I have to create a sculpture out of modeling clay for my art class. Do I have to wait for my sculpture to dry in order to use the subtrative method? How do I use the additive method for my shark?
True modeling clay isn’t going to dry anyway, but you don’t have to wait for anything to use either method.
Suppose you begin by cutting off a chunk of clay and start rolling it your hands or on a table. With modeling clay the heat of your hands will soften it (with wet clay, you will have water on your hands) So you roll it into a shape roughly like a shark – tapered on the ends and thick in the middle. Now if you wish you roughly shape a support for the middle and plop the rolled piece into place. Now you will use subtractive techniques to push, cut and shape the head end into a mouth, eyes, jaw, etc., and the support into some rocks, while you will use additive techniques to put fins where they belong and extend the flat you squeezed to start the tail and maybe make some leaves of seaweed along the rock base beside the shark. Just because it is soft doesn’t mean you can’t do subtraction and often with soft clay you will find yourself adding too much clay and cutting or scraping it back instead of just putting exactly the right amount on and pushing it into place.
True modeling clay isn’t going to dry anyway, but you don’t have to wait for anything to use either method.
Suppose you begin by cutting off a chunk of clay and start rolling it your hands or on a table. With modeling clay the heat of your hands will soften it (with wet clay, you will have water on your hands) So you roll it into a shape roughly like a shark – tapered on the ends and thick in the middle. Now if you wish you roughly shape a support for the middle and plop the rolled piece into place. Now you will use subtractive techniques to push, cut and shape the head end into a mouth, eyes, jaw, etc., and the support into some rocks, while you will use additive techniques to put fins where they belong and extend the flat you squeezed to start the tail and maybe make some leaves of seaweed along the rock base beside the shark. Just because it is soft doesn’t mean you can’t do subtraction and often with soft clay you will find yourself adding too much clay and cutting or scraping it back instead of just putting exactly the right amount on and pushing it into place.
References :