Sculpting the Figure: Intro to Portraiture

Sculpting Portraiture: In-Person

Michela Roman | Spring I | Mondays: Jan 12 - Feb 16

Class Description:

In this six-week course, students will learn the fundamentals of sculpting a 3/4 life-size portrait using a live model as reference. Through instructor demonstrations, anatomical study, direct observation, and hands-on sculptural practice, students will develop an understanding of facial proportions, measurements, structure, and the individual characteristics that define a portrait.

Students will begin by establishing accurate measurements and creating proportional reference scales before blocking in the overall form of the head. Over the following weeks, they will progressively develop the major structural features of the portrait, including the neck, jaw, ears, nose, brow ridge, cheekbones, and mouth. The course will conclude with a detailed study of the eyes and final refinements. Emphasis will be placed on learning to observe the model carefully, understand the underlying structure of the head, and translate three-dimensional forms into clay. By the end of the course, students will have developed a sculpted portrait that captures the likeness, proportions, and individual character of the live model.

Enroll Now

Spring I Semester Dates:

Scheduled occurrences for the next semester of this class are as follows:

Week	Date	Time
Week 1:	01/12/2027	6 - 9 pm ET
Week 2:	01/19/2027	6 - 9 pm ET
Week 3:	01/26/2027	6 - 9 pm ET
Week 4:	02/02/2027	6 - 9 pm ET
Week 5:	02/09/2027	6 - 9 pm ET
Week 6:	02/16/2027	6 - 9 pm ET

Before Class - Welcome & How to Prepare for Class
Week 1 - Measurements, Proportions, and Initial Block-In
Week 2 - Refining the Block-In, Neck, Jaw, and Ears
Week 3 - Construction and Form of the Nose
Week 4 -Brow Ridge and Cheekbones
Week 5 - Construction and Form of the Mouth
Week 6 - Feature Focus: Eyes

$410.00
In-Person
9 Weeks
Beginner to Intermediate

Meet Your Instructor

Michela Roman

Instructor

Michela Roman was born in Canada in 1998. She is a recent 2023 graduate from the New York Academy of Art, where she received her MFA in Sculpture and Anatomy. Over the past two years, her work has been exhibited in sixteen Juried Shows in New York City and she received eleven sponsorships/scholarships to support both her educational practice and artistic career. She is a standing fellow (2021-present) at the Newington Corpsy Foundation for the Arts located in upstate New York where she is expanding her sculptural practice to include both bronze and marble works. She is a two time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshilds Foundation Grant from 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Come Fall 2023, Roman’s sculpture ‘Countless’ will be on display at The Centre for War, Atrocity and Genocide in Ontario, Canada as part of their permanent collection. Her work has additionally been included in various private collections in New York, Canada and Italy. Roman was one of two recipients of the Stone Merit Award, presented by Precision Stone. It was through this residency (May 2023-June 2023) where Roman carved a personal marble sculpture in Carrara, Italy. Upon competition of this marble (Spring 2024) Roman will take place in the Marble Reveal Auction, funded by Precision Stone and Hosted by Sotheby’s (Fall 2024), marking Roman’s second appearance at Sotheby’s auction house. Fall 2024 additionally marks the competition of Roman’s personalized wine label, sponsored by Ozymandias Wines, providing the sculptor with complimentary wine for all upcoming career driven events, for the duration of her practice. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.