Parker Studio Structural Sculpture

FIGURE RELIEF SCULPTURE COURSE

Contact: 301 633 2858, or 443 764 5364 by cell phone call, or text message, or contact: sculptorBradP@sculptorBradP.com to arrange a visit, or to enroll in a class or open group. Message Board below seems to have issues. Calendar is general information on classes available, days and times vary.

Relief Sculpture Course

Course Format

• Two parts, each running 12 weeks.

• Each part includes 24 classes (twice weekly).

• Class length: 5 hours (day) or 4 hours (evening).

• Each session includes a review period: 30–60 minutes (day) or 30 minutes (evening).

Course Focus

• Students will work from a life model, antique or modern plaster figure, or anatomical model.

• Poses and projects extend over several sessions for deeper study.

• Students will focus on bone landmarks, major muscle groups, overall rhythms, and planes.

• Emphasis on building simplified, integrated relief sculptures that express form and movement.

• Approach: developing sculpture through shape orientation rather than copying shadows or light.

Workshop Option

• Additional free optional workshop time 5 hours day, or 4 hours evening each week (without life model) is included in the course fee.

• Workshop work may involve antique plaster figures, portrait busts, or anatomical models.

• Attendance is optional, but rescheduling workshop times after coordination is not possible.

Medium

• Relief sculpture will be studied and built in plasteline (non-drying clay).

Course Objectives

• Develop perception of patterned shapes.

• Learn to measure angles and proportions.

• Understand glyptek shape as it describes form.

• Develop turning rhythms for composition.

• Learn visual scaling from life to sculpture.

• Study commensurate planes.

• Gain foundation in basic anatomy.

Tuition

• $2,136.00 per 12-week segment (24 classes, twice a week).

• Both day and evening schedules available.

• Options for once-a-week classes or private lessons are also offered.

Learning Philosophy
We see only what we think we know. Through structured exercises, students will train their eyes to recognize dimensional form and related shapes. This method builds the fundamental skills needed to construct aesthetic and naturalistic sculptural form.

• Materials and Equipment Information

  Student Responsibility

  • All participants provide their own drawing and sculpture materials.

  • Easels for paper drawings are available in class.

    • Students must supply their own sturdy easels if they wish to support plasteline clay relief sculptures (studio easels are not strong enough), or purchase two professional heavy double block wood furniture clamps – Two – Dubuque Clamp Works Made in USA Wood Hand Screw Clamp 12 inch Hard Maple Jaw, Maple handle threaded Carbon Steel rods, Model Number 00012, 16 x 1.75 x 12 inches, Heavy Duty, UPC: 735090708092 615867249389, available on Amazon. Added silicon in a thin spread on the contact of the wood clamps will secure the position.  The furniture heavy wood double blocks – each set would clamp on each front legs of my large heavy easels, under the adjustable cross platform to hold a relief sculpture board.

  Drawing Setup

  • Alternative to an easel: Hold a drawing board across your legs at the torso while seated or utilize a strong chair seat and back support.

  • Use Baltic Birch plywood (lighter and less likely to warp than fir plywood). Polyurethane finish helps prevent warping.

  • Board should be taller than the paper to allow drawing at the lower portion.

  • Paper should fit within the board’s outer border, with room for clips along the edges.

  • Sturdy drawing boards such as around 1/4-inch (6.35-mm) or up to 1/2-inch (12.7-mm) thick equivalent preferably Baltic Birch plywood 34-inch by 29-inch are required to purchase at a lumber supply – sand down all edges, after edges and end corners are all rounded – preferably apply three coatings brushed on all sides and edges – polyurethane – lightly sand all surfaces after the polyurethane is completely dry (lighter and less likely to warp than fir plywood). Polyurethane finish helps prevent warping.

  Essential Supplies

  • Charcoal:

    • Vine charcoal: (thin sticks) Curan Dache Soft Charcoal Natural Charcoal Tube Soft.; Generals Thin Stick Charcoal – neither highly recommended

    • Compressed charcoal square sticks (e.g., Alphacolor Char-Kole).

    • thin sticks natural vine charcoal, compressed charcoal – Char-Kole by Alphacolor – Square compressed charcoal “Soft Pastels” drawing sticks. Box of 12 sticks in plastic storage tray. at Blick., Nitram Academie Fusains Charcoal B Soft – 1/4″ square × 6″ long. (5 mm × 152 mm). five sticks Item #:22602-2131 at Blick, Nitram Mignonettes 3/16″ square x 6″ (4mm x 15 cm) long. Item #: 22456-1002 Description: Pkg of 7 Hardness: Soft at Blick

  • Erasers & wipes: Faber-Castell extra-large kneaded eraser; leather chamois (auto supply).

  • Abrasives: Sandpaper block (art store).

  • Measuring/sighting: Straight sighting stick or metal ruler (⅛” or ¼” thick; 12″–24″ long).

  • Holders: Holbein Charcoal Holder – may or may not properly hold the rectangular Nitram square charcoal sticks, Nitram square charcoal stick holder only seems to be available with an assortment of Nitram Academie Fusains Charcoal of which the HB and H are likely not usable. (Nitram holder preferred; some generic holders don’t fit square sticks).

  • Paper:

    • Linen paper, avoid any paper with flax. Though Linen is derived from flax to create linen thread turned into linen cloth, flax creates specks resistant to charcoal and graphite tones or lines. (premium, often ~$60/sheet; ideal for long-duration drawings, now available from overseas, but may be beyond price range of some students), or

    • Linen–avoid any paper with flax. Though Linen is derived from flax to create linen thread turned into linen cloth, flax creates specks resistant to charcoal and graphite tones or lines. Linen / cotton mix/ ideally: 180 GSM to 260 GSM cotton charcoal paper – various levels of cost for suggested paper.

    • • Clips: 4 large smooth surface Chrome / Stainless Steel metal bulldog clips. Eight long-arm slide-on paper holders – paper clamp arm, parallel-arm paper holders (seem to have vanished as available art supplies). Try – Low Tack Artist Tape to hold paper to board. Several sheets of paper over one another advised to avoid the hardness of the board while applying line and tones.

  • Charcoal Papers

  • All listed papers in this section below are mold made, most 100% cotton, none have linen, not handmade papers. Some may prove difficult to acquire after the changes on tariffs, and the pause on shipments internationally. Awagami Hakuho Select 17 inch x 20.5 inch 220gsm is made of 45% kozo and 55% cotton {75-2135007} – (List Price $14.75) $12.54 per sheet. /  {007000} Arnhem 1618, 22 inch x 30 inch, 100% Cotton, Speedball Arnhem 1618 Paper White 254 gsm {48507} SPD (MSRP $5.81) Price per sheet $5.40 / {LPF05-404004} Stonehenge Pearl Grey 250 gsm 90 Lb., 22 inch x 30 inch {7192} – LEGMAC (MSRP $6.56) Price $5.45 per sheet / {LPF05-403326} Legion Stonehenge Paper Cream 250 gsm 90 Lb., 22 inch x 30 inch {7190} – LEGMAC (MSRP $6.13) Price $5.24 per sheet / {DE31} SHZ – Jaipur Drawing Paper Order SKU Ivory 19 inch x 25 inch {36098} $4.25 Price per sheet / All Listed Papers Available at Artist & Craftsman Supply Baltimore, 137 W North Ave. Baltimore City, MD 21201. I have no experience with any of these papers, so I cannot vouch for effective use over a long-term project. Most of the private high end paper mills making handmade appropriate paper for charcoal have gone out of business in North America and Europe as far as my search has determined. / Acuity Papers, LLC – Selling Fine Art Paper,  / Fabriano Tiepolo comes 22″ x 30″ weighing 290 gsm Soft White has 4 deckle edges and is mould-made with 100% acid free cotton paper with watermark {120-1131-0001} Soft White {MSRP $10.87} – Price per sheet $6.22. / https://www.acuitypapers.com/ Hahnemuhle Copperplate 22″ x 30″ 300 gsm comes in three colors: Warm White #718. {108-0010-0002} {MSRP $5.56} Price per sheet $3.61 / Call for details Phone: 317-219-0344 – Acuity Papers, 278 N 400 W Crawfordsville, IN 47933
  • /// Recommended: Fabriano Roma Paper – Michelangelo White, 18″ x 26″, Item #:10574-1026, Fabriano Roma Paper – Michelangelo White, 18″ x 26″, corner 130 gsm, Original price: {MRSP List $21.96} $16.99 – sold at  Blick Art Supplies, $3.00 Shipping cost plus tax. Fabriano Roma Paper – Michelangelo White, 18″ x 26″ | BLICK Art Materials
  • A full materials list is available on request.

  Relief Sculpture Setup

  • Students supply their own:

    • Sculpture tools.

    • Relief armatures.

    • Plasteline clay.

  • Armatures:

    • Built together during the first (and possibly second) class as a free benefit for enrolled, paid students.

    • Students may also build their own armature before the course (following an approved design).

    • Several construction options are available, depending on budget.

    • Plywood must be cut to specific dimensions in advance; lumber yards with wood shops can provide this service.

    • Countersunk screws are required on the underside of armature boards.

    • Boards should have smooth surfaces (A/C or A/B exterior plywood) to sit on wheeled sculpture stands, or as advised above on my easels with student supplied furniture heavy double wood clamps.

  • Wheeled Stands: Provided for armatures, though a personal strong easel may be preferable for clay relief work.

  Clay Requirements

  • Only plasteline clay is permitted (no water clay due to dust and debris).

  • Recommended brands:

    • Chavant NSP Soft, Medium hardness is better now that the manufacturer changed – Red Brown (Non-Sulfur)

    • Chavant Le Beau Touche HM (High Melt), Brown

  • Please request a supply list if needed.

---

___________________________________________________

Course Description

This course is designed for students of painting, drawing, and sculpture who wish to deepen their understanding of form.

Through the study of anatomy, rhythms, geometric shape types, projection, commensurate planes, balance, symmetry, and asymmetry, students will learn to:

• Recognize the true shapes of the bust or figure.

• Understand how interrelated forms create the sense of function and movement.

• See how large shapes are echoed in smaller details of the head and figure.

• Study structural anatomy, weight, and mass in depth.

• Use shadows as a tool to reveal form, not obscure it.

By emphasizing large masses as a foundation for details, students’ work will appear more natural, unified, and dynamic—avoiding oversimplification, disjointedness, or cartoon-like results. Individual styles will emerge by choice rather than accident.

---

Resources and Study Collection

Students will have access to a rare and extensive collection of study materials, including:

• Anatomical models and European male and female skeletons.

• Early 20th-century German life-cast, hand-painted plaster dissections (head/neck layers, anatomical torso).

• NYC full-body dissection plasters.

• Antique European sculpture casts and anatomical figure plasters.

The course combines theory and practice from the traditions of:

• Greek Classical and Hellenistic art.

• Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical, and Neo-Hellenistic art.

---

Practical Information

• Armature Building: A dedicated session before the first model class will cover constructing sculpture armatures. A complete supply list for armature building and sculpture tools is provided to enrolled students.

• Class Size: Limited to 10 students for personalized instruction.

• Parking: Free parking is available on the Square and behind the townhouse in a private lot.

___________________________________________________________________________

More advanced classes available.

Private Sculpture Studio, Drawing & Sculpture Classes, By Appointment – Open Drawing & Sculpture Group Sessions, Commissioned Portrait Bust Sculpture, Fountain Sculpture, Figure Sculpture, & Relief Sculpture Compositions. Private Gallery of exhibited sculpture, by appointment only.

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Telephone Number’ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’Name of the Art Class Course%26#x002c; or Open Group you are interested in attending%26#x002c; or requesting information on. ‘ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’City%26#x002c; State%26#x002c; Country’ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’The day of the week%26#x002c; the hours available%26#x002c; time frame you would be interested in an ongoing Class Course Session%26#x002c; or Open Group Session to participate in. There is the possibility of an additional Class%26#x002c; or Open Group Sessions depending on the response of enrollment%26#x002c; or participation interest. The main Art Classes page heading has what are active Class Course Sessions%26#x002c; and Open Groups. ‘ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’Potential Student%26#x002c; Artist participant in an Open Group%26#x002c; or you are a potential Life Model?’ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’New Field’ type=’text’/][/contact-form]