Ecorchè: Constructing the Armature

This semester I am also taking a class called Ecorchè, which literally means flayed. It has been a way for centuries of helping lock into an artist's brain the three dimensional forms of the human body. Essentially, your start by building the body from the inside out, starting with the skeletal structure, then adding muscles. This helps to understand where the major visible landmarks of the human body are when depicting it in art.

This looks very familiar, I am sure, but first things first: construct the armature.

Another thing I want to point out is that I am using Chavant sculpting clay for this class, which I am happy about. It is an oil-based clay that doesn't dry out and can be reused for future projects. The one downside to is is that it isn't very soft to work with. That is quickly overcome by keeping the clay warm prior to working with it. Because my workshop is in an unheated part of the house, that may prove difficult this winter.