For this project we set out to build a model of our own heads. To first get a good understanding of the proportions of the body and the different relationships each thing has to one another, we explored drawing DaVinci’s Facsimile also know as the Vitruvian Man.
I found this exercise challenging yet fascinating. Drawing is not my strongest skill so sketching the man was a slow process, however I found that having an understanding of the proportions helped in making my drawing more accurate. Rather than just eyeballing how long an arm should be, or how far apart the eyes should be, or how tall to draw my figure, there were spacial guidelines already laid out.
The next step was to sketch out my own head and facial features. We did this by taking a reference photo in front of a 1 inch grid and sketching the outline on to tracing paper. We sketched both the front and side of the head, careful to measure the spaces on the grid and how they translated into the drawing.
These drawings were then used to make cardboard cut outs. The cardboard cutouts were to be fitted together to create a skeleton for final head. Completing this skeleton required different forms of measuring, drawing, and cutting to come together in the correct shape.
These are the five sections I chose to carve out and insert into my front and profile. I chose these sections because they were what I thought to be the most significant areas on the face. The forehead, between the eyes, the tip of the nose, upper lip, and chin all stand out the most.
The relationships we saw in the drawing of the Vitruvian Man, were apparent here especially when drawing and measuring the facial features. This part of the process is a good way to start visualizing how 2D drawings can come together to form a 3D object. Each drawing connected to the others. Finding the areas where they intersect required drawings and measurements from all sides and angles of my head. I selected five points in my head that would express the shape of my features.
Now that I had the bones of my project fit together it was time to fill in the empty space. I cut pieces of foam to snuggly fit into all the open spaces. The foam not only added mass, but also helped keep the cardboard from bending out of shape. To make sure everything was held tightly together the foam pieces were glued, taped, and left to dry overnight.
Once the glue had dried, I removed the tape and began to shave the foam pieces down until they ran smoothly together. I used the cardboard skeleton to form the shape of my face. I would shave the foam until it aligned with the cardboard from all sides.
The final figure followed the contours from every angle of my head. At this point in the project I had gained a much better understanding of the space and materiality of my object. It was time now cover the entire head with plasteline to fill in any missing areas and begin to bringing out more detailed features. I found that by focusing on the symmetry and following the contour of the foam, I was able to build something that resembled my face. while a little bit larger than my actual head, the proportions were correct. The universal spacial relationships stay constant even through scaling an object up or down.
I hope to continue bringing out more detail in this sculpture. The benefit of plasteline is that you can always continue to mold and adjust it. Any mistake can be easily fixed by adding or removing more clay and pressing it into shape. The brow area and eyes will need to more pronounced so I will add clay to those areas before sculpting in details, while the lips and nose need to be carved out.
