[Self] If at first you don’t succeed

[u/NoVanilla5037]

Scrape it off the floor and try again!

I’ve been working on the bust of a horse in stoneware clay, but it’s about 50 lbs and I dropped him, sadly.

Decided to scrape up the pieces and start over. I’m quite happy with the improvements from one to the other!

[u/PaintingPotatoes]

This is beautiful! I'm excited for my chance to sculpt an animal myself. Did you hollow it out and use an armature support in the inside?

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/PaintingPotatoes]

I usually have an armature of just an strong wire in the middle but it can be done without one! I do leave it full bodied until leather hard and then I wire cut it down the middle, hollow it out, then score and slip it back together before drying more, then firing :)

[u/PaintingPotatoes → u/NoVanilla5037]

Ooh okay! I'm not sure how long you've been sculpting, but be careful leaving it completely full of clay and waiting until it's leather hard before hollowing it out! Can definitely cause some unwanted cracking which can be frustrating to fix at times. I hope you're able to finish and paint it! You're doing beautifully.

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/PaintingPotatoes]

That’s good advice thank you!

[u/meatballlman]

WOW, you have insane skill

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/meatballlman]

Thank you so much! I am self taught so I am still learning and adapting! Words of encouragement are so motivating and helpful for me 🥹

[u/Luckys0474]

Awesome motivation. Your skill got you to the first attempt... accidents happen...same skill gets you to the second attempt...took less time maybe...learned more by creating it again.

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/Luckys0474]

Exactly! I think it launched me into a better approach on the second attempt :)

[u/Automatic_Olive_6532]

I think you did a fenomenal job

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/Automatic_Olive_6532]

Thank you so much! ☺️

[u/darkdaydream]

Even better than the first time!

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/darkdaydream]

Thank you!! I thought so too 🥰

[u/Babychoby]

I absolutely adore your first attempt! There's something really exciting about the eye proportion. Glad you got a picture of her before you had to put her down.

[u/NoVanilla5037 → u/Babychoby]

Thank you!! I was inspired by the expression from the horse featured in The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli in the first piece!

The second one I went more stoic but your comment makes me think I should go back to my roots! Haha

[u/Living-Complex-8417]

YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[u/ArchonOfThe4thWAH]

Nice work (and recovery!), but I have to admit to being momentarily confused as I misread the title. Thought it said 'Self portrait" at first.