CLICK HERE FOR JOE'S NOTES ON SCULPTING

In this shot the armature has been anchored to the base and posed. The basic skeleton has been blocked in using regular sculpy.

Everything was then cooked in the oven to harden the material before taking the next step.

Farther along, in this shot the muscles are almost all mapped in and the sculpture has been cooked again. A layer of 'skin' (a thin, rolled out layer of clay) is being applied on the torso and thighs to tie the muscles together and give a natural look.

Almost finished. The skin has been applied all over. Water and rocks of the base are sculpted in regular sculpy.

Various real rocks were used to texture stamp the rocks.

Almost finished. The skin has been applied all over. Water and rocks of the base are sculpted in regular sculpy.

Various real rocks were used to texture stamp the rocks.

Again, while there are steps I took here that are not truly necessary, when I first started sculpting they were extremely useful in getting myself acquainted with various nuances of the human body in three dimensions. I might add that all of the above also augmented my draftsmanship greatly. There is nothing like truly knowing in your mind's eye exactly what you are drawing looks like in three dimensions. It makes rendering anything exponentially easier, particularly when needing to either substantially change inaccurate reference or work completely from imagination. There is nothing like the ability to turn something around in your mind's eye as you draw. I can't think of any better practice for developing this skill than sculpting.
Best,
Joe