Sculptors: What was your experience learning to sculpt?

[Grosby]

I'm curious to know the experiences some of you have had in learning to sculpt. There are a good number of very able sculptors on here as well as others just learning and I'd be very interested in hearing from these people about their overall experiences, including those who tried and gave up. I'm getting back into learning myself and always find it helpful to hear of such things, it's motivating, and I'm sure others find it helpful too.

I wonder in particular about when you began, what your artistic experience was beforehand, was it harder or easier than you expected, how long until you felt you were working at a good level or had the basic hang of it, did you ever think it was completely hopeless, etc.


For myself, my own poor experience, I have a basic drawing background - I feel I'm reasonably skilled there - and tried taking up sculpting about six months or so ago. I believe a person can learn anything, that for the most part it's just a matter of logging enough time, and I expected learning to sculpt would not be so terribly difficult but after a few weeks of sculpting each and every day I felt I was truly getting nowhere. I'd read several books, watched some video tutorials, and yet still I found myself feeling lost with it all. I basically gave it up then, but now I'm planning to come back to it and try again. I was told by someone that my bad experience might've been due to bad clay - it was hard and somewhat crumbly, tough and unpleasant to work with - and now have myself some softer clay and so hopefully will fare better on this second try, but maybe not...

 

[joebiwan]

I say you have nothing to lose! I am just like you, I have just started sculpting after years of procratination. I just completed my first headsculpt of Egon from The Real Ghostbusters just this week. ( I have pictures of it here in the Customs Forum ). I too have some books and tutorials - they are a great help but I just didn't give up. Even when I thought I ruined it beyond repair I worked through it and finished it. The scale was wrong but I learned a lot and am going to try again. The right clay and preparation are invaluable. Have plenty of reference pictures and the a good assortment of tools. I am just now researching tools but you learn that almost anything can be used when sculpting. Good Luck and have at it!

 

[Jessica]

I am learning myself. I like to look at other sculpts and study them...look at a reference shot and see the sculpt compared to it, to see what the artist picked up/did not.

I took a few art classes in college, but never any sculpting. Whatever I know now regarding sculpting I gleaned from the internet and practice. It's frustrating in the beginning, but I feel stronger and more able with each sculpt. I want to get better so bad.