Class Description:
This 6-week course introduces painters and drafts-people to figurative sculpture as a powerful tool to deepen their understanding of form, anatomy, and spatial relationships. By “drawing in space” with clay, students will develop a greater sense of structure, shadow, and light—skills that directly strengthen and inform their two-dimensional practice.
The course begins with a focused portrait study, encouraging students to connect anatomy, contour, and the subtle rhythms of the face. The second stage moves into a gestural, one-third life-size figure, allowing students to investigate weight, balance, and the body’s masses in the round. Supplemental hand-sculpting exercises and optional take-home studies will further reinforce the lessons.
All materials and armatures are provided. The clay work is clean and simple, with minimal mess, making it approachable even for those who have never sculpted before.
What You’ll Learn
How sculpting enhances your ability to see and understand form for painting and drawing
Building a clear sculptural block-in (comparable to a painter’s under-drawing)
Understanding and simplifying anatomy for accuracy and expression
The role of light and shadow in describing form
Gesture, balance, and weight distribution in the human body
Working at small scales to improve observation and decision-making
Breakdown:
Weeks 1–2: Portrait Block-In (Half to Three-Quarter Life Size)
Introduction to materials, tools, and “Drawing in Space” methodology
Establishing the structural block-in of the portrait
Using planes, light, and contour to describe likeness
Focusing on large relationships before details
Learning how to “sketch” with clay to stay flexible and correctable
Outcome: By the end of Week 2, students will have a clear sculptural portrait block-in that reflects accuracy of proportion, gesture, and basic anatomy.
Weeks 3–4: Refining the Portrait & Naturalistic Modeling
Building features with intention: eyes, nose, mouth, ears
Developing transitions and subtle anatomical rhythms
Understanding how light shapes the form
Bridging the gap between painterly and sculptural thinking
Outcome: By the end of Week 4, students will have a more developed portrait, with an introduction to naturalistic modeling and a better grasp of how three-dimensional structure informs two-dimensional work.
Weeks 5–6: One-Third Life-Size Figure Sketch
Introduction to the figure in the round
Understanding weight, balance, and gesture
Simplifying the body into large masses and anatomical landmarks
Observing how a pose shifts over time
Relating gesture and structure to rhythm in painting and drawing
Outcome: By the end of Week 6, students will have a small, gestural figure sculpture emphasizing weight, mass relationships, and anatomy in motion.
By the end of the course, students will leave with:
Who This Class is For
Painters and drafts-people seeking a deeper, more tangible understanding of form
Artists interested in strengthening their ability to see and translate three-dimensional structure
Anyone curious about sculpture as a means of enhancing their two-dimensional practice
Supplemental Hand Study (Take-Home Exercise)
In addition to the main class projects, students will receive a life cast of a hand and an introduction to sculpting hands as a supplemental study. This exercise can be done outside class to reinforce concepts of proportion, rhythm, and surface modeling. Optional casts of skulls or drapery will also be available for additional study.
Methodology: “Drawing in Space”
The teaching method is rooted in the philosophy of “Drawing in Space”—using line and contour as a way to organize and contextualize form. Students will learn to see the figure as a connected system of rhythms, planes, and volumes that move through space.
The class will also come with online tutorials for mold-making and the process videos of each project.
