- 1). Choose a photograph or a model for your portrait. If working after a live model, take a picture as well.
- 2). Study your model's head. The shape of the face may be triangular, oval, round, heart-shaped or rectangular. Look at the back of the head as well.
- 3). Find a wooden stick that is about twice as long as the portrait you intend to make. Wrap newspapers around a wooden stick to obtain the approximate shape of the model's head. Cover the newspapers with tape. The newspaper will be inside the portrait, so that you don't have to use large amounts of clay.
- 4). Take a lump of clay and squeeze it with your fingers to condition it. Form thick clay slabs and cover the newspapers entirely. Apply a thicker slab to the stick, under the head, which will be the neck.
- 5). Divide the portrait in two halves and trace a line at the eye level and at the bottom of the nose. Mark the mouth line as well.
- 6). Start sculpting the portrait and add or remove clay to shape the face. Focus on basic shapes first. When removing larger amounts of clay, use the cut-off wires. Use a serrated wire loop to remove smaller amounts of clay or even areas of the portrait.
- 7). Carve details such as the pupils, hair or expression lines using a pottery needle.
- 8). Smooth the surface with a wet sponge and allow the portrait to dry.
- 9). Remove the stick from inside the portrait. This should come out easily, but the newspapers will remain inside.
- 10
Place the portrait on a stand and allow the clay to dry for 12 hours.
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