Sculpture for adults

Sculpture for adults

Participants in the Sculpture for adults course learn the basic principles of sculpting in clay. Participants practise skills and observation to create a portrait, figure or other original sculpture. They then go on to learn about other sculptural materials and techniques.

Beginners course

Sculpture is an artistic medium that includes perception and creation through movement. The specific nature of the sculptural form means that we experience it from different angles as a new, always different “picture”. Unlike a painting, which exists on a flat surface, the sculptural form explores the complexity of three-dimensionality. The beginners sculpture course aims to introduce participants to this unique depth perspective, where forms are shaped as wholes, from all sides.

The course is specially designed for those who are encountering clay for the first time as a basic material of sculpture. Clay allows us to add and take away material, which creates a broad space for experimentation and learning through repetition, which is the key to progress in artistic expression. The workshops are based on observing the world around us and transferring what we see into sculptural form. The course progresses from simple shapes and details to more complex assignments, with participants shaping basic sculptural elements – modelling an egg, for example – from the very start. The egg, which symbolises an ideal form, represents the foundation of the Renaissance exploration of the ideals of beauty and serves as a starting point for sculptural creation.

Participants are also introduced to the post-production processes that are an integral part of every sculpture project. The sculpted pieces are prepared for drying by hollowing them out, after which they are prepared for firing, which is what ensures their durability. As the course progresses, we gradually move on to more complex tasks, such as sculpting a first stylised head and details of the human face. Using plaster casts, participants familiarise themselves with the basic principles of clay modelling and processing techniques such as hollowing, assembling and various ceramic techniques (patination, engobing, glazing).

Copying real images simultaneously strengthens their own creative and abstract thinking. Sculptural forms and surface treatments are tools for the individual expression of an idea and the creation of unique works. The course also includes theoretical lectures on visual culture and contemporary art, which deepens participants’ understanding of the artistic process.

Advanced course

The advanced course is aimed at those who have already mastered the basics of sculpting from a model and wish to develop their own creativity. The aim of the course is to create a portrait and prepare it for firing and surface treatment. As well as replication, participants learn various surface treatment techniques such as transforming soft forms into hard forms and vice versa, which represents a creative challenge.

The course includes free interpretation of sculptural forms, where other materials adapted to work in the Pionirski dom studios are added to clay. We introduce participants to various techniques and processes that they can also use at home, without needing any complex technical equipment. The advanced course incorporates working with plaster casts, where participants try their hands at making a plaster mould, which introduces them to the sculptural process of subtracting material to create a final positive form.

Through the creative process, participants strengthen their perception and observation skills and critical thinking. The course encourages reflection and the analysis of artistic products, while at the same time linking to references from the history of art. The main aim is to enable participants to express their own ideas and feelings, which they then transform into unique works of art using sculptural techniques.