Portrait sculpture

session 1

JUNE 5, 2023 – juNE 16, 2023

Rome contains some of the finest examples of portrait sculpture in the history of art. For ancient greek and roman portraits to Bernini’s innovations in portraiture through 19th century examples, there is no better place to study the sculptural portrait than in Rome!

This workshop will focus on sculpting a portrait from life with a focus on structural solidity and the evocation of a distinct personality. David will introduce a process of three-dimensional measuring that will help to quickly establish the likeness. We will work initially on establishing structure, symmetry and likeness and then move on to capturing the personality of the model in the sculpture.

David will cover the entire process of sculpting a portrait. We will begin with setting up the armature and establishing basic measurements then move to blocking in the major forms. From there we will address secondary forms and symmetry and then move into capturing expression and pose. David will also cover the use of reference photography in the process of sculpting the portrait.

In addition to the work in the studio with the model, we will be visiting museums, churches and galleries to see some of the great examples of portrait sculpture that Rome has to offer.