Step By Step, How I make a Gnome

I made a new gnome sculpture, and took a few pictures along the way. Here's a little bit about how I did it. I start with a base of clay- more of a fat pancake, than anything, and build from there. The base is about 1/2 inch thick; thinner at the edges. I put this pancake on top of a piece of paper towel so it doesn't stick to the surface of my sculpting wheel. When the clay is firmer, I'll remove the paper.

This photo shows the legs and lower coat attached. I wish I had a photo to show you the legs only. ( You'll just have to imagine this part. ) The legs and feet are made from a solid block of clay. I cut out a wedge from the area that will be the legs and attach this to the base, scoring and slipping as needed. I shaped the feet and pants, and then hollowed it out with a small wire tool. I poked a pencil down each leg, too. I want to keep the wall thickness of the sculpture to about 1/4". After that is finished, I added a strip of clay around the pants as the bottom of the coat, and use my fingers to press the layers together and smooth them out. The overlapping front of the strip will serve as the front of the coat.

The arms I added are solid, and I probably could have modeled the hands on the end of the arms, but I added them separately. The walls of the body strip are worked up and turned inwardly, to create the shoulders. You can see the piece in the photo that will be added to the top for the collar. The belt is not added on, but pressed into the clay.

The head was made as a solid ball. I made him without any beard or hair, and attached it to the body. The beard and hair were added , and then the hat. The caterpillar and mushrooms were the last addition.