How to sculpt the human head (male and female)

Learn to build a suspended head structure on a table using a rod and nut or aluminium foil method, then reach final volume with clay and polyurethane foam (A/B 50/50).

Measure the oval on polyurethane with a compass and transfer it, then cut and refine the skull, mark eyes, nose, and mouth, compare with photos, and seal the structure.

Apply the first layer of clay to seal the polyurethane head structure, melting clay in a pot and brushing it onto the surface to ensure adhesion.

Return to real size and cover the head with a uniform clay layer, soften firm clay in the microwave, and ensure adhesion with no air bubbles.

Learn to sculpt the back of the skull by adding volume and hollowing the dome, while rotating viewpoints and taking breaks to evaluate symmetry, proportions, and angles.

Learn to sculpt the nose first to establish facial symmetry and proportion, choosing between incremental clay or a single drop shape, then merge edges and assess profile against reference photos.

Sculpt the mouth by building the upper lip first to reserve space for the nostrils, then shape the lower lip and refine symmetry and profile with hands and tools.

Add volume to the chin to balance facial proportions as you sculpt. Start shaping the forehead and eyebrows to harmonize the upper features with the lower face.

Adjust the eyes area by shaping the eyes, eyebrows, and cheekbones step by step; work symmetrically to refine proportions, and balance volumes from profile and side views.

Develop realistic eyes by building curved eyelid volume and using glasses or plastic ice to shape eyelids, ensuring symmetry and adjusting lower and upper eyelids for open or closed eyes.

Place the eyes and build volume in the eyebrows, cheekbones, and the area between the eyebrows and the nose, shaping with tools and color.

apply the nostrils by shaping two equal clay drops, place them on each side of the nose, and adjust symmetry from front and above with a tool.

Adjust the area around the eyes to refine the eyelids and create natural folds, and add volume to the cheekbones for aging.

Assess the neck's position relative to the chin, then compensate volume and refine side contours to smooth the neck–jaw transition.

Place the ears at nose level, larger than the nose, aligned with the jaw line and auditory canal, mold them symmetrically with clay and check front, back, and above.

Master the hair in traditional head sculpture by defining the general volume and shaping it with large clay masses, following the Irish style to imply hair direction.

Begin shaping the head from the main volumes; the work is identical for male and female heads. The eyes are modeled without details, and I now build the nose.

Shape a square chin for a male profile, sculpt vertical and diagonal lines for the cheekbones, create space around the mouth, and compare volume from different angles.

The lesson guides sculpting the eyebrow region and forehead by building volume, evaluating symmetry from multiple angles and profiles, and shaping square forehead forms with warm, soft clay.

Study the jaw's square volume and cheekbone cues to sculpt masculine faces, comparing profile to frontal views and refining symmetry with clay tools.

Adjust the mouth by reinforcing the lines at the sides and refining the upper lip. These details help the mouth read as natural with a subtle feminine feature.

Model the trachea and add volume to form the Adam's apple. Sculpt neck muscles from behind the ears to the clavicle on both sides.

Place the ears at the nose level along the jawline, check symmetry from front, behind, and above, build each ear as sphere then egg, perforate, and refine the spiral line.

Apply very light pressure to level the surface and feel bumps, using cross movements to keep a smooth face. Age the heads by refining the nose, mouth, and cheekbones.

Learn to sculpt hair on the head by contrasting women's rounded growth line and smaller forehead with men's square line and larger forehead, building volume and directing hair with fingers.

Define the female head's eyebrows after smoothing the surface to make them visible, using a fine tool to set their direction; male brows are thicker externally and closer to eyes.

The finished head serves as the final work for the metalhead, concluding the course on sculpting the human head for male and female forms.