and then rolling the clay forward and smoothing it with one's fingertips along the raised ridges.

7. 
   Finished Model

   Continue working on shaping the contours of the model, using the techniques of pinching, rolling, pushing on surfaces, or adding/removing clay. Occasionally smooth the surface with your fingertips. Constantly check the reference pictures and duplicate the surface shapes as closely as possible to what you see. When the model is formed to your satisfaction, smooth the surface using your fingertips to a consistent, fine texture so that the raised ridges and concave surfaces blend together seamlessly. (If you are using Sculpey and wish to bake your sculpture to a hardened, permanent state, place the finished model in a baking pan or on a cookie sheet and follow the manufacturer's directions that are printed on the Sculpey package. Baked Sculpey can be sanded and painted with acrylic paint after it cools to room temperature.)
   This concludes the modeling tutorial, and we hope you enjoy working on your project.

References

• Human Ear Anatomy for Artists