Intensive Sculpture Workshops

The new 9-day intensive workshop on sculpting a reclining figure is an exciting opportunity to develop and refine your sculpting skills while deepening your understanding of the human form, anatomy and proportions. The workshop will focus on creating a half-life-size sculpture in clay on an armature, employing direct observation techniques with a life model.

We will start with an introductory lecture, followed by the process of creating a small-scale preparatory maquette. This will enable each participant not only to familiarize themselves with the model’s proportions but also to experiment with the composition and creative interpretation of the chosen pose for the final piece. Based on these discoveries, we will advance our work with the model using the half-life-size armatures, progressing from the block-in of simplified shapes in clay to the intricate final details in the creation of a unique and original artwork.

Throughout the course, participants are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the studio’s location and to explore the vibrant city of Berlin—one of Europe's most dynamic centers for arts and culture. In addition to sculpting from a life model within the premises of the Berlin Sculpture Atelier, the workshop features a guided tour of one of Berlin’s art museums on Sunday and a farewell lunch shared with fellow participants at the end of the workshop.

Limited to just six students, the class ensures an efficient and intimate learning experience. Thanks to the small-group format and the individualized teaching approach adopted by the instructor, the lessons are well-suited for participants of all skill levels and creative goals.

Upon completing the workshop, the participants can transform their works in a more durable material by joining a supplementary Mold-Making & Casting Course.

In this course you will learn

• Anatomy and Proportions: In-depth exploration of the anatomical structures relevant to the reclining figure, understanding the skeletal framework, muscle groups, and their interaction in the reclining pose.

• Balance and Compression of Form: Understanding the balance and weight distribution of the reclining figure, as well as the interaction between the figure and the surface it rests upon.

• Composition and Artistic Interpretation: Achieving visual harmony and conveying the intended creative message by strategically arrange elements within the composition.

• Expressing Emotion and Narrative: Exploring the portrayal of emotion, mood, and narrative within the reclining figure, utilizing sculptural elements to convey a specific story or evoke an emotional response from the viewer.

• Material Handling and Techniques: Advanced techniques for working with clay, including armature construction, clay modeling, refining and detailing.

Included in the Course

• All materials and equipment

• Starter Tool Kit

• Instruction in English

• 30 hours with the life model

• Drinks and snacks

• Guided museum tour

• Final lunch

Intensive Portrait Sculpture Workshop offers the participants a unique 9-day experience of sculpting a life-size portrait in clay from a life model in the premises of the Berlin Sculpture Atelier.

Portraiture is, without any doubt, one of the most prominent genres in the history of art. It is also an immersive process enabling artists to record an individual’s appearance and personality through the prism of one’s own perception and artistic sensibility. Working from life is an infinitely fulfilling experience, one that is essential to the development of a visual vocabulary and appreciation for the human form. Thus, the creation of a portrait from a life model is among the most effective practices that help aspiring students master the techniques and develop their own voices as distinctive artists.

The emphasis of this workshop is placed on the method of direct observation and the study of the basic anatomy of the human head, its proportions, linear and volumetric qualities, as well as the fundamentals of composition and aesthetic ideals. The offered technique is aimed at translating the complex visual information into a clear structure that helps achieve an accurate depiction of the model in three dimensions. The methodology embraced by Alexandra Slava, the founder and principal instructor of the Berlin Sculpture Atelier, makes the task of acquiring strong craft skills in figurative sculpture enjoyable and within everyone’s grasp.

The workshop involves regular individual critiques, lectures, demonstrations and group discussions. Upon its completion, the resulting clay sculptures may be preserved by firing or casting at an additional cost outside of class.

Throughout the course, the participants are encouraged to take full advantage of the Atelier location and explore the city of Berlin - one of Europe’s most dynamic centres for arts and culture. In addition to sculpting from a life model in the Atelier, the workshop incorporates a guided sightseeing tour and a shared meal together with the fellow participants.

The class is limited to 6 students, ensuring an efficient intimate learning environment. Thanks to the small-group format and an individual teaching approach adopted by the instructor, the lessons are well suited for the participants with all skill levels and creative goals.

In this course you will learn

• Fundamentals of traditional sculpture

• Essential sculpture tools, materials and equipment

• Proper observation of objects in three dimensions

• Anatomy and structure of human head

• Realism and likeness of a portrait from a life model

• Gesture, proportions, linear and volumetric qualities

• Advanced concepts of modeling in clay

• Principles of composition and aesthetic ideals

Included in the Course

• All materials and equipment

• Starter Tool Kit

• Instruction in English

• 30 hours with the life model

• Drinks and snacks

• Guided Berlin city tour

• Final dinner