Figure ceramic sculpture
A course by Cristina Córdova, Figurative ceramic artist and teacher
Joined May 2019
Join sculptor Cristina Cordova's course on figure ceramic sculpture. Explore workspace setup, detailed sculpting techniques, and finishing touches.
Joined May 2019
Immerse yourself in the art of figurative clay sculpture with Cristina Córdova, a renowned ceramic sculptor and teacher with 20 years of experience.
From setting up your workspace and gathering the necessary materials to crafting a detailed sculpture, every step is designed to simplify and demystify the art of clay sculpting. You will also explore the use of pigments and surface stylization to add depth and character to your creations.
Learn how to transform a block of clay into an expressive human figure using simple patterns and refining techniques. Ultimately, you'll sculpt a human torso, limbs, and an abstract skirt form with the skills you've acquired.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 11 downloads
What's included in this course?
To start, you will learn how to set up your workspace and gather the necessary materials, ensuring a conducive environment for creation. Cristina will guide you on how to prepare your clay and use templates to cut basic shapes, establishing a solid foundation for your sculpture.
Next, you'll dive into the modeling process, beginning with the construction of the torso and limbs. Here, you will learn various hollow building techniques that will make working with clay easier.
Following this, you will focus on assembling the different elements to create a cohesive figure. This step will involve refining details such as the head and hands, using proportional guides and careful observation to achieve a balanced and expressive representation.
Finally, you will explore surface stylization techniques and pigment application, adding the finishing touches to your sculpture. You will learn how to prepare your piece for firing, ensuring that your figure is ready to be displayed and appreciated.
- 100% positive reviews (62)
- 4,512 students
- 15 lessons (2h 46m)
- 11 additional resources (4 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
The final project involves creating a figurative clay sculpture, developing a detailed human torso and abstract shapes. You will work on uniting these elements and applying stylization and pigmentation techniques to complete your work.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Aimed at artists, sculptors and ceramists who wish to delve deeper into figurative sculpture in clay. It is also ideal for those interested in exploring new modeling and finishing techniques in ceramics. In addition, it is designed for anyone with a passion for art and the desire to develop their creative skills in this medium.
Requirements and materials
You will need clay, basic sculpting tools, and glazes. Also a notebook or notepad for your ideas and sketches.
Reviews
Cristina Córdova
A course by Cristina Córdova
Cristina Córdova is a renowned figurative ceramic artist from Puerto Rico. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to creating clay sculptures that explore the human figure and its various expressions.
After completing her graduate studies in ceramics and a three-year residency at the prestigious Penland School of Craft, Cristina founded Córdova Studios, where she has developed her artistic practice.
Her work is part of the permanent collections of major institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Mint Museum, the Everson Museum, and the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Preparation and Materials
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Preparing Your Workspace
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Preparing Your Templates
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Cutting Shapes
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U3
Modeling and Forms
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Shaping Forms 1
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Shaping Forms 2
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Refining the Head
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Making Hands
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Combining Torso with Skirt Form
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Attaching Arms
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Attaching the Head
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Hands and Hair
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U4
Mastering Surface Techniques and Sculpture Completion
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Stylizing
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Preparation for Firing
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FP
Final project
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Figure ceramic sculpture
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
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FAQs
Yes, this ceramics course is designed for students with some prior experience in clay or sculpture, focusing on advancing slab construction and figurative sculpting techniques.
You’ll need basic clay tools, templates, plastic for templates, slip, thickness strips, calipers, and access to a workspace with clay and surface preparation materials.
You’ll learn slab construction, anatomical modeling, using templates, joining techniques, and how to sculpt realistic torsos, heads, hands, and expressive features in clay.
The course covers surface texturing methods, application of slip and pigments, layering techniques, and how to refine surfaces for visual and tactile interest before firing.
You’ll learn how to organize a pottery workspace, prepare tools and materials, and optimize your setup for slab rolling, cutting, assembling, and finishing clay sculptures.
Some familiarity with clay work is recommended, but the course reviews essential slab construction techniques before progressing to advanced figurative forms.
Templates are used for cutting, scaling, and assembling clay slabs into accurate anatomical forms, ensuring precision in 2D to 3D transitions and consistent proportions.
Cristina is extremely thorough in her tutorial video—she provides detailed information and explains things in a clear, easy-to-understand way. There's so much to learn from her. Thank you, Cristina! :)
muy bueno
What happened to the English instructions? It just stopped?
muito instrutivo e dinamico
I think Cristina is an excellent teacher, this is the third course of hers I have taken. Her use of templates has really helped my sculptures. In addition to speeding up the process (as compared to using coils) it allows me to get a feeling for the whole sculpture before it becomes to dry to add or change things.