Sculpting the Human Figure - Part 1: The Hollow Figure

Welcome to AMACO's mini-lesson series: Sculpting the Human Figure. In this series we share methods for figurative ceramic sculpture interpreting daVinci’s Lady with Ermine in clay.

Making a hollow figure in clay:

Slab construction is the fastest way to build a figure, but any method will work. I always start with a slab base: it gives extra weight and stability, and reduces the risk of the sides cracking in firing. I cut a hole in the center to ensure that air isn’t trapped inside.

Score and spray all joins, adding a coil of clay in the seam if needed.

The front part of the slab base is for the arms. The body is built straight up and the arms added later onto the base. This gives the body some support structure.

Using slabs about ½ to ¾ inch thick will be strong enough for small to medium sized pieces, allowing some manipulation without being too thin. Clays with more grog, like the 27M that I use here, can be used thicker due to it’s large amount of grog, or fired clay bits. The grog makes the clay dry and fire more easily.

Keep the walls of your figure as even thickness as possible, to ensure even drying.

Build the shoulders as rounded slabs and stop at the neck.

The most common problem in figures is the neck and head collapsing down into the chest. I avoid this problem by putting a slab of clay, maybe 2 to 4 inches wide and ¾ inch thick, from the front of the throat to the back. This truss helps by spreading the weight load from the chest to the back. Once that is in place, allow the neck and torso to firm up overnight with a small strip of plastic covering the place to add clay for the chin and head.

Music: Kai Engle - 06 - Remedy For Melancholy