Large plaster sculptures require a wire armature and take a lot of planning and skill to get just right. When you are building your first plaster sculptures, however, you should keep it small. That way, you can work on your carving and shaping skills without having to deal with planning and piecing together a big work.
Instructions
1. Plan your plaster sculpture. Draw a sketch with all of the basic shapes to work out your design. You need not put in every detail, but you should get a basic idea.
2. Make a model of your sculpture out of clay. You can shape it with your hand or carve it with a craft knife such as an X-Acto knife. You should make the model blocky and slightly bigger than you want the final plaster model to be so you can carve out the details later. Wait for the clay to dry.
3. Work modeling clay around your clay form until it is embedded in the modeling clay. Make a small hole in the top of the modeling clay that goes all the way down to the sculpture.
4. Use a piece of wire to cut the modeling clay mold in half. Take out the clay sculpture from the middle. Put the modeling clay back together again and gently seal the edges with your fingers.
5. Fill a disposable cup halfway up with plaster. Add plaster by hand until it starts to form little bumps on top of the water. Stir it thoroughly with a spoon and pour it into the mold.
6. Let the plaster dry overnight. Then, cut the mold apart with a wire. Use a craft knife to scrape off any remaining modeling clay. Then, carve details into the plaster.
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