Evening star., 1896-03-30
MODELLING IN CLAY.
How ScuIptors Prepare Their Difficult
Work.

From the Architect.
Modelling in clay is completely a practi-
cal art. The tools, called modelling tools,
are made of wood ard wire. but no tool is
more useful than the finger; indeed, tools
have been invented as mere aids to the
fingers, and are designed only to do what
they cannot perform. Wire tools are the most
useful being fashioned into loops Of various
shapes and sizes, round and angular, and
fixed into wooden handles The wire is
sometimes notched or indented, to give a
rough surface to the clay. The wooden
tools are made Of box and ebony, of vari-
GUS shapes and siZestcurved, straight,
pointed, rounded and fiat and broad-the
broad tools being notched, and designed
chiefly for working the large convex masses
or large folds in drapery. In modelling
bust, especially the features, great nicely
is required. and the modeler must be par
ticularly careful not to iniure what is al
ready done. by retouching with the tool
while clay Is adherins to it, or he may
risk the complete destruction of his work;
the adhering clay will drive up the sur
face.
but should be of the best quality. 1t must
be so wet that it will not stand in mass
much higher than its own width without
support. The supports for the clay are
properly attended to, the finished work the
fruit Of months of labor, might suddenly
fall to pieces by its own weight
Sculptors generally model figures of the
ordinary size upon a bench or stand called
a banker, about thirty inches high and
about thirty inches square-for a bust 1t
must, of course be much higher; above this
a solid circular plinth is fixed on wooden
boss, and is revolved upon six or more
wheels, or. what are better, short, slightly
conical rollers, fixed to the plinth near the
circumference. On the center Of the plnth
there must be fixed vertically strong
-. -Hx~,
from about six to ten inches in circu1nfer-
ence. according to the weight Of the fig
ure: it must necessarily be strong ahd FIRM
ly fixed, as it Is the main support Of the
whole skeleton of supports.
In modelling a bust very little support is
necessary, an upright piece OF wood with
a crossbar at the shoulders being quite suf-
ficient. but a small crossbar at the head
would do no harm
Another essential part of modelling is pre-
serving the moisture Of the clay, which
should be always uniform If possible; It
must never be allowed to dry, and it can
be kept moist with very little trouble.
Taking the Cast.
When the model is complete, the next
process is to take the cast to work the
marble from, or to make other casts FROM
The whole model while wet, must be COW
cred in two or three masses, or more If
necessary, with plaster Of Paris; when this
is fixed and dry. the whole may lie separat-
ed at the joints. without any regard to
the preservation of the model, fer when
the mold is taken the model is no longer
of any value When the clay is completely
removed from the mold, the component
parts of the mold must be again put to-
clay it must be filed with plaster of Paris
and, when the cast is well set, the mold
may be carefully broken off IN fragments
and the cast is exposed and complete, the
iri hnd oofy ~
a new working mold or safe mold, as it is
termed, must be taken In many parts, and,
If the figure is to be executed in marble,
1t is copied by the carvers, with the as
sfstance Of the pointing machine. 1t is
so contrived that it can diminish or in
crease the scale of the model with perfect
ease and nicely. 1t is always best to make
the model Of the size of the intended figure
model becomes multiplied in a larger one
in proportion to the difference in size
The ancient sculptors used to bake their
models. but this Is not so good plan as
making plaster casts from them, though
less troublesome and much cheaper These
baked models are called terra GOTTA (naked
earthl figures, are extremely numerous and
are generally of small dimensions, but there
are few of large size in various Eu-
ropean museums. There are FOUR at Naples
which were found at Pompeii, and the in
ferfority Of these works Is some proof of
the advantage of the modern method of
taking plaster casts from the models over
the ancient system Of baking them, for the
errors in the proportions Of these works are
probably to a great extent due to the
shrinking Of the clay in the oven. The
they likewise baked, and they formed their
casts by the pressure Of clay into these;
this practice Of pressing clay or any NAL
leable substance into a mold Is still occa-
sionally had recourse to In works of fine
art, and constantly in the potteries and by
frame makers.