Clay sculpture: portrait head
This course has now started
Course Code: VU792
Duration: 12 sessions (over 13 weeks)
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What is the course about?
The course is about developing skills in seeing and understanding three dimensional form by studying the life figure and portrait.
What will we cover?
Focussing on the portrait, the course will concentrate on one model and give you the chance to spend the term advancing your skills and getting to grips with portraiture.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Make a suitable armature for a portrait head
- Understand the use of some of the muscles in the face
- Use clay effectively to enhance the mood and character of a portrait head
- Prepare the head for firing.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
All ability levels are welcome.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions to support demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Life modelling will be taught mainly on an individual basis, with group discussion on major topics concerned with life modelling. The emphasis will be on practice with guidance.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
All materials provided.
Stout shoes must be worn at all times in the Sculpture studio.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The sculpture department offers a programme of courses that will allow you to progress from beginner to advanced as well as learn a range of techniques. For example, we offer a number of courses that concentrate on modelling from the figure: VU790, VU791, VU988 while the City Lit Sculpture course- VU841 will help you to build an individual sculpture practice and exhibit your work. The Sculpture studio: develop personal work VU204 offers broad scope for development or you could join specific specialist courses like Carving in wood or stone -VU805 or Wax carving for the foundry: cast your sculpture in bronze- VU931 to further your skills. Please ask your tutor for advice.
Valerie Merlo is a sculptor, who specialises in bronze casting. She has an MA in sculpture from the Royal College of Art and teaches at City Lit alongside her art practice. She has a strong interest in drawing, which she uses when working towards her sculpture, which she makes from her studio at ASC studios. Valerie is a very experienced tutor whose personal approach to sculpture feeds into her teaching, by encouraging students to explore the creative boundary between drawing and sculpture. Her focus is on supporting students to develop individual projects from direct observation of the figure, their imagination, exploring and experimenting with materials and from research into the work of other artists; both contemporary and historical art. javascript:WebForm_DoPostBackWithOptions(new WebForm_PostBackOptions("ctl00$ctl00$SystemContentPane$ContentPlaceHolderWorkflowActions$LinkButtonFormSubmitted", "", true, "", "", false, true))
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.