Figure Sculpting Fundamentals

Service Description

In this six-week figure sculpting course, participants learn foundational sculpting skills while exploring the expressive and symbolic potential of the human form. Through hands-on clay work, this course invites students to approach sculpture as both a technical practice and a reflective creative process. Each session is grounded in figurative sculpting fundamentals—armature building, proportion, posture, and form—while also drawing on archetypes and symbolism as creative inspiration. Rather than focusing solely on anatomical accuracy, students are encouraged to consider the figure as a carrier of story, emotion, and meaning. his class we will explore not only technique, but also how to communicate a symbolic narrative. Working through hand-building and figurative abstraction, participants will explore how posture, gesture, and form can communicate universal human themes such as strength and fragility, connection and loss, breaking and becoming. The use of archetypes offers a framework for creative exploration, allowing students to shape figures that feel personally and symbolically resonant. This course is skill-based and accessible to beginners, while offering depth for more experienced artists. No prior sculpting experience is required. All materials are provided. Please wear clothing that can get messy. All payments are final and unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds for booked courses (unless there is a mistake on our end). A Look Inside the Course: Week 1: Exploring Archetypes - Introduction to symbolism and Jungian archetypes (The Self, The Shadow, The Child, The Seeker, The Creator, The Lover, etc.) - Participants choose an archetype that resonates with their current life phase - Sketching symbols, gestures, and forms to develop a sculptural concept Week 2: Sculpting Fundamentals - Building and understanding armatures - Introduction to basic figure sculpting techniques - Exploring posture, proportion, and gesture using sketches from Week 1 Weeks 3–5: Developing the Form - Continued building and refining of the sculptural form - Focus on structure, balance, and expressive detail Week 6: Finishing the Form - Applying an oxide wash for surface depth - Kiln firing