Help?

[Jibbly]

Okay....uhm....I guess I could ask here...

I really, really wanna get started with some clay stuff, I absolutely love these works that many of you have done, even the beginners, but, I have almost no experience with clay, and the experience I do have, I really suck....I'm a complete noob with 3D stuff, and I have lots of trouble doing stuff with my hands, outside of a pencil and paper....so, in short, I was wondering, if anyone cood give me info on where I should go, or what to do to start, what kind of tools I should use, what kind of materials, and stuff like that....I really appreciate any advice you all give to me...thanks!

-Jibbly

[madpencil]

The best advice I can think of is for you to become obssesed with human anatomy, just knowing a little bit is not enough. Take a life drawing class, draw from live models. What does this have to do with "Clay"? well...Life will be much easier for you when you get to the clay modeling process if you have a strong foundation of knowledge. Clay is just a tool, same as a pencil or a computer. It isn't a substitute for skill.

[Asmodeus]

I´m totally agree with madpencil, learn how to draw the human body by different views and posses, study the facial characters and expressions, draw trying to do your work as it were tridimensional.

A good point to start is modeling parts of your face or your whole head using photos or a mirror for reference. Don´t go directly to the details, try to see the entire thing, model the basical planes paying attention to the proportions and relations between the forms. After that you´ll can introduce more detail and experiment with textures. Working the clay when it´s dry could give nice plastic effects.

You can buy tools to work clay in any art shop. Don´t get too obsessed with the tools, the tool itself doesn´t make fine pieces. Use your fingers, a cutter, pencils, anything you think could goes well.

There are some beautiful examples of work in progress in this forum, take a look and learn. And practice, practice, practice... ¡good luck!