Part 2: Sculpting

A little easy progress. First I used the computer to crop down to the face I want. It is a little dark so I will need to do some lightening later. Then I drew a grid using powerpoint and put the two together. The grid squares represent 1 square inch, so this will be about 22 inches tall and the correct proportion in width. I need to find some side views to get the depth right as well.


Next I cut and glued my foam block. Then, using a half sheet leftover, I made a small cube, 6 inches on each side, and started practicing. All I was doing was working from memory and imagination. As you can see I didn't leave any room for the mouth and chin. Also, I just noticed, I made the forehead upside down. Remember, this is just practice.


And here is the opposite profile. What tool am I using? Anybody see it? Yes, a Ginsu knife! This freehand work took me about 30 minutes. The styrofoam is very easy to carve.


So what's next? Well, I want a real mug to have in my hand so I can look all around it, plus take pictures from all 4 sides at the same elevation and face on. That way I can make a consistent grid for all 4 sides. Where to get a mug? There is one that I am watching on Ebay. The guy has a starting price of $7.50, there are no bids yet, and the auction ends in about 6 days. So I'll just continue practicing my carving for now. I'll finish the nose and mouth on the small piece, turn it around and practice a mouth and chin on the back side. Ears as well.