A regal and strong animal, the bear makes an ideal subject for sculpting from modeler's clay. This basic tutorial describes how to shape a bear standing on four legs in a style that is fairly abstract and not too detailed, which makes it ideal for the beginner sculptor.
1Purchase suitable clay. There is a variety of modeling clay available in art and craft or hobby stores; read the instructions to see which sound most suitable for you. Be sure to know how the clay sets after the project is completed, as this may affect your decision on which one to choose––some people prefer air drying, others don't mind placing the item in the oven to bake a little.Ad
2Determine the size of the bear. As with all sculpting, the larger the bear is, the easier the modeling will be. However, if you're patient, a smaller bear can be rewarding too, especially if the details are accurate. Above all, you'll need to concentrate on appropriate proportions throughout the sculpting of the bear, so it can be very helpful to have images of real bears in front of you––print a few from the internet or borrow a book on bears from your local library.
3Begin with the bear's body. This should be an elongated, slightly long sphere. Make sure that it is rounded enough and sturdy. Then, shape it into the pose you've chosen, such as standing on all fours or on twos. For the sake of simplicity in this article, the bear is remaining on his four paws; you can progress to more advanced poses as you feel more confident shaping the bear's characteristics.
4Shape the bear's head. Begin by rolling a sphere for the head. It's most important to make sure it's in proportion with the body, so it may take a bit of reshaping until you have this right.
- Attach the head to the body in the correct position. Depending on the clay, this might require adding a dab or two of water to connect the clay.
- Then, using your fingers, work on smoothing the connection between the head and the body until they appear seamless. Use long strokes of your fingers to work the clay together.
5Shape the bear's legs. Obviously, the legs need to be in proportion to the rest of the bear and also fit the chosen pose for your bear. In this case, the bear requires that its legs face downward on all fours, and the modeler has chosen to make the legs appear more symbolic than to shape them closely to that of a real bear's––as you can see from the final image, the effect still works well. Note that the back legs are shorter in proportion than the front legs in this position, giving the sculpture a broad front aspect with its front legs featuring. To make legs, simply roll four pieces of clay into thick sausage or stump shapes. Attach as required by the clay (direct or using a dab of water) and as with attaching the head, work on smoothing the legs to the body.
- If you want more detail, use sculpting tools to carve out paws at the base of each leg.
6Now that the bear is sitting solidly, you can work on some of the finer details that complete the bear's character. Start with adding some ears to the bear's head. Form a "worm" out of the clay, then cut two smaller lengths of the same length from the longer worm. For each small length, bring one end of the length around to the other end and join by squeezing the ends together. This will form little horseshoe shaped ears. Attach to the top of the bear's head with a dab of water and carefully smooth out the joins.
7Add the bear's nose and eyes next. Roll three small balls of clay, making the two eyeballs slightly smaller than the ear ball. Then, flatten each ball slightly and attach them to your bear's face. Work the balls into the face to look realistic––for example, you might like to use a sculpting tool the shape the eyes more almond-like and for the nose, draw in two small lines to depict nostrils.
8If you'd like the bear to stand on a base, this is fairly simple to make. Create a slightly thick flat circle or square (or whatever shape you want) and attach your bear to it. Consider using a different color from the bear, such as grass for a black bear to stand on, river water for a hungry grizzly bear or an iceberg for a polar bear.
9Finish up the sculpting. Look over your work and check for appropriate proportions, seamless joins and adequate detail. Make any adjustments needed, as once it has dried, that's it! Once you're happy with the end result, let it dry according the instructions on the clay.
- Painting the bear is optional; follow any instructions provided with the clay you've chosen to use.
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- Allow yourself to make plenty of errors when sculpting; it takes time to learn the feel of the clay and to get proportions accurate. Consider your first few bears learning experiences, and as long as they look generally like a bear, you'll be able to call them bears in abstract!
- If using clay that will be fired in a kiln, hollow out the body and head. Ask for assistance from someone experienced using such clay if you're a beginner; it won't take you long to learn under such guidance.
- Follow all the instructions accompanying the clay you have chosen to use––failure to do so may result in the clay not setting or working as intended.
Things You'll Need
- Suitable modeling clay
- Modeling tools
- Clear, flat work surface, cover with something like wax paper to help prevent sticking
- Any other requirements suggested by the clay instructions
- Coloring additions like paint or markers (optional)