Reconstruction project, adding anatomy
The completed skull was set onto a stand in order to add anatomy, and work steadily toward a portrait of the individual.
I decided on wax as the medium because it can give a finer and more stable finish to the piece. It also has very good carving qualities, and can be finely tuned and smoothed with pure alcohol. It can also be tricky to work with, and stiff sculptors wax needs to be warmed to be workable, as do the tools.
I used some eyes I had prepared earlier with peripheral discolouring and small veins.
After adding them along with the obicularis oris and oculi I started to consider the shape of the orbits, if the eyes would be hooded or with the lids exposed, width and shape of the mouth, length and width of the nose.
The skull is beautiful and delicate, with wide cheekbones tapering to a pointed chin. I spent many hours working and re-working the proportions. I just couldn't seem to 'see' the face emerging. Everything I altered seemed wrong, I lost symmetry and all confidence with the build.
In the end I left it on the workbench and looked at every day without working on it, just touching it in passing every morning and evening. After two or three days something clicked and I sat down to tackle the build and perhaps my own sense of doubt.
The changes I made at this point started with removing some major elements and starting over, the adjustments became finer and finer until I was moving elements 1 or 2mm.
The sculpt is still at the underlying architecture stage, like the ground beneath a painting. But the face is emerging, delicate, introspective and refined.
I decided on wax as the medium because it can give a finer and more stable finish to the piece. It also has very good carving qualities, and can be finely tuned and smoothed with pure alcohol. It can also be tricky to work with, and stiff sculptors wax needs to be warmed to be workable, as do the tools.
I used some eyes I had prepared earlier with peripheral discolouring and small veins.
After adding them along with the obicularis oris and oculi I started to consider the shape of the orbits, if the eyes would be hooded or with the lids exposed, width and shape of the mouth, length and width of the nose.
The skull is beautiful and delicate, with wide cheekbones tapering to a pointed chin. I spent many hours working and re-working the proportions. I just couldn't seem to 'see' the face emerging. Everything I altered seemed wrong, I lost symmetry and all confidence with the build.
In the end I left it on the workbench and looked at every day without working on it, just touching it in passing every morning and evening. After two or three days something clicked and I sat down to tackle the build and perhaps my own sense of doubt.
The changes I made at this point started with removing some major elements and starting over, the adjustments became finer and finer until I was moving elements 1 or 2mm.
The sculpt is still at the underlying architecture stage, like the ground beneath a painting. But the face is emerging, delicate, introspective and refined.
Added the facial fat layer and the risorious muscle snaking across its surface. In reality this fine ribbon of muscle is embedded into the cheek fat, compressing and stretching the cheek when we smile.
Added the ears today, they need adjusting but are good placeholders for now. It's really surprising how much difference the ears make, a feature we often forget.
The wax became quite heavy at the front with all the muscles added, and took a nose dive into the bench, hence the sleepy eyelid which was fixed later.
The frontalis was also added, which smooths and defines the plane of the forehead.
The wax became quite heavy at the front with all the muscles added, and took a nose dive into the bench, hence the sleepy eyelid which was fixed later.
The frontalis was also added, which smooths and defines the plane of the forehead.