Sculpt a head 2 part Ceramic workshop | 16th May & 17th May

CERAMIC PORTRAIT WORKSHOP: A study of the human face and proportion.

2 PART SERIES

Date:

Sat 16th: 9:30 to 3pm
Sun 17th: 9:30 to 1pm

Venue: The Studio, 217 Main Road, Hout Bay

Price: R2500 for both days, including materials

Join artist and ceramicist Toinette Lindley for this immersive two-part portrait workshop.

In this hands-on experience, you’ll explore the structure, proportion and expressive possibilities of the human face while sculpting your own clay portrait from the ground up. Guided step by step, you’ll learn how to build form with confidence — from armature to refined features — in a focused and supportive studio environment.

Whether you’re new to sculpture or looking to deepen your practice, this workshop offers a rewarding and creatively rich journey into portraiture.

Things that we will cover on this workshop

This workshop will take you through the process of creating a person’s portrait. At this early phase we won’t focus on likeness, although you may surprise yourself, but rather the anatomical correctness of creating a portrait in clay.

To begin with, we will form a paper former on a wooden armature, considering the skeletal structure of the head and angle of the jaw, cranium, cheek bones and forehead. It is important to get the foundation as accurate as we can with this first step.

Then by layering slabs of clay and blending them, we will cover the paper with a clay ‘skin’. Noticing the bulkier areas, we will begin to add subtle definition. It’s then time to mark out the features and place then in the correct positions, this isn’t as obvious as one imagines.

Finally, we will build the features, noticing positive and negative space, we will make our clay figures human. The process of refining is a wonderfully creative zone to find yourself in.

Part of the entire process is also to remove the paper former and repair the sculpture before finally adding hair and refining the features until you are happy with your creation.

The piece is the dried out over a couple of weeks and fired to bisque temperature. The piece is now ready for painting and glazing, which you can opt to do during a class of mine at extra cost. Or you can paint your sculpture in acrylics. I will discuss these options in detail with you during our time together.

WHAT TO BRING:

Coffee & tea available, but you are welcome to bring your own lunch, snacks and drinks to enjoy while you work.