Building An Armature And Sculpting A Head In The Round

Join Beginner's School instructor Kent Kidwell as he demonstrates how to build an armature and sculpt a head in this instructional video. View the full lesson on our website: www.beginnerssc...

[@richardthomas1101]

Very informative! Beginner here getting ready to do my first bust. You answered a lot of questions I had, I learned a lot. Your a good teacher, kept it moving! Thanks

[@BeginnersSchool]

So glad to hear you're learning something new! Keep up the good work!

[@EMMETT-WILLIAMS]

I wish i'd had this type of instruction in art school 30 years ago

[@darrelltaylor7457]

Thank you for being so clear and concise I really enjoy your videos, you sure make it look easy.

[@biddyboo8]

Thank you for the armature advice, I am going to get into sculpting and had no clue how to build the armature.

[@kurogiza]

This is very well explained, I have certainly learned a lot. Thank you!

[@helenannleeshung9028]

You are a fantastic Teacher !❤🎨👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿🙋🏽‍♀️❤💐 Thank you for such an educational experience 💖

[@Topofthemorning1000]

wow finally someone who explains it properly thank you so much for sharing

[@ramonawood8048]

I wish there was a DOUBLE like. I like how you are easy to understand. thank you

[@martinwettmark1203]

Thanks from Sweden!

[@catherinehalligan-jolly396]

Great detail and simple explanation 👏 👌

[@karinagonzalez5787]

EXCELENTE!!!MUY BIEN EXPLICADO Y FÁCIL DE ENTENDER!!!TAMBIÉN HAGO ESCULTURA,ES MI PASIÓN! SALUDOS DESDE ARGENTINA.

[@manjudraws6260]

The armature you made, is too good.

[@stevew585]

Great video Thanks, can I use Air dry clay?

[@karinburfict1061]

Amazing! THANK YOU for sharing... what a talent....

[@claudiaalejandrasorayre5208]

Thank you so much.

[@rohanhegde2468]

@Beginner's School, Amazing tutorial... can this set up be used for the 1: 1 life size portrait sculpture too or would i need a larger armature?

[@lieseanartista]

Is the clay you are using just for practice? Or does it get hard, get fired? and become a piece that can be displayed?

[@volcheq2041]

Thank you for this!

[@iangallager4091]

Many thanks Kent. Your instructions could not be clearer.

[@hilaryritter4733]

Does anyone know what kind of clay he is using? This is such a helpful video!!!

[@VinnyDoesLife]

I just built the exact same armature. It's awesome. Question, how do you go about taking the sculpture off the armature when you finished your piece? Do you just pull it off, I assume?

[@BeginnersSchool]

First, a mold is made of the completed head, then the clay is torn off and reused, as is the armature. Sorry for the delayed response!

[@Typicaljess]

Photographer, there is a setting to turn off the auto-focus confirmation beep off.

[@shelleybauer992]

Very informative! Is it more difficult to sculpt without a reference face or easier for you? Making things up along the way makes me think that I’d be making mistakes, rather than making accurate corrections. Just learning....thank you.

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hi Shelley, We definitely recommend having some form of reference, whether it's photographs, a mirror, or a model. It's helpful to be able to observe how something is rather than how you think it is...often our memories are mistaken! Once you have sculpted a lot of faces and know the basic principles, it's easier to make things up, but as a beginner, we recommend using a strong reference! Happy sculpting!

[@brianf5359]

Nice paced clear explanation. Also, what clay are you using? It looks good to work with.

[@BeginnersSchool]

Thank you for the compliment! Kent is using Roma Plastilina. Here's a link: www.dickblick.com/products/sculpture-house-roma-plastilina-modeling-clay/

[@ashlynne1039]

If I were using air dry clay at home or self hardening, what would you suggest I use for bulk? I dont want it to end up cracking while drying so how would I pull the foil/material out from the small neck hole?

[@BeginnersSchool]

Not sure why you would need to remove the foil, but you could use styrofoam as a substitute. Then use acetone to melt the styrofoam away after. Make sure you paint non-aerosol latex paint on the surface first or the clay won't stick to it.

[@ujjalbiswas432]

Very nice sir

[@johnonorgan]

this is a very GOOD video

[@gerrystevens9041]

but when the head is finished HOW DO YOU GET IT OFF? surely the pulling and twisting will spoil it?

[@dga2912]

How do you remove the head from the stand when ready?

[@1boxplayer]

Are you using an Oil based clay and if so what would you suggest. Thanks, Joseph

[@BeginnersSchool]

This information is in the Nose tutorial that now has closed captions Joseph...

[@nooralhudaiii]

Thankkkkksssssss sooo much

[@Vanillaffairbyss]

Great tutorial🙇‍♀️.can we use modelling choclate in same way?

[@BeginnersSchool]

I haven't used modeling chocolate, but the same basic sculptures principles should still apply! There may be some techniques that are specific to working with chocolate (I've seen them use cans of air on tv shows to cool chocolate quickly and bond pieces together, for example). Good luck!

[@karinvanham7015]

Love the tutorial, but if you finshed the head can you still get it of that pipe?

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hi Karin, You will not be able to take the pipe out with the head intact. You'll need to make a mold from your sculpture and cast it in another material in order to have a finished piece with no pipe inside. You can read more about it on our website here: www.beginnersschool.com/2017/03/03/basic-two-part-silicon-mold-making/ or watch our KZbin video on mold-making. Thanks! The Beginner's School

[@artsmodelstation9396]

Question for Beginners School. I noticed u didn’t emphasize the temple structure as others do when sculpting a head. So emphasizing it can be bypassed ?

[@BeginnersSchool]

That's a good question and I'm sorry I failed to put time into that. The temple area varies so much. Using people around you as primary examples you will see some are bony and the arch starting at the eye level moving up is visible. On others, it is rounded and smooth. A skinny person is more likely to show that bony structure. I will try and do more videos exploring that region in the future. -Kent

[@artsmodelstation9396]

@@BeginnersSchool I guess if u want that can be added later

[@lovedrawingtv6867]

Very good, i’m thank you!

[@blahlaland5739]

any advice for doing thus with ceramic Clay? much appreciated

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hi Lauren, If you're using ceramic clay, you will need a different type of armature. Because ceramic clay shrinks as it dries, you will never be able to get the pipe out or fire your piece if you make it on this type of armature! You'll want to keep it moist with damp paper towels and loosely draped with plastic when you're taking a break from your sculpture (if you take a multiple day break just make sure to mist it once in a while so it stays moist and doesn't start to crack/dry out). I would also recommend sculpting the head SOLID with a block of ceramic clay. When you're finished with your sculpture, you'll want to remove the damp paper towels and cover it loosely with plastic so it can dry slowly. When it gets to a "leather hard" stage (the clay will still be cool to the touch and about halfway hardened), you'll want to either: 1) use a wire tool to cut the head in half completely then scrape out the excess clay on both sides, making sure the clay is around 1/4" - 1/2" thick all the way around (make sure it's even otherwise you can encounter problems in the firing process). Then to put the head back together, you'll need to roughen up the cut edges on both sides, use some ceramic clay slip and fasten them back together. You'll need to do a little extra work to hide the seam, but it's not that bad. 2) alternatively, you could put the head upside down on a large piece of foam (you'll want something very soft so as not to damage any of the details on your sculpture) and scrape out the excess clay through the neck. This is a bit harder to do because without being able to see clearly, it's easy to jab a hole through the side of the sculpture! After you've scraped out the excess clay, allow the sculpture to dry to the bone dry stage before firing it. We don't really teach a lot of ceramic sculpture on our website just because it's not often something people do on their own at home, but we have plenty of experience on the topic! Let us know if you have additional questions. There are a few articles on our site about ceramics in case you're interested: www.beginnersschool.com/2015/05/04/sculpture-essentials/ www.beginnersschool.com/2016/02/05/kilns-for-ceramics/ Best of luck! -Ashleigh, Beginner's School Instructor

[@blahlaland5739]

Wow thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that it’s very much appreciated !!!!

[@BeginnersSchool]

@@blahlaland5739 No problem! Let us know if you have more questions, that's what we're here for!

[@ladycheeseof97]

Will this work with cold porcelain clay? I'm trying to make a bust for a school project and am spectacularly failing in assembling its armature. Thanks!

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hi! Yes, you can sculpt a head with porcelain clay, but it may be difficult! Because porcelain is such a fine clay (doesn't have a lot of body to hold it together), it can be difficult to sculpt with. If you're planning on firing it, you'll need to make the head hollow so that it can dry evenly and not break/blow up in the kiln. If you don't care what happens to the piece after you turn it in for your project, you don't need to fire it but it will be very delicate and hard to transport. What difficulties are you having with the armature?

[@BeTheCREATOR]

turn table is crying for lubricant, Great tutorial.

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

How many lights and how you set up your working area? For example 2 lights on each side of the sculpture....

[@BeginnersSchool]

The best lighting for me is lesser lights on either side with brighter light directly above the sculpture, ~3 ft from the sculpture. The reason is symmetrical shadows help to reveal symmetry, especially when doing faces. Sorry for the late reply!

[@reidogarimpo1691]

GENIO! OBRIGADO

[@ujjallaha7545]

Please describe sculpture anatomy.

[@luigi5890]

Here is a novice beginner's question .....What type of clay and does it need to be fired?

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hi Luigi, This is an oil-based clay and does not need to be fired. It will remain pliable forever. You can read more about this on our website: www.beginnersschool.com/2015/05/04/sculpture-essentials/ Thanks for reaching out! Hope you're having fun sculpting. :) -The Beginner's School Team

[@Ibaneddie76]

There are no novice questions, only the ones you don't ask.

[@erictaunton2183]

How much will cost of getting head sculpture kiln dried

[@BeginnersSchool]

That's an excellent question, and not one easily answered. The clay we're using is an oil-based clay and cannot be kiln fired (it will melt). You may be able to find a community college or local artists' collective that has a kiln and inquire with them. Ceramic clays need several firings in order to be vitreous (finished). The first firing is to a bisque state, at which point the clay is able to receive glaze and that will require another firing. If you choose not to glaze your piece, you will still need to fire it to its correct cone (temperature) in order for it to become vitreous. The temperature will depend on the type of clay you're using. Not all ceramics studios fire all cones, so that may factor into the cost. For example, if the ceramics studio kiln you go to only does bisque and cone 6 firings but you have a cone 10 clay you need fired, it will be more expensive since they will need to buy new cones, adjust their machinery, and run the kiln solely for your piece. The world of ceramic clay can be confusing! I hope this helps, sorry I can't give you a dollar amount!

[@ramonawood8048]

so, on the armature....the 2" and 4" pipes....is that just proportionate to a small bust and then you change the pipes for life size? or can that be used on any size? thank you

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hi Ramona, The armature we used for this video was designed for a half-scale bust. To do a full-size bust, you'll want to increase both the length and diameter of the pipes. 8" and 4" would be appropriate if you were going to create, say, a life-size bust. It also has a lot to do with the firmness of the clay--firmer clay will be less likely to collapse on a thinner smaller armature. A small investment of various sized pipes, flanges and turntable platforms is helpful if you are planning many bust studies of various sizes. Kent Kidwell, Beginner's School Instructor

[@ramonawood8048]

do you buy a "firmer" clay? I have had several life size collapse on me, I think I kept is too wet? but perhaps it was the clay I chose

[@BeginnersSchool]

It sounds like perhaps you are using a ceramic clay, is that right? Ceramic clays (that need to be fired in a kiln) can be a little tricky to work with because of exactly what you say--if it's too wet, it will collapse, and if it is too dry, you can no longer work with it. Also, building up layers with ceramic clay can be difficult because air bubbles tend to get trapped inside, leading to cracking and/or added pieces falling off in the kiln. You can try switching clay bodies to something with a firmer texture and make sure to wait until the clay is firm enough (leather hard) to hollow out the head before firing. We use oil-based clay in these videos because it allows greater freedom to sculpt and not worry too much about the complexities of ceramic clay and the firing process. It's much more forgiving! You may want to try some oil-based clay and see if you like it. It never dries and can be reused over and over again. Once you've come up with a sculpture you like, you will create a mold to cast your sculpture in a material that will last and your original oil-based clay can be used in another work of art. Hope this helps! Good luck!

[@ramonawood8048]

thank you so much, yes it is fire-able clay. I have tried the oil based clay, but I am afraid of the undercut like the thorn crown on my Christ bust. I have definitely experience several collapsible, but I am real paranoid about air bubbles, so that God I haven't had to experience that too. I didn't know about firmer clay. is that grog or un grog? something like that? You are so kind to answer my questions. I am waiting to buy the parts of this base that you use. would you suggest me doing something to the end where the head will be?

[@BeginnersSchool]

Clay with a high grog content will be firmer and more stable for large-scale works. You can wad up some newspaper and make a general head shape to put on the end of the pipe armature (hold it in place with tape) in order to keep the head hollow. Ceramic Arts Daily has great information on using ceramic clay: ceramicartsnetwork.org/ Good luck with your sculpting!

[@sukantasutradhar9217]

Nice

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

Why do you use too much clay for the head? I saw other videos that use foil paper to save material, then put the clay over the foil.

[@BeginnersSchool]

We don't use anything inside the clay because the clay we are using is oil-based and will not dry, so we can continue using it forever. Putting something inside the clay often creates textures that are difficult to get rid of on the surface, so we find it easier to use clay only and re-use it after a mold has been made of the final sculpture. There's no need for anything under your clay unless you're running low on materials. Hope this helps!

[@rodlrfilmmakercreator1460]

Beginner's School thanks, so I will use the monster Clay without anything inside

[@improvementTime10.3.17]

Beginner's School wouldn’t that be only if you put a thin layer of clay over the foil? If it’s at least 2 inches thick you could save the brain space with foil then fill from the brain to skull with clay and at that point there shouldn’t be any textures in the surface of the model from the foil no?

[@RatheeshSanthanamuthusaamy]

I need the this clay bro

[@irvingdiaz6862]

Which clay is this?

[@crazyrees23]

can you sculpt clay over a styrofoam mannequin and put that in a plaster mold?

[@BeginnersSchool]

Yes, but the styrofoam needs to be sealed with latex. Brush on the paint first as oil-based and water-based clays don't easily adhere to its surface. Also, the accelerant in spray paint eats expandable polystyrene foam. Aside from those issues, it's a great armature material for your intended purpose. Happy sculpting!

[@luigi5890]

What type of Clay .. does it need to be fired?

[@luigi5890]

No answer .. I guess this must be a highly guarded secret.

[@ompoint7696]

I'm not sure what type of clay he is using but if I had to guess I would say it is an oil based clay. Probably something like J-Mac Classic Clay. This type of clay never hardens and cannot be fired.

[@luigi5890]

Is there a clay other than Air Dry clay that can be hardened in your kitchen oven? Why would you use a clay that never hardens and can't be fired? It seems there are some very very basic questions that never get answered for a novice.

[@ompoint7696]

Luigi Oil based Clay is desireable because you can reuse it over and over. With oil based Clay you make a mold of your piece and you can recover the clay for another project. It sounds like you might be interested in polymer clay such as super Sculpey, Premo, or Fimo. These are clays that you can bake in the oven. Super Sculpey is probably the most popular of these types of clay. I personally use Monster Makers Clay. It is an oil based clay that is very compatible with making a mold out of silicone. The cool thing with Monster Clay is that you can melt it to a liquid state and pour copies of a piece. So say you sculpted a man and he was smiling, you could pour a second head if you wanted to alter it to make him look angry or give him other features. There are tons of different clays out there and they all have a benefit to certain sculpting styles and desires.

[@luigi5890]

Om Point ….. Thanks Om , you answered all my questions. thanks again. I'm an oil painter, but I would like to give sculpturing a try. thanks again.

[@user-eo4tq3sf6l]

Very informative, couldn’t finish watching it because of the high pitched constant beeping. The squeaky turntable is bad enough but the beep beep beep......

[@nicholasfranksg]

Same! The beep is so annoying. I wish he would do another without the pictures being taken.

[@neltupal2601]

Nice art#bangarshilpighar

[@nowirehangers2815]

22:56

[@silviabraun9148]

COMO SE HACE PARA ESCUCHAR EL VIDEO EN ESPAÑOL

[@BeginnersSchool]

Hola Silvia, Solo puedes leer los subtítulos en español, no escuchar el video. Lo siento.

[@LeonAllanDavis]

Six commercials? Really?

[@LightningBoltzTV]

None on premium lol

[@LightningBoltzTV]

I wish the auto focus guy would turn the fuckin beep off

[@makeupbyemma9719]

anybody else think the phone notification was in your room lmboooooo