Clay Sculpture

By Alex Sudds
Selecting the materials
When selecting the type of clay to use, it is important to remember the purpose it is for as there are many
different varieties of clay, some are plasticy, others more gritty and some are very fine, like bone china.
For a sculpture such as the one I have created, you would want to use Craft Crank clay, which is grainy and dark
brown in colour. It is regarded as one of the best clays for hand building and can also be used for throwing (to
be formed on a pottery wheel)
Bone China is used for much finer clay pieces, such as figurines and flowers, and creates a translucent white
body. It is composed of bone ash, feldspathic material and kaolin. The production of bone china is similar to
porcelain, except more care is needed because of its lower plasticity and a narrower vitrification range (the
process of melting that clays and glazes go through as they are fired).
Modelling clay is the smoothest and most plastic clay available, and is used very often in animation, on TV shows
like Wallace and Grommet. It is about the same price as Craft Crank, however it is not particularly suitable for
sculpture because my piece will be heavy and bulky, whereas modelling clay is often used for finer pieces.
I chose Craft Crank because as I have mentioned previously, it is the most suitable for my sculpture because of
the scale of it and the methods that I will be using to create it.
 Rolling out the clay
Before you roll out the clay, it is rolling out the clay, it is important to lay down a board and cover it with a
plastic sheet. Whilst many potters would use hessian for this, I believe that plastic is a better choice, because
not only does hessian get dirty very quickly, but it also doesn’t trap the clay dust as well, which has been
linked to a cause of cancer. The added bonus of working on a plastic sheet is that it can be washed down when
needed and can cover the clay piece when I have finished working on it for the day.
When the work surface has been prepared, the clay must be cut from the block it comes in, into the size that
is needed using a wire cutting tool, such as a harp. Then, place rolling guides either side of the work surface,
being sure that the gap isn’t bigger than the length of the rolling pin. The guides are used so that the clay stays
at a consistent level, which helps to keep the strength in the clay, very useful when constructing the sculpture.
When rolling, it is best to get as much body weight as possible over the clay to get it flat quickly.

A clay harp with wire Rolling guide Rolling pin

 Cutting and decorating the panels
When cutting out the shapes for the panels, I allowed them to dry for an hour or two, so that they did not slump
if I was to stand them up, and so they were easier to smooth down. Then I used clay decorating tools, such as
the coiled cutting edge tools to create ridges, such as those found in shutters. I also used a boxwood modelling
tool to outline where I need to cut through using a knife. When the sides are complete, slip (a mixture of clay
and warm water) and a kidney tool can be used to smooth down the surfaces and remove small bits of clay from
the cutting process.

Coiled cutting edge tools Kidney tool Modelling knife

Constructing the buildings
When constructing my sculpture, I first left the clay out to dry overnight, so that they would become dry and
therefore strong enough to join, but not so dry that it is unworkable. Then, I made up some slip to moisten the
joins between the base and the sides. Using a modelling knife, I created cross hatches on the two pieces and
applied slip to them both. In this case, the wetter the join is,. The better because the more water that can get
in-between them, the better the join will be. I also cut the edges to 45 degree angles, so that the pieces fit
snugly together without too much hassle and also cross hatched and added slip to this part to add to the joins
strength. It also creates a stronger join than bonding one side straight to another. Larger sides will need to be
supported, this can be done by using a large heavy box to stop it from slumping down or bending.
For the second and third tiers of my design, I decided not to cut out the main windows until the structure was
together and it was dryer, as this would compromise the structural integrity of my sculpture.
Post construction
Once the sculpture has been constructed, it will look something like this.