Practice Modelling

MODELLING, PRACTICE Modelling, as treated in this article, is that preliminary stage of a work of sculpture which involves its actual creation in a soft material and its subsequent casting or reproduction in a more permanent material. No consideration is to be given to that attribute of a piece of sculpture which is spoken of in criticism as "good or bad" modelling. The latter attribute is dependent upon those qualities which the sculptor has put into his work, such as the conception of mass, surface, texture and detail. (See following section, MODELLING, THEORY.) Materials.—Formerly, sculptors often carved their works direct from the stone or wood, but the advantages of being able to take off or add on, to twist and change until such time as the work has assumed the desired form has appealed so strongly to the modern sculptor that modeling is almost universally used and the acceptance of the possibility of these changes help to bring modern sculpture to perfection just as the changes in the manuscript help to bring the writing of a book into better form. Michelangelo and other old masters often carved directly in stone, but only an artist of great vision and much training dare corn mence work upon a valuable piece of marble, and though work so executed may possibly gain in spontaneity it is sure at all times to lack in that thoughtful consideration which a more tractable material permits.

When the processes in modelling were first practised clay was used, but this material has faults in that it is difficult to keep at just the right degree of moisture, and when too dry it must be frequently sprayed with water or covered with moist rags. Wax, which came into use later, is also difficult to handle and very fragile. Thus a comparatively new substance, which is called plasticine and which is really a clay-like material of an oily composition that dries much more slowly, has come into general use, eliminating many of the sculptor's difficulties.

Conception.

The sculptor often makes a number of pre liminary sketches in plasticine of the work of art he is contemplat ing, and as a rule he makes these sketches small enough to avoid the necessity of supports or armatures. Sometimes these sketches

are made over an extended period of time and changed again and again until the general idea has "crystallized" in the artist's mind, and he has established just about what arrangement of his work is going to be best. It is often necessary to make a larger and more detailed sketch, including final corrections so that the whole may be kept in mind as his work proceeds. This preliminary work is necessary because of the fact that sculpture often in volves so extended a period of time in its creation that certain considerations are likely to be lost sight of as the work proceeds.

Armatures.

On the basis of the final sketch and upon the sculptor's determination as to the size in which the modelling is to be carried out, a suitable armature or support must be con structed. For instance, assuming that the sculptor intends to model a standing figure 3o inches high, a square, iron rod, with three branches at the bottom for support, and bent at a point about 18 inches from the base to meet at a right angle the small of the back of the standing figure, is screwed to a board which is used as a base. The fixed centre of the human body is the small of the back, or the centre between the pelvis bone, and it is important that the armature at this point be so arranged that any change in the position of the arms, legs or torso will not interfere with the fundamental balance of the figure. This bent portion of the iron rod at the small of the back should be, in the example adopted, about 6 inches in length with a 2-inch upward bend at the end. Lead wire, or pipe, of g" diameter should he used, one section for each leg, one extended up to the top of the head and two more attached properly for the arms, and these lead extensions are attached to the iron support and bent in accordance with the movement of the sketch from which the sculptor is working.