Portrait Sculpture with Air Dry Clay

This video shows how to sculpt a portrait bust using air dry clay and a wire armature.

31 min. video

Techniques for how to build a wire armature, and how to block in the largest shapes in the portrait sculpture are explained thoroughly.

Banner portrait sculpture

Sculpting techniques using a range of sculpting tools, and how to sculpt details, and the advantages and disadvantages of using air dry clay are all addressed.

Demo led by Art Prof Clara Lieu & Guest Teaching Artist Annelise Yee.


Video Walkthrough

  • Challenges of scupting heads
  • Proportion measurements
  • Armature wire
  • Attaching the armature
  • Armature “butterfly”
  • Styrofoam in the armature
  • Air dry terracotta clay
  • Packing the clay
Portrait Sculpture Tutorial: Air Dry Clay, banner
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