Sculpting the Hand: Form and Expression

Sculpting the Hand: Form, Anatomy, and Expression - In Person

Michela Roman | Summer | Tuesdays: Jun 2 - Aug 11

Class Description:

Dive into the sculptural study of the human hand as a complex anatomical structure and a powerful vehicle for expression.

Students will learn the foundational anatomy of the hand, including bone structure, major muscle groups, and the underlying mechanics that inform movement and gesture. Through observation of a live model, students will develop an understanding of the hand’s primary and planar forms and how to translate these structures into three-dimensional sculpture. The course will emphasize effective strategies for blocking in the hand, establishing proportion and mass, and progressively refining surface details. In addition to technical study, the class will explore the expressive potential of the hand as a communicative form. Through posing, gesture studies, and discussion of body language, students will examine how subtle variations in posture, tension, and movement can convey emotion and narrative. By the end of the course, students will have developed both the technical and conceptual skills necessary to sculpt convincing and expressive hands from observation.

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Summer Semester Dates:

Scheduled occurrences for this class are as follows:

Week	Date	Time
Week 1:	6/2/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 2:	6/9/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 3:	6/16/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 4:	6/23/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 5:	6/30/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 6:	7/14/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 7:	7/21/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 8:	7/28/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 9:	8/4/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET
Week 10:	8/11/2026	6 pm - 9 pm ET

Before Class - Welcome & How to Prepare for Class
Week 1 - Introduction to Hand Structure
Week 2 - Planar Analysis of the Hand
Week 3 - Muscles, Tendons, and Secondary Forms
Week 4 - Refinement and Critique
Week 5 - Gesture and Expression
Week 6 - Composition and Pose Development
Week 7 - Developing Expression Through Form
Week 8 - Surface Development & Detail Demo
Week 9 - Advanced Refinement
Week 10 - Final Refinement and Critique

$705.00
In-Person
10 Weeks
Beginner to Advanced

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.