Clay Sculpture Demonstrations, Kiln Information and Clay Information   - by artist Jen Pratt, Equus Studio

Panther Clay Sculpture Demo: View this: Artwork | Demo

A large, full figure panther sculpture:

Building the Clay Sculpture Armature

2. Sculpting a Clay Panther
3. Preparing for Firing
4. The Unfired Panther Sculpture
5. Firing the Clay Sculpture
6. Building a Wooden Base
7. Fixing a Broken Sculpture p.1
8. Fixing a Broken Sculpture p.2
9. Adding the Base

Horse Clay Sculpture Demonstration: View this: Artwork | Demo

A small horse head sculpture. This clay sculpture needs no armature, just newspaper.

1. Building a Quick Armature
2. Sculpting the Details
3. The Unfired Horse Sculpture

Relative Measurements of the Horse
Actual Sculpture Measurements
Creating Digital Artworks & Prints

More Clay Sculpture Tutorials:

1. Lidded Clay Box Demo

There are many reasons to choose clay as a medium:

One of the most important reasons is the clay medium's durability - there are many examples of ceramic / clay sculptures lasting for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. In its fired form, clay is very durable, and when kept in a home environment can be passed down generation after generation.

There are many options to choose from for finishing ceramic artworks.

• There are different glazing options, such as regular kiln-fired glazes, raku glazes, metallic glaze accents (such as gold), and others.

• There's the option of using terra cotta clay and either covering it with a clear coat glaze or leaving it unfinished

• Jen's finishing technique incorporates a 4-step process using paint, metallic pigments, and non-fired glazes. For more information on Jen's technique and other clay finishes, visit the Clay Finishes page.