Step by step photos (read captions for text section/image)
A. In our second week of workshops, we did a technique known as ‘Bas-Relief’. Relief in sculpture, means to carve into a 2D material, such as wood or stone and create depth where there can be a background and more prominent foreground. In our workshop we achieved this by using a slab of clay (college buff) and carving into it with loop tools. For this we need an image to work from, I pick one out of a book, which appears to be some sort of interior structure. I thought this was a good subject to work from as it had different depths but simple enough to replicate. Instead of using the full blown image, we were told to make a window and place it over just one area, the ‘window’ being a blank A4 page which has a small rectangle cut out and to make sure it stayed in the same spot, I glued it on top of my image.
B. Once I was happy with my reference, I rolled out my clay into a slab, using the wooden guides and rolling pin (to make sure it was level) and took the plastic tray we would be using in a later step, to draw out roughly how big of an area I would be working on. I then used one of the loop tools with a smaller and rounded loop to start replicating my image, carving into the slabs in different depths.
C. After I was finished with the carving, I thought that the slab was still a bit bare so I decided that I would try to accentuate shadows by using a metal fork and poked the areas that were darker in the image. I think this added more textures and made my version of the image stray a little to be more abstract. With my design complete, I cut away the excess clay so that only a tile was left that would fit perfectly in the base of the tub.
D. Why a plastic tub is needed for this technique is because the next step is using plaster mix to create a cast of the tile. To do this, a large mixing bowl, plaster powder, water and a card (e.g. old credit card) is needed. Starting out with the ratio for the plaster mix, it is ‘2 cups water:3 cups powder’ pouring the water into the bowl first and then using a separate cup to add the dry powder in and then gently but hastily mixing with a hand, until the consistency is similar to yoghurt with no lumps.
E. It is very important that this step isn’t done leisurely because the plaster begins to set quite fast and for the health and safety of the mixer’s hand as the plaster heats up when setting. When the consistency is met, I then poured in the mix on top of the tile in the tub and shook/tapped it lightly on the table to make sure that there would be no air pockets/air bubbles throughout the mix (I also used just the tips of my fingers to poke the surface several times to get rid of as many bubbles as possible). The plaster is very quick to set firmly, only taking 5-10 minutes for this workshops particular sample.
F. Whilst it set, the bowl and my hands needed cleaned. Plaster can not be washed down the sink because it will clog it so this is where an old card comes in to play. It’s sturdiness is the best tool to scrape the plaster off of both hands and the mixing bowl and is disposed of in the bin. After 5-10 minutes of setting the plaster and tile is ready to be popped out of the tub by pulling the sides away and pulling it out, the plaster is still a little warm at this point but not harmful. Finally, the clay can be peeled away from the plaster to reveal the Bas—relief, which looks like an inverted version of the tile. Mine personally looked quite odd to me and I wouldn’t say it’d use this sample as a piece in itself but rather a mould to replicate the tile. If I were to do this again, I would try to create something that is carved in a way that has a centre subject that I carve into the tile and has more depth so that when the plaster inverts it, it will be more prominent.
Overall, I found this workshop to be very interesting and different from what I have experienced in ceramics so far. The sample I created was quick I have to admit but I can see if different techniques are applied it could turn out really well. For example, the plaster cast itself could be it’s own piece and could then be painted on or it could be used as a mould to create multiple of a tile which could each be glazed differently or used in different types of clays. Safety glass could also be used, the possibilities could go on.
B. Once I was happy with my reference, I rolled out my clay into a slab, using the wooden guides and rolling pin (to make sure it was level) and took the plastic tray we would be using in a later step, to draw out roughly how big of an area I would be working on. I then used one of the loop tools with a smaller and rounded loop to start replicating my image, carving into the slabs in different depths.
C. After I was finished with the carving, I thought that the slab was still a bit bare so I decided that I would try to accentuate shadows by using a metal fork and poked the areas that were darker in the image. I think this added more textures and made my version of the image stray a little to be more abstract. With my design complete, I cut away the excess clay so that only a tile was left that would fit perfectly in the base of the tub.
D. Why a plastic tub is needed for this technique is because the next step is using plaster mix to create a cast of the tile. To do this, a large mixing bowl, plaster powder, water and a card (e.g. old credit card) is needed. Starting out with the ratio for the plaster mix, it is ‘2 cups water:3 cups powder’ pouring the water into the bowl first and then using a separate cup to add the dry powder in and then gently but hastily mixing with a hand, until the consistency is similar to yoghurt with no lumps.
E. It is very important that this step isn’t done leisurely because the plaster begins to set quite fast and for the health and safety of the mixer’s hand as the plaster heats up when setting. When the consistency is met, I then poured in the mix on top of the tile in the tub and shook/tapped it lightly on the table to make sure that there would be no air pockets/air bubbles throughout the mix (I also used just the tips of my fingers to poke the surface several times to get rid of as many bubbles as possible). The plaster is very quick to set firmly, only taking 5-10 minutes for this workshops particular sample.
F. Whilst it set, the bowl and my hands needed cleaned. Plaster can not be washed down the sink because it will clog it so this is where an old card comes in to play. It’s sturdiness is the best tool to scrape the plaster off of both hands and the mixing bowl and is disposed of in the bin. After 5-10 minutes of setting the plaster and tile is ready to be popped out of the tub by pulling the sides away and pulling it out, the plaster is still a little warm at this point but not harmful. Finally, the clay can be peeled away from the plaster to reveal the Bas—relief, which looks like an inverted version of the tile. Mine personally looked quite odd to me and I wouldn’t say it’d use this sample as a piece in itself but rather a mould to replicate the tile. If I were to do this again, I would try to create something that is carved in a way that has a centre subject that I carve into the tile and has more depth so that when the plaster inverts it, it will be more prominent.
Overall, I found this workshop to be very interesting and different from what I have experienced in ceramics so far. The sample I created was quick I have to admit but I can see if different techniques are applied it could turn out really well. For example, the plaster cast itself could be it’s own piece and could then be painted on or it could be used as a mould to create multiple of a tile which could each be glazed differently or used in different types of clays. Safety glass could also be used, the possibilities could go on.