The Sculpt

List of Products, Tools and Materials Used

·         Oil Based Clay

·         Positive Cast

·         Sculpting tools

·         Plastic Wire Brush

·         Paint Brush

·         Talc Powder

·         Hair Drier

·         Oven

Step-by-step Instructions for the Sculpting Process

The next step of this process is the Sculpting. I enjoyed the sculpting as it was a chance to be really creative. I had a total of 3 weeks to sculpt my design onto the positive cast of my model. I was very pleased with the finished sculpt.

1.    Start by placing a block of oil based clay onto a baking tray then pre-heat the oven to about 60 degrees. Keep checking the clay so that it does not over melt or get to hot to work with. Do this by testing how hard it is using a sculpting tool. When the clay is at the softness you want take it out of the oven. Have a hair drier nearby so you can keep heating the clay up if it starts to cool.

2.    The first stage of the sculpt it blocking. This is where you create the outline for your sculpt covering the parts where you’ll be creating your design. Simply start applying small blocks of clay with your fingers onto the cast. Leave any parts where you will want there to be a gap in the prosthetic piece clear of clay. For example the eyes, mouth and nostrils.

 

 

3.    Now smooth out the clay with your fingers and sculpting tools ready to start sculpting your design.

 

4.    I built up the eyebrows first by rolling a piece of clay into a sausage shape then bending it to the arch I wanted. I placed it onto the cast and started smoothing it and sculpting it to the shape I wanted. I kept adding clay to it to make it stand out.

 

 

5.    I then moved onto the nose. I wanted it to be really long and pointed so I built up a rough shape with clay then with a sharp sculpting tool I carved it to the design I wanted.

 

 

6.    I did the same to build up the cheeks and chin I just added a lump of clay then smoothed and sculpted it untill I got the shape I wanted.

 

7.    I then carved out a rough shape of where I wanted the cut to be on the right side of the face. I then left this to come back to later.

 

 

8.    I rolled out some clay flat and sculpted out four curved spikes going off the right. I placed these onto the sculpt. I wanted them to stick out so I then built clay underneath them to make the spikes more 3D. I then smoothed it off and blended it as shown on the picture. Also this would then stop the casts from locking as it got rid of the undercut edge.

 

 

9.    I did the same on the other side but with the spikes going off to the left.

 

 

10. I went back to working on the detail of the cut I started by building up the edges to look like ripped skin. I added the detail inside the cut using a sculpting tool and scraping random bits of clay away, this also gave a ripped effect.

 

 

11. Next was to add the detail into what would be the skin. I started sculpting lines where the veins and winkles would be.

 

 

12. For the final detail on the face sculpt I used a wire brush and brushed in all directions over the clay, this gave a really good detailed finish.

 

 

13. Next was to sculpt the ears I first blocked them with clay as I did the face. However I made sure I kept the detail of all the creases.

14. I then added the spikes and again I did this by rolling out the clay then carving the shapes. I placed them onto the ears then built them up at the back so they’d hold better and not create an undercut.

15. I added the detail in the same way as the face with a wire brush.

 

 

 

16. To finish off I powdered over the face and ear sculpts ready for the next stage, Moulding: Part 2.

 

 

The sculpting process has been great fun, I found the sculpting a really relaxing this to do and could spend hours doing it. I was thrilled with how my sculpt turn out and it was just how I had designed it and wanted it to look.