There’s something homey about a space that makes you feel its presence. A place that feels lived in, that has a soul. But when sculpting, there’s a fine line between lived in and just plain “stuffed”! How can you layer a diorama without adding clutter? Let’s go over some rules of thumb:
1. Know Who Lives There
As a sculptor, you have so much imagination. Use it! Let’s use a simple example:
Let’s create a little window ledge. The structure itself reveals a lot. Is it rustic, gothic, Victorian, modern, earthy, or something else? For our example, let’s lean into a fantasy-inspired, earthy vibe with a cute little round window and a wood floor.
Now imagine who would occupy the space you’re creating. Are they messy or neat? How do they spend their time? And what items would go along with what they do?
Example: I think a sweet little garden fae (fairy) would live here. I think they would be a bit messy and absentminded, and I imagine them tending to plants and leaving clippings around or dropping pebbles that they use to fill little pots. They might have a watering can, some seeds, or some botanical journals and notes.
1. Identify Focal Points
Not every detail can be the star! I think you should have one Showstopper, one Supporting Role, and 2-3 “Extras.” Of course, this is completely flexible! Art is subjective – do what you think works best for your project!
Personally, I like to make my Showstopper and Supporting Role opposites in terms of shape – one organic, one more structured and geometric. This gives the eye a good amount of contrast, and avoids the redundancy trap that sometimes happens with scenes.
Let’s look at this in practice:
Since we chose a woodsy botanist as the owner of this space, I think we need our showstopper to be some sort of plant (giving us our organic shape). As a Showstopper, plants work amazingly! Because they can be bulky, wild, and as eye-catching as you want. This one will be on the ledge, reaching towards the floor and of course taking over the shelf.
As our Supporting Role, we definitely want to go with something a bit more geometric. A Supporting Role doesn’t necessarily need to be smaller than the Showstopper, it just has to be quieter, less demanding. For our Supporting Role, lets do some botanical books and notes. They’ll be geometrical, with sharp edges and strong lines.
The books will take up more visual space than the plant. To counteract that, and not “steal the show,” we’ll keep the book colors very muted and neutral. To make sure it’s still a focal point, we’ll make sure there’s textured pages and enough variation. Supporting, but not taking over.
It’s worth noting – the Supporting Role often acts as a “balance” for the Showstopper as well. Consider your visual weight when choosing these two focal points!
1. It’s Not Clutter If It’s Strategic
I’ve done it so many times. You have so many little details you really want included! But when you put them all together, it looks like you dumped out your junk drawer.
So how do we avoid that, but not swing to the other extreme of empty space?
Let’s pick two or three “Extras” and talk about what kind of extras we’re looking for.
I think the key to extras is always quality over quantity. You want your scene to be a “feast for the eyes”! So it’s important to consider what textures, colors, and finishes you want. Examples of extras might include – a complimentary but pop of color, some sort of “effect” (like glitter, metal, stone, wood, etc), and one that is muted but has texture or some sort of finish (such as glossy).
Your extras don’t need to be everywhere! Allow for empty space – even the messiest space has some sort of blank.
Let’s look at our example again:
I have textures, shine, unique shapes, and some pops of color. We still want to focus our details where they’re most likely to appear as well! All together, definitely a scene your eyes are forced to “peruse.”
One final note – did you see that small open space where there’s no details? To prevent cluttering, try to place your details around an imaginary circle or half circle – doing that will allow for both fore- and background elements, while still creating a sense of order, neatness, and purpose!
How do you make your scenes visually appealing? Do you have any other rules of thumb you follow? Share them online with #howdoyousculpey!