Head

 

Clay approx 4" x 4"

Sculpting is not like painting. It takes a lot longer for a start. I am working with air dry clay to avoid the added complication of firing the finished piece but air dry clay cracks more than "proper" clay.  So far I have tried out 2 types of air dry clay - one made by Jackson's which is beautifully soft to work with but cracks more as it is drying. The other one is Hobbycraft's own air dry clay which is a bit stiffer and perhaps not as tactile to use but does not crack as much and sets more like stone.  I still have to try some different types such as "paper clay".  This piece was made with Jackson's as I needed to practise different finishes on smaller pieces because I am working on a larger head and shoulders which is about 14" tall and I don't want to put a finish on it that I am not happy with. This finish is terracotta and dark red pigment washed on with water and rubbed off in places. Then finally a beautiful stone polish "Lithofin MN polish" is rubbed in and buffed up with soft cloths. You can see on the forehead and nose the soft sheen it gives.