Use Paintbrushes and Paint Pallettes as Sculpting Tools – Sculptors typically do not use paintbrushes and paint pallettes as sculpting tools, but I find them to be very useful. Painting pallettes are sturdy, thin metal tools which provide versatility that most sculpting tools do not have. Varying textures of paintbrushes are tools that most sculptors don’t think to use. But, they will help give your sculpture a polished, finished look.
Work With Tools From Large To Small – When you are starting your sculpture, use only large tools until you have laid out all the major dynamics of the piece. Once you have all the major parts of the sculpture in place, then move to smaller tools to do the fine tools. If you use smaller tools at the beginning you may be tempted to work on fine detail before you have completed the larger parts of the piece. If you do that, you may end up having to remove your fine detail work and start over if you need to make changes to the larger parts of the piece.
Build Up Both Sides of The Face at The Same Time – You need to do both sides of the sculpture evenly so that you aren’t sculpting one nostril, then a mouth, an eye and then back to the other nostril. Its important that each feature is done, both sides at the same time so that the face has a look of symmetry. This is very important to overall look of the piece.
