Challenge Five - Relief!

It's a very small step to go from two-dimensional to three-dimensional art. Engraving a relief into clay can be an interesting bridge from drawing to sculpture.

For this challenge, you'll need clay or modeling dough that you can "draw" in. Polymer clay is nice if you want to keep your artwork when you're finished. Inexpensive modeling clay can be purchased at sundry and craft stores.

You can also make inexpensive modeling materials at home. Here are a couple of sample links, but a quick web search will turn up many sites that have recipes for homemade modeling dough.
 * The Holiday Zone (several different recipes)
 * Flour and Salt modeling dough
 * One of my favorites is Sand and Cornstarch modeling dough

Materials

 * Clay or modeling dough. (For that matter, you can find a patch of dirt, add water, and mark it with a stick.}
 * An empty ballpoint pen or sharpened pencil
 * Toothpicks
 * Any household item with an interesting shape (have fun!)

What To Do
Flatten your modeling material, leaving it thick enough to enable you to dig in at least half an inch. The larger you make your engraving, the easier it will be to make details. You can press it into a frame or box to help maintain the integrity of the edges.

Use the ballpoint pen to sketch the image into your dough. Once you have the basic image. Dig deeper into the background. Take advantage of your ability to create sharp angles or rounded edges to bring your picture to life. Be patient, especially in the final stages, and watch your work come to life in 3D.

Why Do It?
Both sculpture and drawing involve modeling objects. When drawing, it's possible to create the illusion of texture and depth using perspective, shade, and shadow. Working in a three-dimensional medium is a good way to see how light and shadow play on objects.

The medium you choose will also have an impact on the type of art you produce. If the medium is smooth and of an even consistency, etching is not much different than drawing. If the medium is more granular, the level of detail might be reduced, but the texture will add interest to the work. Rather than fight against the properties of the medium, have fun with it, and be willing to adjust your vision to the qualities of your modeling compound.

Michaelangelo is famously quoted as saying "I saw the angel in the marble, and I carved until I set him free." Simply put: all you have to do is take away the part that doesn't look like your picture, and you're done!