- So I'm just adding a little more
depth to the sculpture here by just
carving in the fingers a little bit.
Just helps to give the piece a little more dynamism.
In fact I'm gonna take this hand off
so that I can render it a little more exactly.
Hands seem to be one of the harder things to do,
the head probably being the most difficult
to do realistically.
And there are a number of subtle angles and forms
that make a hand a hand.
It takes a tremendous amount of practice I think
to get all those angles and forms just right.
One of the smartest things you can do
is to take a life cast,
to have a life cast of a hand or a foot or a face
or whatever it is you're sculpting
and use that as a reference.
Okay, so I'm establishing the various aspects
of the palm of the hand right now.
We've got kind of a puffy pad series here
and some big ones here so I'm gonna blend these in.
Now if as a beginning sculptor it's difficult
for you to sculpt at this scale, sculpt bigger.
And then gradually get smaller in your work
because you don't have to sculpt this small.
Now sometimes to adhere delicate parts
onto the rest of the sculpture quickly and easily,
I will use the torch.
Little handheld torch that you can get at Home Depot
and I will melt the clay and attach the hand
and this will establish a pretty darn strong bond
and it'll establish it fairly quickly.
And then while the clay is still molten,
go with the tool, kinda blend it in there.
Then you can use more hot clay
and really strengthen it on there.
You'll find that chavant is a little bit sticky sometimes
and you need to wipe your hands off now and then.
But once you get used to it,
it's not really that big a deal.