Sunday 9 June 2013

#433 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't . . .


Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403,  March 10.

My teaching method concentrates on knowledge of the bird's anatomy and blocking in the subject's large shapes.  
The block-in helps to simplify what is most important and causes the sculptor to define the big shapes and form first, before indicating any detail.  
All that can be said with large shapes should be expressed before indicating detail.

The sculptor must determine what shapes are important for identification, 
and establish proportion of the individual species by defining the large shapes first.  


Below, is a clarified drawing of a grouse.
The sculptor must understand what they are seeing when looking at this drawing.
A bird's wing feather sets are basic and every bird has they same groupings as explained in previous posts.
When blocking in the wing the sculptor should think of the wing as large shapes . . .
not individual feathers.



Begin by thinking of the sets of feathers as individual shapes.
For it is shapes and the arrangements of shapes that make sculpture.
Sculpting birds is assembling shapes.

Birds in flight do not "pose" for the sculptor.
As you approach your sculpture stand and embark upon modeling a bird in flight, you will find that knowing the information presented in this series of bird anatomy posts is far more important than the technical ability to sculpt.  Painters paint what they see, sculptors sculpt what they know.


Below and in progress is a clay block-in of grouse.




Quail and grouse are both upland gamebirds, are in the same classification order - Galliformes - and although
quail are smaller, they are similar to grouse in shape and form.


Below is a clarified drawing of a quail in flight.


Birds in flight don't "pose" for the artist . . . knowledge of the subject's structure is mandatory.
Below is a sculpture of quail in flight.


Quail Gamebird Bookends
12'H 18"W 10"D



All sculpture, and drawings - copyright Sandy Scott


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