![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sfcGOuYtfmAisj0-Z1TeJq0f4-fmEAIuUaywuSOby_U3sVsGDJLpCRt7v_0tPBr12Htk2pgWQGcA_QhFJpqfcuvXhF77HHSl6qcAhzBOd0MVP31dvUKfP1jiUM2MW4n8QbaxcezdHhwfw-Sx2SmOglpeeRpUbhYJYvVEvTQAS6Cr6qH2DBJj_s1qHZFU/s320/8ADB7F3C-2DF5-4BC5-A180-10AF5F3DA796.jpeg) |
Best Friend's portrait |
Even though it's fairly far outside what I normally do, I decided to sculpt some cats this year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Tlms5aQFcWCZe4xoHBOjt0KYRbE4LOhtc7v4ElxhaD_zNE7KlrjRtCPcoCvYQxKNXD2PVWkck0CfdG_J2qsSfoBUT6h8uYOaBS_iQc_p2v_5vLv2RyL0ooAoa3baOJ-C-ibEyJYONdxnjjgEQ6QQr36LaggDoaia1NCtleoHQ9U5t_q5M_3f0VG26rOR/s320/8FAA8C23-26E8-4A64-A408-784FCEEA2C7F.jpeg) |
the protrait nearly completed, with most of the texture in place |
Partly, I chose to sculpt something because my students were sculpting solid forms on armatures during my hand-building class this winter and I wanted to create some video demos showing some techniques for creating more dynamic textures.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkviGClEVik9Gi0_nVQqvIBPF-zcXFlgvZ0OxU4D9y88IUUsRfII4ILUSPPxvvJGYi0HcdC3B_oCDfz8OXeU8TsfqIUZ0M0nR9tZGfCXNDszc-JeRfv-3GS51xhsLNHJ15Etq6B4L9bzcim44COe3gi3qIokVASKS6xa9222oel_xRXLrkqLiELdQumUA/s320/IMG_2656.jpeg) |
early in the process the focus is on getting the proportions right |
Around this time, we were also having a conversation among the art faculty about making portraits of all of us as cats, though the cats I made were just cats, not art faculty as cats. Maybe later.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzok5GxYdFVJdnY6czag_F611dT5ZOUTBphQJf4AgFaCz51v9ACvJ6C1S5NTmFplTBfc9wcqX0ibaM9VgwoXMtxjwy8hc3ltEc7EwdsrqTWVtOzWHZ_VZ7kkJjw7xTIylFXjg_kxkZRfnXvkR2goaNXIR7f3K14YY7DS_5bBF-Z-Znyt7P6efO34kZjYr/s320/IMG_2667.jpeg) |
I used photos of our cats from various angles to check the positions, proportions, and anatomy |
As long as I was creating a solid form for the texture, I figured I'd create some videos of the solid building process for my students.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEK0gvwrEi9l10oIrrxn10hfnq83-Cn1DmxlmxYuxs73qMPM1-0w0yhXi6pI-uysS92uKXqFZvEG2aNkeU1jC38BpJUZCiT08yqP5YnhypRMMoDw4Yb993J_mmH4Z_d_9bPUmjR5VnhrVtMSBOsbfsDDDyJyboy9Hecg6fOzNEO1xDI8QPVVmvzp2zYIDN/s320/IMG_2669.jpeg) |
by printing out the picture, I was able to compare the angles of the sculpture to the image |
I already have a set of videos of how to sculpt a head, but my students have done this solid portrait project for many years now with those videos, I know what sorts of things are missing or could be improved in the demos. I'd really like to make videos showing all sorts of portrait forms (people, animals, full-bodies, busts only) and helping with the kinds of issues students typically run into, but making all those videos as demos takes a lot of time.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUIaCkOf9km6OKgZcTs_gHu6ZxHTLlc09aadaO86wi008Ju-pnoqVB_aA0YosxubQ2JCrrW_doIkhXObFDqPRQZFiUKo24Ymg22OrvO0SBJBcQ3VorI_Yx7BJbJEy86IoELfFRR0VYcYqxfauHuq2KMD0KdgGjyGYZ29TybBbpBUzQr3t74L3vcBSKHW8/s320/IMG_2672.jpeg) |
after building up the basic shape, I cut away material to make the chest area look fluffy |
For the first cat I made, I used a bunch of pictures of my current cats for the pose, but modeled the fur after our previous cat who had a lot softer and flufflier fur.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uYiorKFi9RfpwdecrQBGc6gU15UP1lZ4NQCZl1lue1maD31Sn_6Euqna-okO-J9bG5pIk4KvCLZdbtZRhqRqqb9Go7IkdO3sf1G-1OVzdGUh81IGmU05XkP0CNH14I2Z40mhUUr8CX5c6BSaPNinAzalPspHKYiUvCjlJVsyoBLb75V85nFeEc4kORfD/s320/IMG_2699.jpeg) |
I used a lot of different tools to create a variety of textures |
I tried to capture, in several videos, a demonstration of how to judge the angles of the sculpture compared to the photos, how to make significant adjusments, etc. I haven't uploaded the videos yet, even though its been nearly 6 months, but I didn't have any handbuilders in spring, so there was not rush.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaP8iy3QmfVh5MGMP_I1lgjzP8MnuVLyIET9FKWA0U-P4mM5J8l_R9CwGwxXra5StLMB3GLYIy19C8jdFSB2-N1fzbhvB1zXBKaIj_wD1LbLikgSmcW5nh3DRt-OyYZfkX7KR5UhUoPB70131mPngUKds2vpQMml_27VzWicv8YRWr1cTMn0j-BAEENXt/s320/IMG_2746.jpeg) |
the fluff on the back is different fromthe front fluff |
After the first cat, which was more effort to make because I was also setting up the camera and narrating my process, I made another just for fun. The second one isn't as interesting to look at, because I tried to replicate the shorter fur of the current cats, but I captured a more interesting position. However, what I didn't do was take pictures of the process (or, apparently, the finished sculpture).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WpS4D3KO94Gkw_ylutw-7tBoUsRejDV4UIhnP5aEE0N_BnBh38AGoIpbFaWfGmAkXudfPSb5bhD6LEyx0v25g6UOXnOLKoUduukbLDOhb1tu1uLBaIicd4rzNLwfgClsM18Qg84XRfz58MhjizYf3-Z-fGQGW13MN0ZajXpwgoIMa4hIGga4tDO9KAsR/s320/IMG_2841.jpeg) |
the short haired cat (and reference image) in progress |
After the second cat, I started wondering how different the process would be if I used coil building methods, instead of solid building. I always tell my students that solid buildin allows them to make more immediate adjustments to proportions and position to create a more convincing portrait of an animal or person, but was this even true?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg99pB0oYbpQ9h0MnV1A3ecwbFG_dx-v3wsoSUk3m02vaF6IjjhBLljLg_s7LOZEnIFSwEdZLZQGMe4vX7jGL-rxlIfyKKGBOEnQBy-za5WsoLtH_cJcJ8ap3IFIwlCuZXkQ1NfsyaRsv30UCqbMiYyP-Lc0WckPzrI_CzCrrVBybNKhQe2Vd32w7qMvXd/s320/IMG_3040.jpeg) |
the coil-built cat (and his awkward legs) |
So I used coil building techniques to sculpt a cat. Building up the basic shape went fairly well, but I truly wasn't able to make adjusments that needed to be made. The front legs were too wide, but I couldn't change them too much without losing the structure and support of the whole body. I ended up with a hole between the front and back legs.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZrKTli7G5Os1BtJSsEw7YZS1T2prj7d0rSBkrI4J2VGVa4oyeNWBM-t12OWq3tMHJRZu_EIqqU-9Gta8s6XLBeJEqEpoAJJ0SSR25stS92zltgY_6XtYMiaSxY7RQjba1DBySkik06CtlT-thSTJ1sDEOujnlQ3egajCiafIefIIgpi9WRLrbtqtKwPf/s320/IMG_3009.jpeg) |
all the spheres were wheel thrown |
I ended up covering up the coil-built cat with thrown spheres. I liked the idea of the bubble cat, and I'd like to explore it again sometime, but I ran out of
energy or time to complete it, which in combination with the fact that the cat's base form wasn't great, let me to abandon the project.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5_lLD0zHOPpT_mO13JIF8vSpSrCGcLWXzei00cgJBRysX8SwO7CAATRqwkBsIPfJOK2ha7G0m5cYMwdlrJbRpyUn-hso5rAIZSmvSHIw3gfmn9em_4K-P1yxcbNWTSYD2_hz9Myt4TU2LXcv_taRA69xYgrLa_EmbVMpJQokhCyHC2Of03pvfFxO2QeP/s320/IMG_3074.jpeg) |
eyeless bust for use as a mask display |
At the end of Spring, students in my first ever 3D Design class left me with three different masks/wearable artworks. One ended up displayed on the solid portrait I made years ago for the solid building demo for my hand-building class, but the others have nothing to hold them up. I figured the easiest option was for me to just make a few simple portrait heads to display the masks on.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLnambyHUXSkRuTCJ7WrlHwBLKI46Z5eyTyrUuTBoPRRgcxub9H0E-DWbgnoW3Tsb4OOUBeB2yJ8PQyg9UHRzpIWXgxRb2RiBfo4ipKa28-s7jk5FPUUp6IL0H5EqUfSNDVmZcscHLgCRtRUpzrt2ZwjnMb8_4o2VFMrsZlmzX3pl4_ux62yMW-J7DyXn/s320/IMG_3109.jpeg) |
two heads and a cat waiting for firing and glazing in my studio |
I figure these busts don't need to look perfect, since they'll be covered with masks made by students. I was feeling pretty good about making two of these in June, but the other day I was in a shop that had CPAP masks displayed on a series of mass produced heads and I realized that my solution was more fun, but probably not literally easier or cheaper than buying something.
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