[BUTYL]

Hi! I am a complete beginner when it comes to sculpting. Recently I just wanted to make something shaped like a stump roughly that big.
And I have several questions to ask:
1. What is the best material to make an object that size at home?
2.I was looking at some works from clay, but as I understand they are not meant to be 'temporary' and it's impossible to bake clay when there are places where it is very thick (around 5-10 cm). Is this accurate?
3.Should I make some kind of 'skeleton' to begin with?
4. Would it be possible to first create like a clay sculpture, then make something like a mold and then cast it with a gypsum or something of that kind?
5.Is it possible to paint the sculpture and add details afterwards?
6. If the best material is clay, what in your opinion is the best type of clay for my purposes and can you describe the overall working proces in several steps?
Sorry for such basic questions and thank you in advance!

 

[John Smith_inFL]

Butyl - welcome to the forum.
you need to watch some videos on YouTube about "Building an Armature for Modeling".
the type of clay is determined by what you are going to do with the project once it is done.
as with any new project, it is strongly suggested you do something "small" to get the feel of modeling. Maybe a 6" tall model - then 12". Keep going up until you are in your comfort zone to tackle a full size torso bust. The materials get more expensive the bigger you go.
and the bottom line is: what will the project be used for ?

 

[reko]

I'd recommend you to read more about the most popular sculptur, Rodin