Make a portrait bust with Christine Baxter
Every artist, and by that I mean every human being, has their own signature, both in writing as in their art style. It is easy to recognise an artists work, it has their signature.
I believe that every human being can be an artist. The only thing that is required is the desire to put in the work. The desire to put in the work comes from the pleasure that it gives you in making it. The pleasure in making it (and this is more so with sculpture than other art forms) is enhanced if you don’t have to struggle with the fear of the materials.
Sculpting from the human form is the most difficult form of sculpting, this is because, we as human beings are hard wired to be super perceptive about the human body and the human face, we notice even a slight inconsistency in proportions, and the difference between beautiful and ugly can be only a few millimetres. So accuracy in the drawing and getting the measurements and proprtions correct are the first stage in sculpting.
Once these elements have been mastered then the human form is a perfect vehicle to convey emotion, which is why I personally find it endlessly fascinating. Just as we smile, or frown or grimace, we know that our expressions will be interpreted accurately by our fellow human beings. Similarly, the expressions and body language of our sculptures will convey emotion to the viewer.
I was lucky, early in my art training to have as my tutor Mike Gillespie who was assistant to Epstein, and then to attend the sculpture degree course at Camberwell School of Art in London. Camberwell was recommended to me as being the pre-eminent course for traditional sculpting skills. In our first year we learnt, armature making, for portrait and full sized figures, working and observation from a life model, scaling up and scaling down, life drawing. Casting, welding and foundry work.
I was taught very formally, using methods that have been used for centuries, we make armatures, use measuring calipers, plumb lines, rulers, turntables and other aids. The aim of these tools is to help us to look and see, to help us learn to draw in 3D. I will be using these same techniques, which gives you a virtually fool proof method for producing a scale proportion head or figure.
The course covers:
- How to make an armature and when is one needed?
- What are the contraints of the materials?
- Which materials should I use?
- How do I go about the technical side of the process?