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How to Make Caveman Sculptures

Other than images painted on cave walls, evidence of sculptures by people who lived in caves is mainly restricted to utilitarian items. The earliest sculptures found are crude figures of people, gods or animals. Using self-hardening clay, you can easily reproduce such sculptures by adjusting your level of detail and subject matter. Using some reference images of objects helps you formulate your ideas. You can replicate an actual object or create your own variation of a caveman sculpture.

Things You'll Need

  • Reference images
  • Self-hardening clay
  • Small wooden board
  • Knife
  • Sponge
  • Acrylic paint
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place your reference images beside your workstation. For example, unpack about 1 lb. of clay for a small sculpture of a horse.

    • 2

      Knead the clay like bread dough to give it a good working consistency. Form it into a ball with your hands and place it on the small wooden board. Use the palms of your hands to create the basic form of the animal.

    • 3

      Turn the board so that you can work on the sculpture from a comfortable angle without having to touch the clay to move it. Pinch one corner to form the neck and head. Use your fingers to form it. Rub the clay into a smooth shape.

    • 4

      Form the basic shape of the head and mouth of the horse. Use the tip of your forefinger and thumb to pinch the top of the horse's head, forming the ears.

    • 5

      Pinch one side, then the other. Use the knife to shape them with more detail, pushing in from the sides to make them somewhat realistic. Use the tip of the knife to indicate the eyes on each side of the head, in front of the ears.

    • 6

      Form the outline of the horse's back and hindquarter. Pinch a small section at the back to indicate a short tail. Finish the outline of the hind legs. Leave about a 1-inch layer underneath the the horse as a base.

    • 7

      Cut out the clay between the legs. Remove clay from the middle section while facing the side of the horse. Wait for the clay to harden so that the legs will support the horse, if necessary. If the legs start to buckle, add more clay by forming it against the weak area as re-enforcement and let it dry for a while longer.

    • 8

      Cut out the sections between the two front and back legs. Form them using the knife without worrying too much about detail. Create a rough, overall level of detail in order to give the horse a Stone-Age look. Add some texture and then use a damp sponge to remove any tool marks.

    • 9

      Paint using a mix of water and acrylic to create a wash for the horse. Use a brown or reddish tone and apply it with a brush. Avoid leaving brush lines by rubbing in more water.

    • 10

      Add some variation to the color by adding a darker tone in some areas while brushing on more water to lighten others. A random pattern is fine and helps to make the sculpture look ancient.

Sculpture

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