Sculpting Basics

Art students and ambitious amateur artists who turn to this volume will find detailed training for creating original and distinctive works of sculpture. Karin Hessenberg, an experienced sculptor, opens with extensive advice on setting up the workplace and assembling tools and equipment. She begins instruction with a how-to course on clay modeling that includes five separate projects, four of which culminate with kiln firing. The book's second major section presents five projects that teach the craft of molding and casting, using a variety of materials that include plaster in combination with modeling clay, wire, and concrete. A section on direct building presents two projects in which various materials wood, wire mesh, and other object are applied to their frameworks to create finished sculptures. A final section for advanced sculptors offers five projects for carving in soapstone, alabaster, limestone, lumber, and a log. In total, this volume presents projects for 17 finished pieces. Subjects include a seated Buddha, a female figure, animals, and several fascinating abstract shapes. This handsome book is printed in four-color throughout and features more than 250 instructive illustrations.