While I was working into the early hours of the morning last night on the sculpture head of my dad, I noticed it was taking on an uncanny and unwanted resemblance to Christopher Walken... *scrape* *scrape*, then it was back on the right track. One trick I've found that's kind of neat when sculpting is to squint your eyes (intentionally fuzz out detail) to get the bigger shape elements right. Then for middle of the road detail and fine details, keep your eyes open as long as possible while looking at it and your mind will fill in detail which is not even there! It's really scary when you see what you are doing looking back at you. Its the same for me with portrait mosaics, I start with the nose, eyes and eventually, it is a face that seems to be peeking through a white sheet of lime plaster with a mind of its own.
If you have some time to kill, related to all this sculpture stuff this is a fun trick you all can try at the museum, park or somewhere like that where realistic sculpture is present. Stare at a statue face (preferably marble or light colored stone) and eventually it will seem to move or shift its eyes. I'm talking about the kind of unblinking stare that causes your eyes to water, you know like you are in a staring contest with a cat. Then hold it for 30 seconds more... I've even seen lips move on my Thalia Muse bust, but was unsure of what it was saying to me exactly. I think low lighting works best.
By the way, this is not my statue, in case there was any confusion.
Italiana:
Se stare in un volto di statua, per un periodo sufficiente, sembra di essere vivo.
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It would freak me out a bit if I thought statues were moving/talking etc :/ I'm such a wuss
ReplyDeleteMr Statue there has a magnificently curly head of hair and beard!
Must've eaten his veggies as a little kid!
:)
ReplyDeleteGood old Marcus Aurelius in the Louvre, I could spend a week in that place.
I'll consult my earlier post on Roman cooking to guess what kind of vegetables. What's your favorite veggie?
OOh ... I've seen him. I could spend a week there too. Actually, that's probably how long you'd need to see everything properly, we managed 2 days and barely scratched the surface :( so frustrating
ReplyDeleteBroccoli I think :) Although all veg is lovely ... except for peppers :/ they're the devils vegetable
I think asparagus here, and the thin green beans, french cut of course... *resisting urge to make knicker joke* ... *very difficult*...
ReplyDeleteOMG! I love french beans too!!!! How could I have forgotten french beans!!
ReplyDeletehahaha ... just got the joke
Me: <---- bit slow today :P
They're the best type though, imo ;)
Of course that's not your statue, I made that one.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to iron out any possible confusion.
Mo can I borrow your time machine this weekend? I want to go pick up a 17th century chick. :)
ReplyDeleteGirl, indeed they are.
Lol. I'd actually LOVE to see a bust of Christopher Walken. (Although, he kinda creeps me out).
ReplyDeleteHe creeped me out last night, it was like a bad dream!
ReplyDeleteYou need to show us your sculpture when you are done. I didn't realize you were so talented.
ReplyDeleteChaka, it's just stuff to do after the day job... You can see my medusa head sculpture now in one of the earlier posts (clay original, then resin / marble dust into plaster cast made from the clay). I was thinking of making a hood ornament out of the resin medusa (kidding).
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to having a staring contest with a statue...I don't see many...but we do have this super ugly Raven statue crouching over an apple in the courtyard at our work...will it work on him? Oh...wait...he's black and you said a light, marble...nevermind.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want it to start looking like his wings are flapping anyway and start having nightmares of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Birds'.
You should post pictures of the progress of your sculpture...or at least take pictures of it and post it all as one at the end...then we (your readers) can see the progression of it from start to finish!
That's a good idea for the photo progression. I'm doing that for the G.I. mosaic and thinking of setting it to the tune of 'Cotton Eyed Joe' by the RedNex (the version without the stupid lyrics).
ReplyDeleteThat song falls into the class of music I refer to as 'Setup Atmosphere Rock Concert And Snogging Music', or SARCASM for short (just kidding, I don't always refer to it that way)...
It has that type of continuous, yet strangely catchy, evolution that makes you think of stage hands setting up sound systems, etc.
davvero curioso ed interessante il tuo blog! complimenti!
ReplyDeleteMariolin, grazie e il tuo blog contiene un po 'di cibo buono.
ReplyDeleteMe, I like to stand nose to nose and stare at statues. Or maybe not statues. Maybe it's the guy at the Mexican restaurant down the street and I'm trying to intimidate him into giving me extra salsa. It doesn't work, by the way.
ReplyDeletelol TishTash!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried nose to nose yet, I hope the DMA security guards won't throw me out.
Mmmm... salsa...
tuo blog e molto interrasante. conosco un uomo chiamo preston nichols che possono andare backwards(cant remember the word) a tempo.
ReplyDeletehopefully this makes some sense, my italian is rusty.
Thank you Mr. Condescending, I'll have to look up Preston then. Your Italian seems impeccable to me, but then I've only been studying for a year. Kudos on your sites BTW, very fresh subject matter.
ReplyDelete