Figure Sculpting in Clay: Part 3 – Developing the Silhouette

[New Masters Academy]

In the third lesson of David Simon’s figure sculpting series, he moves forward from blocking in the pose and begins focusing on the accuracy of the silhouette of the sculpture. He checks and rechecks the volumes of each major form of the body, adding small amounts of clay to each part as needed (in particular, the hands). As always, no single part of the sculpture gets too much attention at a time — he methodically moves down and across the figure, making adjustments as needed, and refining the proportional relationships between all the parts. Sculpting from life is a dynamic and process-heavy endeavor, by watching this series we hope that you learn about the intricacies involved and are inspired to tackle the challenge!

A sculptor of international acclaim, David Simon’s career has ranged from life-size portraits and figures to massive bronze statues. Among others, he helped oversee the giant Leonardo da Vinci Horse project. David created maquette and sculptures for films such as Where the Wild Things Are, Fantastic Four, and Watchmen, and holds private workshops abroad and in his Los Angeles studio.

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