Introduction to Portrait Sculpting Skill Set
Turn clay into character — master the timeless craft of portrait sculpture. Over 10 weeks, you’ll immerse yourself in the fascinating world of portrait sculpture, learning the essential skills to create realistic, life-sized busts.
Overview
When Semester 1, 2026
How On campus
Discover the Art of Sculpting the Human Head and Face
Over 15 weeks, you’ll immerse yourself in the fascinating world of portrait sculpture, learning the essential skills to create realistic, life-sized busts.
This course is designed for beginners and intermediate learners who want to develop a strong foundation in sculptural techniques while producing durable reference models for future artistic work. You’ll start by mastering the individual features that bring a face to life — eyes, ears, noses, and mouths — while exploring structure, form, and proportion. From there, you’ll learn how to capture anatomy and expression, understanding symmetry and emotional nuance. Working with professional materials such as oil-based plasticine and clay, you’ll refine fine details and construct strong internal armatures to support your sculptures.
Throughout the course, you’ll apply classical methods including the Loomis approach to geometric proportions, Bridgman’s anatomical principles, and Robert Bodem’s Drawing in Space technique. By the end, you will have created two life-sized busts — one based on Loomis proportions and another secondary planes bust — ready for firing and long-term use.
- Sculpt lifelike human features and complete, realistic busts with confidence
- Apply essential sculptural principles and classical techniques with precision
- Create durable, professional-quality reference models for future projects
- Build a solid foundation to advance into further study or independent sculptural practice
- Patience and attention to detail
- Good observation skills
- Willingness to practice and learn
- Basic hand-eye coordination
- Openness to classical techniques
- Interest in human form and creativity
- Commitment to completing the course
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This form is only for course enquiries. If you would like to apply, please refer to the SELECT YOUR PREFERRED CAMPUS AND APPLY section above.