Modelling Animal Figures
Senior 3 · Fine Arts
Modelling Animal Figures
Lesson 4 of 4
25 min
Antoine-Louis Barye, a French sculptor of the nineteenth century, studied living animals for hours at the zoo in Paris. Look at the bronze lion below. The mane is a mass of deep, wavy locks; the body is smooth, so the muscles of the shoulder and haunch catch the light; the mouth is open in a snarl and the head is turned slightly forward. Barye used two contrasting textures and a few expressive details to make a small figure feel powerful. In this lesson you will finish your animal the same way: with surface texture that describes the coat, and features that give it character.
Definition
Texture: the way a surface feels or looks as if it would feel: rough, smooth, furry, scaly.
Incising: cutting lines into the clay surface with a pointed tool. Impressing (stamping): pressing an object into the clay to leave a mark.
Burnishing: rubbing leather-hard clay with a smooth object, such as a spoon or pebble, to make it shine.
Expression: the feeling or mood a sculpture communicates, through pose and features.
Bisque firing: the first firing of clay, which makes it hard but leaves it porous.
Real animals have many textures, but a sculpture works best with a few chosen ones. Decide which areas will be textured and which will be smooth, as Barye did. Texture follows the form: fur strokes run in the direction the hair grows, from the nose back over the head and down the legs; scales and feathers overlap like roof tiles, pointing towards the tail.
| Texture | Tool you can make or find | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Short fur, hair | an old fork, a comb, a toothbrush | soft to leather-hard |
| Wool, curls | a pencil tip, a small loop of wire | soft |
| Scales | a drinking straw cut in half, a bottle cap edge | soft to leather-hard |
| Feathers | a modelling tool or a flattened stick | leather-hard |
| Smooth hide | a damp sponge, then the back of a spoon to burnish | leather-hard |
| Wrinkles, folds | the side of a modelling tool, a fingertip | soft |
A sculpture is not a copy of an animal but a portrait of one moment. Choose what you want to say: a proud bull, a sleepy cat, a hen guarding her chicks. Then make every detail support it:
Exaggerate a little. A small sculpture seen from a metre away needs slightly larger eyes, deeper eye sockets and stronger ears than a strict measurement would give.
| Assessment criterion | What the assessor looks for |
|---|---|
| Proportion and posture | parts in correct proportion; a recognisable, characteristic pose |
| Construction and stability | sound joins, no cracks; the figure stands securely |
| Texture | chosen textures follow the form and contrast with smooth areas |
| Expression | head, ears, eyes and pose work together to show a mood |
| Finish and presentation | clean surface, suitable colour, labelled and displayed |
Worked example 1: making a cow look proud
Shema's clay cow is well proportioned but looks dull. What could he change?
Head: lift it so the muzzle points slightly up, and turn it a little to one side, which breaks the stiff symmetry.
Horns: lengthen them in a clear upward curve; long horns are what people recognise in Ankole cattle (Lesson 1).
Texture: keep the body smooth and burnished, and add short fur strokes only on the forehead and the end of the tail, so the smooth muscle reads clearly.
Eyes: set them a little deeper and give them heavy lids for a calm, confident look.
Worked example 2: texture that cracked
Ingabire pressed deep scale marks all over her clay fish when it was nearly dry. Small cracks appeared round every mark.
Diagnosis. The clay was too dry to move, so pressing it split the surface; the marks were also deep enough to thin the wall.
Fix. Apply impressed textures while the clay is soft to leather-hard, test the depth on a scrap tile first, and press lightly on thin areas such as fins.
<em>THE BEST textures for clay sculpture! Easy and beginner friendly!</em>, from The Art Mentor channel. Note which everyday objects make which textures, and add any good ideas to your own texture table.
Warning
Over-texturing. A sculpture covered all over in the same deep texture loses its form. Leave smooth areas so the shape can be read.
Paints and glazes. Use only paints and glazes approved by your teacher, work in a ventilated room and wash brushes and hands afterwards.
Tip
Smooth body, textured edges, expressive head. Two textures and a strong head angle say more than texture everywhere.
Practice
What is the difference between incising and impressing?
In which direction should fur strokes run on an animal's back?
Name a found object that could make a scale texture, and say when to use it.
How could you change a clay dog's ears, head and tail to make it look frightened?
Analyse how Barye's Walking Lion uses texture to make the body look strong.
Evaluate this plan: "I will cover my whole goat in deep fork marks so it looks really furry." Suggest a better plan.
Finishing task. Make a test tile of three textures, then finish your animal with at least two textures and a clear expression. Present it on a labelled base and assess it with the table above.
1. Incising cuts lines into the surface with a pointed tool; impressing presses an object into the clay to leave its shape.
2. From the head back towards the tail, the way the hair grows.
3. A drinking straw cut in half (or a bottle cap edge), pressed in overlapping rows while the clay is soft to leather-hard.
4. Ears pressed back, head lowered, tail tucked between the hind legs; the eyes could be made wide.
5. The body is left smooth, so light shows the bulging muscles of the shoulders and haunches; the rough, deep mane next to it makes that smoothness stand out and frames the snarling head.
6. Deep marks everywhere hide the form and can crack or thin the walls. Better: keep the body mostly smooth, add fur texture where it is thickest (for example the beard, the back of the neck and the tail), and press lightly.
7. Check: a test tile; textures follow the form; a clear mood; label with title, materials, name and date; self-assessment against the five criteria.
Stand back from your finished animal. What mood does it show? Ask a classmate to name the mood without your help, and compare their answer with what you intended.
Further reading
Sources and credits
