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How to make an armature
Included in this resource: - What is an armature, and when do you need to make one What is an armature, and when do you need to make one There are many reasons for making an armature, and many ways in which to do it. This How to… module concentrates on how you can make a very simple, quick and low-tech armature based which you can quite literally build upon as you become more experienced. An armature is just an internal structure or support for your sculpture. Not all sculptures have or need armatures – it depends on the materials you want to use. Modroc for example does not have enough inherent strength so needs to be modeling around another structure. Equally, you may make an armature as described below, and then decide it doesn’t actually need another material around it – the armature maybe become the sculpture itself. Technically of course then it might not be considered an armature – but its equally valid and a good place to start. Why make an armature using this technique?
Sticks – They might be dry sticks from the garden, or if you want to buy some for a whole class/bigger project, consider buying (or harvesting your own!) a bundle of withies – which are long willow sticks.
Glue gun – hot or cold melt and of course glue gun pellets.
Secateurs - for cutting the sticks/withies Protective floor covering About Glue Guns: Why glue guns are so great: Precaution! Glue guns should be used with care as they, and the glue, get very hot. Use according to instructions which comes with each gun. With sensible use glue guns are highly effective and easy to use. Glue guns should be plugged in and heated up five to ten minutes before they are used. Glue guns work by using pellets of glue, which are pushed into the gun, either by a trigger or by your finger. As the glue passes the heating element the glue melts and is delivered on to the sculpture. The glue then sets as it cools (a matter of seconds/minute at the most). Hot or cool melt glue guns allow you to assemble and join materials really quickly, easily and strongly. They stop you having to worry about making joints, fastening or tying (all of which are important in sculpture but in this module we want to concentrate on other things) and allow you to work quickly and intuitively. Glue guns can therefore be very freeing. With care, they can be used by all except the young. Take Care - Glue Guns can burn. Older children MUST be supervised. Methodology: How to build a figurative sculpture/armature First of all, before you begin work, THINK. Assuming you are making a figurative sculpture, lets start by thinking and feeling your way into the sculpture. Try getting into the position your sculpture will be in. Close your eyes and concentrate on what it feels like to be in that position. Take a moment to quieten down and internalize. If you are working with children give them plenty of time to do this. It can help to talk them through a visualization – “think how heavy your head feels, how your feet feel planted to the ground….” Yoga methods of visualization can be especially useful in this stage. Feel the tensions in your body in this position – try to feel where your own skeleton and muscles are doing most work. Think about how gravity is working on your body – or how your body is trying to work against gravity – i.e. a strongly outstretched arm. Try to become aware of the bigger gestures your body is making. Think less in terms of body parts (i.e. two arms, two legs, torso etc) and more in terms of dynamic lines working through your whole body. These lines can be used directly in your sculpture, e.g. a line of tension going from an outstretched arm , down your side, into your leg and down to your foot. Whilst you are still in position, try and decide how you might start your sculpture when you start making. Decide on the scale of your sculpture. This technique works well for small sculptures – 20cm tall – to much larger even life size structures (though of course then the work/time/materials needs all increase too). Remember the armature will need to be smaller than the intended finished sculpture (once another materials such as modroc is wrapped round the armature the scale of the sculpture will grow). Gather your materials and create enough space. Put down protective floor covering so the glue gun doesn’t mark the floor (glue guns do drip). You’ll also need to be near an electrical supply to plug in your glue gun. Plug your glue gun in. Sticks ready – if you are working on a small scale, you’ll need to cut them up with the secateurs. If you are working on a larger scale, you might want to use the natural line of a stick or withy to inspire the lines in your sculpture. Either way, have all your sticks handy and some cut up ready to work.
At this stage – just start sticking stick to stick with the glue gun. You may have to hold the sticks in position for a second or two for the glue to cool and set - but its quick work. The important thing here is to GET STARTED and STOP WORRYING. Get started and then you’ll have something in front of you which you can then respond to, even if that means cutting back into the sculpture. So start by creating equivalents for your body with the sticks, thinking about all the lines/forces you felt in in the planning stage described above. This isn’t about making two arms and a torso or making an anatomically correct structure – this is about creating a network of sticks/lines which says “figure” or “body”.
Remember – add sticks add strength. Think of strong shapes, i.e. triangles, and see how adding a third stick to two sticks creates a strong triangle.
Think of your sculpture as a sketch or drawing - and enjoy the lines you are building up. If the sculpture takes a direction of its own, and you like it, then let it!
Keep an open mind! Stop when you think your armature might be finished – don’t be tempted to keep working for the sake of it. Keep walking round it and looking from all angles. And remember – you might not cover this armature after all! Enjoy the process! Remember every one will end up with their own unique armature. Want to be kept up to date with AccessArt's latest releases? Register for the AccessArt Newsletter - free of charge. Tell us what you think and what you'd like to see on AccessArt
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