Lesson Plan / Process of a Project: Building a Portrait Bust... in this case of a Mouse

Project: "Small god #1: Mouse Girl" 

(Alternate title ideas... Minimus deus?)

 

This post follows my process in building a ceramic portrait bust, which happens to be of an anthropromorphized mouse. In documenting the process, I hope that it can be used as a guide for students on how to develop a project from sketch stage to completion, as well as a specific reference for building a portrait bust using the coil method.

All photography is by me, as I worked, so getting shots of my hands employing techniques was not possible. Still, I hope this is useful.

 

Step I. Sketch: In this case my idea was to come up with characters, of which I plan to make small figurines, as well as larger (tabletop size) ceramic sculptures. Here are my original sketches for this character.

 

 

Step II. Research, then sketch some more: There was a lot I didn't know about mouse anatomy. I also, had to come up with a solution for making a tabletop ceramic piece that could stand on its own. I settled on the idea of a portrait bust.

 

Here are some of the reference photos I used for mouse anatomy, the sketches I made from them, and my final sketch for the ceramic bust.

 

 

 Step III: Start building the basic form of the bust, using the coil method.

 

 

The line down the center of this form is illustrating the "clay surgery" documented below. When you begin building, you won't have such a split or line.

 

Tips for students:

1. Keep your tools, extra clay, and sketchbook nearby.

2. Keep your extra clay in a plastic bag to keep it moist. Your clay should be firm but flexible. If it starts to crack when you bend it, add water. If it's gooey or collapsing, let it dry out a bit.

 

 

See how my extra clay is kept inside a plastic bag so it doesn't dry. I also have a bowl of water and a spray bottle handy to rewet it.

 Troubleshooting: Students often have problems with handbuilt pieces becoming too thick and heavy. You need a certain amount of thickness while building in order for the clay walls to support themselves, but if they are too thick you are more likely to run into trouble with air bubbles in the kiln.

 

Solution: "Clay Surgery"

(You can also use this "surgery" if your piece is simply too big.)

 

Clay Surgery, Step 1. Cut sculpture in half with a wire tool. This process is best started when the piece is still rough and without detail.

 

Clay Surgery, Step 2. Use a tool to scrape excess clay from the inside of the sculpture's walls. Pay special attention to places where the clay is thickest. Your goal is a uniformity wall width.

A cross section of my sculpture, along with a ball of clay that has been removed from it.

Clay Surgery, Step 3. Rejoin the two halves of your sculpture. Make sure to score, splip, and then patch with a bit of extra clay on the surface of the opening.

 

Step IV. Continue building the rough shape of your piece. When you add large surface details or forms that adjoin to the body, like the arms on this piece, make them hollow, and creat a hole in the wall that they attach to, which opens into the large hollow center of the piece. This way, no part of your sculpture will be too thick, and no part will trap a large air bubble.

Troubleshooting: Another common problem is for the sculpture to get too wide, or fail to narrow when the sculptor wants it to.
Tips:
1. Build it narrower than you want it to be.
2. Curl the top edge in as you work (see the photo above).
3. Use a hand or finger to support the clay from the outside as you add each coil.
4. If your form has already gotten too wide, perform "clay surgery" (again).

In this photo, part of my sculpture has become too wide. I have built the back of the skull out too much, more like a human (my usual subjects) than a mouse. So I am performing "clay surgery" to bring it back in and achieve the form I want.

2nd Clay Surgery, Step 1: Trace the outline of the piece you want to cut out, usually a V shape. In this case I just need one. Often you need two on either side of a symmetrical form. You may need more than two, just keep in mind that they need to be centered, or at opposite points, in order to maintain the symmetry of a form.

 

2nd Clay Surgery, Step 2: Cut

2nd Clay Surgery, Step 3: Bring the edges of the clay together, score, slip, and patch to repair. You may need to continue to adjust the sculpture until you get the form you desire.

For smaller changes, you can push the clay out from the inside of the form, or pinch it in from the
outside.

Step V: Continue to build up the basic form of your sculpture, finally enclosing the top of the head.

Step VI: Add details.
Most details will be added by adding onto the outside of the form, as show below.

Tip: You can also make subtle adjustments by pushing, pulling, and pinching the clay. Many adjustments are best made from the inside out, so you will either want to make them before you close up your piece, or at a point when it may be cut open during clay surgery. Don't be afraid of making BIG changes to your work in progress!

Tip: DON'T BE AFRAID while making art, in general! I used to waste a lot of time hemming and hawing over every little descision. As I have gotten older and have gained experience I realize it makes much more sense to just pick a direction and go for it. Even if you make a mistake, you end up saving so much time that you have plenty of time to fix it. Or even better, you can start fresh and make a second work, in which you go a different direction. That is how series are born. Most professional artists work in series, in which they can explore several directions for one central idea.

When adding symmetrical details, like ears, build both up at once, rather than completing one and then the other. This will allow you to see differences, and correct them, as you go.

Tip: On the other hand, you may not want a PERFECTLY symmetrical sculpture. In nature, things are rarely perfect. Small "flaws" in symmetry, whill make your sculpture look more natural, more like a real person, or in this case, mouse.

Adding the brow bone. These start as coils, but will be smoothed in on the edges to create a more subtle effect. In places, more clay will be built onto the surface of the face, in others, the form may be pressed in, or carved away.

For the eyeballs, I form a clay ball, then cut it in half. Each half sphere will be scored, slipped, and attached to the proper place on the face. See below.

The brow bone is still rather severe here. I will add a bit more clay to the surface of the center forehead to achieve the desired effect. I will also add coils for the upper and lower lids on the eyes. A nose  and dimples where the whiskers protrude are also forthcoming, etc.

 

Step VII. Continue to add details, using slipping and scoring to attach coils, slabs, etc.

 

Step VIII. Texture.

Create different textures where appropriate. In this case I carved out a "furry" or "hairy" texture for the mouse's body. For the dress I wanted a smoother look, which I achieved with my finger, a damp sponge, and various tools to scrape and polish. I worked on the textures in many short sessions, in stages if you will.

 

Tip: Don't rush texture. I like to do the final touches in many small steps as the sculpture slowly reaches different levels of dryness. This is especially effective for achieving a smooth texture.

 

Final Tip: It's never too late to make a big change! Ok, that's not true. With clay, there is a point of no return. But you can still make big changes at the leather hard stage. After an informal critique with a fellow artist, I added a tail snaking up the back of this piece, my friend's suggestion. My first reaction was, "No, it's too dry. It's too far along. I've made enough major changes." I was scared. But I remembered my own advice not to be afraid, and decided to go for it. Thanks for the idea, Jean! (pictures are coming)

Another big change, made after most of the photos taken here: I decided the neck was too long, so I cut the whole head off with a wire tool and removed about an inch of clay in height, then reattached the head. Don't be afraid!