Sculpting Hands

Some of the hardest things that I have come found to sculpt are hands and eyes. I don't know why, they are just shapes like anything else but for some reason they always present themselves as a challenge. I have a little technique that I will share with you that I use for most of the hands that I sculpt but keep in mind that this is not the only method that you can use to sculpt hands.

The technique that I use does not require an armature which has its advantages and disadvantages. I've have used and armature in the past but the problem I found is when I decided later on in the sculpting to move the fingers. The fingers can still be moved when using an armature but the detail work can sometimes get damaged in the process. The disadvantage sculpting hands without an armature is that you do not get the additional support that an armature provides. If the hand you are sculpting is just hanging by the side it really is not an issue, however if your character is holding something like a sword it can then be a problem.

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How can Google make you a better sculptor?

Every time I approach a new idea for a sculpture I always look at it as a learning experience. My personal goal is to challenge myself with each new piece. The more I push myself the more my skills grow over time. If you want to grow as an artist then you should always challenge yourself with something new; always try to push yourself to the limits with each piece. No matter how difficult a subject matter may be for you today, if you keep practicing then over time you will master it.

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Baking polymer clay sculptures in the oven

One of the best properties for polymer clay is that a kiln is not necessary to cure the clay. Polymer clay can be baked at low temperatures and the household oven or toaster oven is all that you need.I predominately use Super Sculpey so the instructions below will use Super Sculpey for the example. However, no matter what clay you use, you should be able to see baking instructions for it on the box or container that the clay came in.Super Sculpey’s instructions recommend baking your sculpture at 275 degrees for 15 minutes for every ¼ of an inch in thickness. If you have a sculpture that is over ¼ an inch thick then I would recommend either backing the sculpture in stages or lowering the temperature and baking the sculpture for a longer period of time.

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Using Dental Tools for sculpting

When I first started sculpting with Super Sculpey I went out and purchased a little $5 set of plastic sculpting tools at my local Hobby Lobby. These tools were great for the time and I used them consistently for about a year and half to two years. However, as my skills improved I started to realize the limitations of my starter set of sculpting tools.

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