insideKENT Magazine Issue 41 - August 2015 | Page 25

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

GETTING STARTED…

with

SCULPTING

Waiting Miner, Kent

If you are looking for a new hobby, and you want it to be artistic but aren’t sure how to narrow
your choices down, why not try sculpting? It's possibly the most diverse of all the artistic
endeavours out there since as long as you can create a three dimensional piece of artwork, it
doesn’t matter what you make it out of, what the subject matter is, or even the size. Indoor,
outdoor, on the head of a pin or an enormous creation that takes one’s breath away – the
choice is yours. You just need to make a start. BY LISAMARIE LAMB

Picasso once said that “sculpture is the art of
the intelligence”, and Philip Guston suggested
that it is an art form in which “the individual alone
can make something with not just his hands, but
brains, imagination, heart maybe”. It’s true; before
any piece of sculpture can be started, it needs
to be thought about. An expert sculptor is said
to have the ability to look at a piece of clay, stone,
marble, glass, wood (or anything else, come to
that) and be able to work out what needs to be
removed in order to allow the inner art to be
seen. Take away what doesn’t belong, and you
will have a beautiful sculpture to admire. But for
beginners, it can take a little longer to work out
what needs to be done.
Start small
As with any new hobby, starting small and working
up to something bigger is a good idea. If you are
just starting out and you pick a massive project
to get your teeth into, it could be that you hit a
(possibly literal) brick wall, and can’t see a way
round it. By beginning with something a little
easier to handle, you will be able to experience

the thrill of creating something beautiful from
something fairly non-descript, and you’ll be able
to see it through to the end.
Do your research

piece, or keeping a photo of the object you are
copying nearby are invaluabl e. The Bible of
Sculpting Techniques by Claire Waite Brown
(RRP £9.44) and Sculpting Basics by Karin
Hessenberg (RRP £12.30) are excellent for
beginners.
Get the right tools
If you want to make a good job of your sculpture,
you will want to have the right tools. However,
because each media is different, there is no need
to buy everything all at once – focus on your first
project, and plan what you need before you start.
That way, you won’t overspend, but neither will
you reach a crucial stage and realise you don't
have quite what you need.

You will probably be incredibly excited to just get
started, but without proper planning, your project
could well stall, leading you to feel frustrated and
bored with the process. There are a number of
excellent 'how to' books on sculpture that,
although they won’t give you the skill to make
great things, will give you the research ideas you
might need. Tips such as sketching your final

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If you are working with clay, you don’t necessarily
need a potter’s wheel to begin with; for example,
purchase a small amount of clay and use your
hands and household objects to get the look you
want. When you want to fire your work, contact
a local studio and hire space in their kiln rather
than getting one of your own. With wood, you