Have you ever found yourself staring at a sculpture or painting thinking “wow, this feels so alive and real!” and then wondered how on earth the artist achieved that?
I’m not just referring to realistic sculptures with perfect proportions, because even an abstract sculpture can feel alive and real. I’m talking about any piece of art that has made you stop and take another look. What caught your attention?
I’ve found that it’s all in the little details. The tool marks left by the artist, the tilt of a head and the hand positions in a figure, glossy eyes, the textural contrasts between smooth and rough, and the use of colour. I’m particularly drawn to sculptures and paintings that tell a story and take me on a journey.
Whenever I sculpt or paint, I try to create movement, tell a story, and capture the viewer’s imagination, and I do this by adding lots of little details.
When I created my Forest Nymph sculpture, I needed to make the viewer know and believe that she belonged in the forest and was one with her surroundings, but I couldn’t tell anyone that with words. I added small mushrooms, rocks, and mossy clumps at her feet, painted her clothing so that it merged and blended with the tree and plants around her, added vines to her hair, and placed a little bluebird in her hand. It was these little details that made the viewer understand who she was and believe that she was from and of the forest.
I created this little coral reef by adding a large variety of different shaped and brightly coloured corals, against a dark textured rocky surface, placed a turtle in a dynamic position to make it look like it was swimming, added a little fish, and then added some crepe paper seaweed to give it a little textural contrast, and to add some additional movement.
We all know that this scene isn’t physically under water, but we believe that it could be, because of all the little details.
There’s something incredibly meditative and calming about adding all the little details to a sculpture. I can leave the real world behind and get completely absorbed in the process and the joy of creating. It can be intensely immersive, and yet calming and satisfying in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve done it.
So, the next time you’re sculpting, don’t rush to finish. Take the time to create those little details. Because in sculpture, just like in life, it’s the small things that often make the biggest impact.
