Back to the basics

It's been 5 whole years since I had my boys and I took a turn in my sculpting... I always tell my students to use photographs as inspiration when they sculpt, but lets face it, nothing beats the real thing: sculpting directly from a live model.

So the years rolled by and my boys grew and I have found my sculpting going a different direction; it got "prettier", chubbier, bigger, slightly more mature...so I jumped at the chance for some live action, that of a real, breathing, adorable preemie boy... and here he is... baby Alexei (still in progress)!!

I feel he looks more like the sculpts I did just after the boys were born and he is the correct scale too. Simple lines, without overthinking, without going over a feature again and again... simple and realistic with the deep reds and the deep purples of the immature preemie skin of a baby born at 33 weeks. Wrinkly arms and legs, with long bony fingers and that signature frown, the slightly out of shape elvish ears and the hairy forehead, the slight sheen of flaking immature skin on tiny palms and soles of feet and that perfect baby head shape with the fontanelle visible... sigh. Maybe it is time I gave the boys a sibling... or two ;)