Portraiture in clay
My portraiture courses are popular among painting students in Florence looking to try their hand at clay modeling for the first time, complete beginners new to sculpture, as well as experienced sculptors looking for a solid portraiture technique. I teach portraiture using the sight-size method, an almost purely visual technique.
Sight-size is normally associated with portrait painters. I learned Sight-size from the painter Charles Cecil, who commissioned a small class of students with the task of adapting the method for three dimensional work, back in 1997. The resulting method is now taught in studios around the world, thanks both to these students who now teach, and to my book which documents the technique, titled Sculpting from Life - A Studio Manual of the Sight-Size Method.
In the course of the workshop, students will model a portrait in clay from life, and as an additional option, prepare the clay for firing into a durable ceramic bust or create a mold for casting. in addition to instruction and critiques, I work alongside the students on my own portrait study, providing a demonstration of techniques and process throughout the entire workshop.
It’s recommended that a student spend about 30 hours of class time for a portrait course. The fee per course is 1200 Euros, which works out to 120 euros per three-hour session, which includes all materials and model fees outside of firing and molding; tuition, and use of tools.