Fun sculpting is a style of sculpting that focuses on having fun and getting into your artist urges. There are many ways to do fun sculpting, so let’s talk about some basic tips.
1. Do not be afraid to get dirty
Even though there are limits to how much fun sculpting you can have with only basic tips, you should still try to get as much fun sculpture as possible. Get into your oils and chalkboards as soon as possible to maximize the amount of fun you have while sculpting.
2. Be comfortable and feel free to make mistakes
While it is important not to give up when you make a mistake or your oil gets too hot, it is also important to stop and correct yourself if you are making little mistakes that add up into something bigger. You can feel free to fix yourself without being embarrassed or taking away from the art style you are doing.
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Soft clay
When compared to hard clay, soft clay can make a difference in the way you work it. Because it is more flexible, you can use less of it to create sculptures.
Because it has less volume, you can use less time to dry your sculpture before carving. To ensure quality work, take your time to ensure that the sculpture is fully dry before continuing.
Because of the ease at which soft clay can be worked, some artists do not always ROLL down the required length of soft clay. This can make for a short finishing time for some pieces.
Harder clay
When you get your first piece of clay, it can be hard to make the transition from bag to work surface. Some clay is easier than others!
Some clays require much practice and skill to make sense of. For instance, HMPs require moving your hands and arms in a circular motion to sculpt. You also have to vary the pressure on the sculpting tool to change the shape you want.
You can learn all these things by just working with it! The easiest type of clay is PHB due to the fact that you do not have to worry about temperature regulation or hardening.
So starting out, try some easy clays until you get the hang of them.
Sculpting tools
There are many ways to sculpt. You can choose to be very limited in terms of tools you have, or you can mix and match modelers styles.
There are several ways to sculpt. One popular way is using a brush and a soft, medium, or hard object to place on the skin. The brush moves with your hand as it works its magic on the surface.
The soft object can be a cloth or paper cutout. Or there are those who use clay, brushes, and craft supplies.
There are those who just use a knife and some sort of support.
What should I sculpt?
There are a few types of sculpture you can sculpt. The most common type is called fun sculpting. This includes making objects such as sculptures, boxes, and pillars.
The other two types of sculpture are more serious and meaningful, respectively. One is called serious sculpting and the other is called meaningful sculpting.
Neither one of these two types of sculpture are fun because they are usually difficult to make. However, they can be beautiful! If you wanted to work on a paper doll or something like that, a serious doll would be the least amount of clay you would need to use to make a proper paper doll.
The other two types of sculpture require different lengths of clay to create them in. One requires paint and the other requires plasticine or another resilient material to hold together.
Where should I sculpt?
The Answer is in the Description paragraph above! There are many places to sculpt in the world, and most of them are very much worth visiting. So, let’s take a look!
There are countless spots to sculpt in the world. Some are urban areas, some are rural, and some are both. Regardless, there is always something new to discover and work on!
If you want to work on your fun sculpting skills, then you should definitely check out these different places. There is no reason to just stick to one area or style of sculpture! There is so much more endlessness in clay and wood than you may think.
Composition
Composing is a cool way to challenge your limits. Using only 3 or 4 tools and making a series of different shapes, contours, or planes can lead to some creative shapes.
Using several same tools and giving yourself some space to create different contours is another way to fun sculpting.
There are many online resources such as YouTube, Instagram, and forums where people share their compositions. You can even go looking in the store you normally do not buy items but that you would like to have on hand.
By having different pieces of equipment you are also saving money since you can have one fixed for an extended period of time.
Focus on detail
When you’re working on fun sculpting, it’s important to focus on the details. This includes paying attention to your hands, feet, face, and other parts of your body.
The more detail-oriented you are, the better your sculpture will look. You can also spend time practicing areas of your sculpture in case you need to make slight changes.
Remember, you can always add more detail to your sculpture. Adding a head or a couple of feet can be done again and again as long as you find the right balance between Detail and Mobility.
There are many ways to practice focusing on detail. You can look up some examples on sculpting websites or blogs, or search online for some detailed pieces of art.
Move your hands slowly when working with the clay
When painting or sculpting with wet clay, you must let the clay “dry” before working with it. This allows the clay to harden properly and to avoid marring your work, as well as gives you a chance to get the angle and placement of your fingers and tools.
Too much moisture in the clay will not let it harden properly, and may even melt it down. This would be a bad thing, as you would have to start over with new clay!
Moving your hands too fast or trying to sculpt with wet clay can damage it or cause it to stick together. If this happens, you must dry some more before scrapping!
The only time when wet sculpting is recommended is when there is too little time to fully dry the clay completely.