In
response to overwhelming requests for instruction,
tips and advice, I am pleased to announce the first
edition of my e-book, Portrait Sculpture Simplified. A sincere
thank you to everyone who has inspired me in this endeavor.
This edition is only available on CD and as a PDF
format ebook and will not be published in printed hardcopy
format.
Portrait Sculpture Simplified is a complete
instructional course encompassing all of the
tips, techniques, and tricks I've learned over the
past
20 years through both formal academic instruction
and
practical trial and error. You will save countless
hours of frustration and "learning curve" because
I have already been through the process and will
guide
you toward the most simplified, effective techniques. In
numerous areas I have included valuable information
that has never been taught in school or found in print.
Here
are just some of the topics covered:
Materials -
what you need to know to get started
Proportions -
rules to look for in every head
Modeling -
rules and step by step demonstrations of each feature
Drying
and Firing - how to prepare for firing,
bisque and glaze
Patinas -
several step by step demonstrations for ceramic and
bonded bronze
Mold
Making - silicone rubber flexible molds
and rigid molds
Casting -
in bonded bronze and other materials
Base
Making and Mounting - make a base, mount,
and photograph your finished piece
The
techniques I've developed over the years produce consistent
and reliable results in half the time it
would take if using traditional methods. Some
of the detailed, time-saving steps described are:
Traditional
Method
Portraits in Clay
Method
Make complex armature
Make simple armature
Model subject
Model subject
Cut head off of armature
Slide head off of armature
Hollow out head
**Not needed**
Reassemble head
**Not needed**
Repair seam
**Not needed**
Air dry 4-6 weeks, no test/guarantee
of dryness
Steam dry in 2-3 weeks, bone dry
test/ guarantee
Fire over 24 hour period hoping it doesn't
explode
Fire over 48 hour period with confidence
Repair cracks and breaks
**Usually not needed**
Apply patina - limited to paints and waxes,
can't be re-fired
Apply any patina, including using glazes
and re-firing
Awkward to mount on base
Easy to mount on base
**Denotes a cumbersome step that is virtually
eliminated
Important:
In order to view this book once the CD arrives, you
will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on
your machine. You can download the latest version (6.0)
of this FREE viewer from the Adobe site at any time
if you don't already have it installed:
If
you already have Adobe Reader installed on your
system, check the version number by viewing the
Help/About Adobe screen. You must have version
5 or higher to view this document. If you have
an older version, uninstall the old version through
your Window's Control Panel "Add or Remove Programs" icon
and then install the current version from the Adobe link
above. Once the new version is installed, click
the new Adobe Reader shortcut that should now
display on your desktop to verify the program launches
successfully. If
you don't have a PDF document to test, I've included
this Test Page.pdf document below. Simply
click this link and unpack this small document
to a folder on your system. Once installed, browse
to that folder and click on the document to launch
it in Adobe Reader. If you can read this test document,
you will be able to read the book when it arrives.
Note
for Mac users: The autorun feature of the
CD is a Windows feature and does not work with Mac
operating systems. To launch the ebook, simply insert
the CD into your CD-ROM and browse to the files contained
on the CD directory. Click on PortraitSculptureSimplified.pdf to
launch the book in Adobe Reader for the Mac platform.
Available in English only. I
apologize, but all sales are final as no returns
are permitted on digital media. CD's will ship within
3 days of receiving your order.
Order "Portrait
Sculpture Simplified" eBook on
CD Now
"Portrait
Sculpture Simplified" CD can also be ordered
through Amazon,The
Compleat Sculptor, A Stroke of Genius, and
various ebook retailer's web
sites. If ordering directly from me, you will
be sure to get the latest release.
New: If
you live in Canada, England, or in the Netherlands,
you can now immediately download Portrait Sculpture
Simplified through one of these secure, online
retailers:
