Sculptured hands by my younger students ( 7 to 12 years old)

Here are the results (and examples of the works in progress) of the sculptures of hands my younger students have been working on.  

After drawing their own hands for the first half of the month, the students began working on clay sculptures of their hands.  

The aim of the sculpture project was to continue the intense observation (proportion, size, shape and relationships between shapes, and details such as wrinkles, nails, bones, soft areas, muscular areas, rounded areas etc. of the hands).  The students also worked on a concept of their own choice that they could incorporate into their sculptures.  The students explored Halloween themes (they enjoyed the idea of disembodied hands ... !), hands holding objects, and hands as an expression of mood or gesture (hands stretching, fingers bending, clenching etc.).

We used armature in the form of wire and sticks to work the joints in the fingers and to attach the fingers to the palm of the hand.

The most commented-on observation was how far down the thumb is located from the rest of the fingers.

The students worked very hard on this month-long project, and were very pleased with the results they achieved after pushing themselves those (many!) extra miles.

The work shows such energy and some really excellent observation!

Hands, hands and more hands ...! (A drawing and sculpting project for my younger students.)

This is the start of a month-long project my younger students (ages 4 years to 12 years old) are working on.  We are studying hands: proportions, shape, size and other details such as wrinkles in the skin, shadows and light, and the bone and muscle structure under the skin.  

The students are beginning with lines drawings of their own hand and will work towards a more conceptual drawing with the hand holding something or grabbing something, making an artwork that is meaningful to the student, and that conveys an idea or emotion through the expressiveness of the hand. 

We will go on to make clay sculptures of their hands, taking their second drawing as inspiration, but not necessarily just copying what they did in their drawing.  Through the sculpture, the students will develop their ideas as well as their observational and technical skills.

Drawings after the first hour of intense observation and plenty of readjustments:

  

Drawings at the beginning of the first hour:

New Student artwork April 2014 - Great work from my teen and adult students!

  Livermore Landscape

Oil on canvas

  Adult student

  Livermore Landscape

Oil on canvas

  Adult student

 Clay portrait bust sculpture and charcoal drawing study from the sculpture

Clay and charcoal

  Teen student

 Clay portrait bust sculpture and charcoal drawing study from the sculpture

Clay and charcoal

  Teen student