The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-05-13

How Sculptors Prepare Their Diff
fcult Work.
The Principal Tool is the Artists
Forefinger.

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 some-
times notched or indented, to give
rough surface to the clay. The
wooden tools are made of box and
ebony, of various shapes and sizes
curved, straight, pointed, rounded
and flat and broad-the broad tools
being notched, and designed chiefly
for working the large convex masses
or large folds in drapery. In model.
ing bust, especially tho features,
great nicely is required, and the mod
elcr must be particularly careful not
to injure what is already done, by re-
touching with the tool while clay is
adhering to it, or he may risk the
complete destruction of his work the
adhering clay will drive up the sur
face.
The clay used is common potter's
clay, but should be of the best quality.
1t must be so wet that il will not stand
in mass much higher than its own
width without support. The supports
for the clay are most important con-
sideration, for, If not properly at
tended 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 n bench OF
stand called banker, about thirty
inches high and about thirty inches
squnre-for bust it must, of course,
be much higher; above this a solid
circular plinth is fixed on wooden
boss, and is revolved upon six of more
wheels, or, what are better, short,
slightly conical rollers, fixed on the
plinth near the circumference.
On the centre of the plinth there
must be fixed vertically strong iron
bar, about the height OF man, and
from about six to ten inches in cir
cumforence, according to the weight
of the figure; it must necessarily be
strong aud firmly fixed, as it is the
main support of the whole skeleton of
supports.
In modelling a bust very little sup
port is necessary, an upright piece of
wood with crossbar at the shoulders
being quite sufficient, but small
crossbar at the head would do no harm.
Another essential part of modelling is
preserving 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.
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 covered in two or three
masses, or more, if necessary, with
plaster of Paris; when this is fixed
and dry, the whole may be separated
at the joints, without any regard to
the preservation of the model, for 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 together, and in the place
of the original clay it must be filed
with plaster OF Paris, and, when the
cast is we'll set, the mold may be
carefully broken off in fragments,
and the cast is exposed and complete,
the finished work. II casts OF it are
acquired, 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, it is
copied by the carvers, with the assist
anco of the pointing machine. 1t is
so contrived that it can diminish or
increase 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 if practicable, be-
cause any error in small model be-
comes multiplied in larger one in
proportion to the difference in size.
The ancient sculptors used to bake
their models, but this is not SO good O
plan as making plaster casts from
them, though less troublesome and
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