Clay Portrait: Model a Full-Scale Face

To begin, Efraïm Rodríguez introduces himself and tells you about his professional career and family history, both of which are closely tied to the art world. He also shares some of his favorite projects and his biggest sources of inspiration.

Go over a few important sculpting concepts and look to reality for inspiration by studying some of the prominent artists who specialize in portrait sculptures. Select a model for your project following Efraïm's advice and see how to work with reference photos to model your bust.

Next, review the materials you need to sculpt your clay portrait before you get to work. Learn how to assemble your base and work with blocks of clay by modeling the front and profile of your bust. Shape the head and face of your sculpture referring to your photos often to ensure accuracy. Work your way down and define the neck, shoulders, and collarbone while paying close attention to their proportions.

Now it's time to bring your piece to life by adding facial features and other expressive details. Analyze the structure of the eyes, the ears, the nose, and the mouth and start modeling each piece. Understand how these individual features form part of a whole and that they should be modeled in parallel to give your portrait a highly realistic look. Contour the face by carefully sculpting one of the most important features: diagonal lines.

Bring in your model for a live session to put the finishing touches on your sculpture. Create textures and effects ranging from a gleam in the eyes to the natural shape of hair. Finally, learn how to hollow out your sculpture and prepare it for firing in the kiln. The only thing left to do is share your 3D portrait with the world!