{"id":1682,"date":"2023-03-12T21:33:35","date_gmt":"2023-03-13T02:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/?p=1682"},"modified":"2025-07-08T12:15:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T17:15:16","slug":"wire-and-sculpey-figure-sculptures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wire-and-sculpey-figure-sculptures\/","title":{"rendered":"Wire and Sculpey Figure Sculptures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Students started this project by analyzing full-body images showing human proportions. They also tested the 7-8 “heads” tall theory, and when they measured each other<\/em> from the top of their head to their chin–and then measured their total height, and did the math–they were surprised to find that virtually all of them were between 7-8 “heads” tall!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After practicing drawing proportionately-correct “stick” figures from photographs, they also spent a couple of class periods drawing from life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students could choose to sculpt either a 6-inch tall (approx. 15 cm) portrait bust or a 12-inch tall (approx. 30 cm) full-figure. They searched for an image of the person they wanted to sculpt, and printed out their picture. The next step involved accurately measuring the person in the photograph, and doing even more<\/em> math to figure how how to make it the required size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if the full-body image of the person in their photograph was 17 cm tall and their sculpture needed to be 30 cm tall, they measured from the top of the head to the chin in the photograph and recorded that measurement to the closest half-centimeter. Then they’d measure from the top of the head to the waist and record that measurement, from the shoulder to the elbow, waist to knee, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They measured the “longest” distance from one joint to another and noted that the other arm or leg was likely the same, even if it was distorted by foreshortening or in a different position in the photograph. By the time they finished, they had a lot of equations on their page that looked something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9\/17 = x\/30   2.5\/17=x\/30   6\/17=x\/30<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They solved for all of the “x’s” and did a proportionately-correct simple drawing of the reference photograph. Once they had their full-figure drawing completed, they used wire to form the basic “skeleton.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They used foil and small amounts of masking tape to add “muscle” to their wire “skeletons.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A similar process was used by students doing portrait busts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After all of the foil was in place, thin layers of Sculpey were used to form the skin
(and sometimes the clothing), and the sculptures were baked in a large toaster oven, and then painted with acrylic paint. Standing sculptures needed to be able to stand, so simple and appropriate “environments” were also constructed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In previous years, a somewhat different method was used for figure sculptures. As less Sculpey was used, this method may be more affordable for larger classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foil that had been compressed into an egg shape was covered with Sculpey to form the heads, and students could choose to use glass “pearls” for eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The aluminum wire used for the “bones” was salvaged from scrap “entrance cable” that an electrician let us have. It was far better than any wire that was ever purchased for the classroom. Students used the wire to create a “skeleton” directly over their drawing of the figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arms and legs were attached by first crimping pieces of wire onto the “torso” and then reinforcing with small amounts of tape. Tape also helped to mark the placement of elbows and knees, then the wire could be bent to the desired position of these joints. “Muscle” was simulated with newspaper and masking tape, and papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 was used to form “skin” for any “flesh” that wouldn’t be covered with fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hands and feet were usually made from Sculpey, and after all pieces had been baked, they were taped (and\/or hot-glued) onto the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Sculpey was painted with acrylic paint, clothing was made from papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 or fabric, props were created, accessories were added, and all manner of creative problem solving took place for this project! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students were required to make a sculpture that could stand on its own (feet could be glued to a base) OR they had to create appropriate props or “environments” to support their sculpture in a realistic pose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both construction methods can help students create amazing figure sculptures, and Sculpey is such a fun, versatile art medium!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students started this project by analyzing full-body images showing human proportions. They also tested the 7-8 “heads” tall theory, and when they measured each other from the top of their head to their chin–and then measured their total height, and did the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[6,25,358,75,359,83,356],"class_list":["post-1682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lesson-plans","tag-art-education","tag-art-lesson-plan","tag-figure-sculpture","tag-high-school-art","tag-polymer-clay","tag-sculpey","tag-synthetic-clay"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1682"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682\/revisions\/2601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.art-rageous.net\/Art-Rageous3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}