How can I learn to make cast clay sculptures?

June 18, 2020 12:25 PM

I'm an artist and I sometimes make small clay sculptures and get them fired. I don't know a ton about this process on a technical level. I want to learn to sculpt one of something (out of whatever, but ideally something that doesn't dry out too quickly) and make a bunch of them out of some kind of clay - porcelain? ceramic? I'm not even sure what this would be called, but ideally not resin, though I would consider it if necessary – using molds.

Happy to learn from books, courses or whatever but I'm having trouble even figuring out where to start, particularly on the reproduction rather than basic sculpting end. FWIW, I am considering human figures as well as other forms. How do people do this? What do I need to learn?

posted by lgyre to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

If you need terms for researching more, it sounds like you're talking about slip casting. The clay used is called slip (liquid clay, basically) & you make the molds out of plaster. For more complicated shapes you'll probably have several molds to pour things in sections & then they're attached after they dry a bit. Lots of books & video tutorials out there about it!
posted by The AhForgetIt Tendency at 1:15 PM on June 18, 2020 [1 favorite]

Just went to find you a link about slip casting
posted by advicepig at 1:17 PM on June 18, 2020

A community college near you may offer a molding and casting class.

Even after spending pretty much my entire undergrad making molds, they're a PITA and I often screw them up. Good luck!
posted by all the light we cannot see at 3:19 AM on June 19, 2020

This channel is mostly for various plastic/resin techniques when he's casting stuff, but he's great. Good on general casting technique and strategizing successful casting, and a lot of fun:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCrafsMan/featured
posted by aesop at 8:47 AM on June 19, 2020