How a portrait bust is made by Richsrd Arfsten
It is best to have the person to be sculpted sit for the modeling. I will take pictures and measurements at the first sitting and return for a second sitting after I have roughed out the piece. This picture illustrates the point where I am ready to make the final adjustments. This process saves a lot of time for the sitter and me.
The idea is to put some life into the piece so it looks alive. I have to see the way the person's face moves in order to capture the minute facial movements that are used to convey emotion.
After the modeling is done the clay goes to an art foundry to be made into a bronze bust. This is an extremely complicated and time consuming process. This is where the big money is spent. $15,000 is an average cost for a nice bronze bust.
I cast this piece as a high relief. That means I basically cut the head in half at about the ears so it will hang on the wall.
Taking better pictures of it is on my "To Do" list. There are many, many sculptures, monoprints and paintings I created and have never had the time to photograph. I am not very well organized as you can deduct. This piece - "The Polish Sitter" - has been sitting, or rather leaning, in my little sculpture display in my garden for about 30 years. It has a natural patina and has a hanging bracket on it.
Sculpture size: 28"H x 15"W
The idea is to put some life into the piece so it looks alive. I have to see the way the person's face moves in order to capture the minute facial movements that are used to convey emotion.
After the modeling is done the clay goes to an art foundry to be made into a bronze bust. This is an extremely complicated and time consuming process. This is where the big money is spent. $15,000 is an average cost for a nice bronze bust.
I cast this piece as a high relief. That means I basically cut the head in half at about the ears so it will hang on the wall.
Taking better pictures of it is on my "To Do" list. There are many, many sculptures, monoprints and paintings I created and have never had the time to photograph. I am not very well organized as you can deduct. This piece - "The Polish Sitter" - has been sitting, or rather leaning, in my little sculpture display in my garden for about 30 years. It has a natural patina and has a hanging bracket on it.
Sculpture size: 28"H x 15"W