FMD #29

I’m continuing to block in the basic anatomy and use my calipers to check on proportions while working.

You can see the sketch maquette in the background to be used as the model. More of the anatomy is being laid in. The centerline and other proportional lines are continually redrawn onto the clay as part of the process. 

Using a flat metal kidney shaped tool I homogenize the muscle forms.

And so the process goes: lay in some muscles and anatomy, check proportions, blend the forms to evaluate the progress and to check the relationships between the forms.

The skull forms are built up and the eye sockets are refined.

With the majority of the anatomy now in place, I roughly sculpt in the undergarments of the period. Will any of this show? Well, yes and no. Just as it is important to put the bony forms and landmarks in place before adding muscle, fat and skin - the undergarments of the era, while not visible, are very important to the overall sculpture and the clothes on top of them. During the 50’s, women’s undergarments were very stiff and form-shaping. They were meant to pinch in the waist and give excellent posture. It isn’t necessary to spend a lot of time detailing this, but putting in a representation of the garments gives a shape to the forms that will help the overall silhouette  and the way that the clothes lay on the forms.

The base that she will be standing on is still being fabricated and will be added as soon as it is available. While waiting for the base, I secure the loose armature wires from the feet onto the support board using some mounds of clay to keep the sculpture a bit more stable while working.

The feet are posed as if they were in their high heeled shoes, which will be sculpted in detail at a later point as the work progresses.

I will continue to refine the anatomy and relationships of forms before beginning to add the hair, hat and clothing.