Sculpting the shape of a baby in clay is a special kind of human figure sculpting. While many of the proportions and shapes of a baby's body are similar to those of a child are adult, the differences in features of a young child create challenges and opportunities for a sculptor. Create a successful baby sculpture by
choosing the right clay for your style, observing the anatomical peculiarities in infants and creating realistic sculpted accessories.
Choosing a Clay
Choose the clay for your baby sculpture based on the style of sculpture you want and what you're using your model for. Oil-based modeling clays are a good choice for lifelike detail, but this clay doesn't harden, so it's best for modeling sculptures meant for reference or art purposes, like drawing or casting.
Air-dry earthenware clays will dry into hard, permanent models, but detail is more difficult with these types of clay. Instead, use them for baby sculptures with a stylized look.
For the best combination of detail and lifelike color and texture, use oven-baked polymer clay, especially if you want to create a baby sculpture in miniature and include accessories and clothing.
Bodies
Baby bodies are relatively shapeless when compared with adult torsos, making them an easy place to start your model. Focus on proportion; create a shape that's roughly barrel-like, though slightly flatter on one side (the back). In the front, make the lower two thirds more rounded, extending outward just a little from the rest of the shape.
Sculpt the baby's bottom if you intend to leave it exposed. Unlike developed, muscular adult buttocks, those on a baby don't extend outward from the body, but are on the same mostly level plane as the rest of the torso.
Heads, Arms and Legs
A baby's head is quite large in relation to the rest of its body; especially with younger babies, the head may be as large as half the size of the torso. Babies' heads are also a different shape from those of adults because parts of the skull are still growing together. This gives the head a more elongated look from front to back.
Babies faces also have chubby cheeks and softness under the chin and back of the head. Their necks have the appearance of being thick and short.
To form the round, soft shapes of a baby's arms and legs, start with round, chunky pieces of clay and press them into place with compressing pressure that will squish them into shorter lengths, then refine these shapes into the baby's limbs. Sculpt so that there are slight, supple rolls of fat at every joint.
Make the hands and feet chunky and round. Again, start with round pieces of clay squished and compressed into place, then add the fingers and toes. When
compared with adult hands and feet, the digits will appear small in relation to the rest of the hands or feet.
Clothing
The best way to make realistic-looking clothing in clay is to treat clay as fabric: roll out some clay into large, flat sheets, using a clay rolling pin, then cut sections of this and drape it over the body. This way, the clay will naturally imitate the folds and contours of cloth.
Give clothing texture by gently pressing actual cloth against its surface.
