How to sculpt a gnome

Many moons ago, we made our good friend, Mr Gnome. We finally made him a fellow gnome friend – introducing Luna! Follow along with our video and lesson plan to make your very own gnome buddy at home.

1. Clay base

-     Cut holes into the corners of an 8x8" canvas – this will help your clay base dry consistently

-     Flip the canvas and tightly pack it with clay until level with the top of the wood stretchers

-     Insert an old 28cm-long brush into the clay to act as a sturdy core

2. Clay core

-     Create a lightweight structure by wrapping aluminium foil around the brush handle

-     Pack clay around the foil, shaping it into a smooth cone form

-     Ensure the structure is balanced and sturdy

3. Clay clothes

-     Wrap a thick slab of clay around the core about ¾ of the way up for the dress

-     Smooth the clay and use a large round loop tool to carve pleats down the dress

-     Space the hollows evenly, rounding off and smoothing the high points

-     Carve a small gap between the dress hem and the base

-     Roll out a small rectangular sheet of clay

-     Press it gently into the grooves at the front of the dress to create a waist apron

4. Clay arms

-     Add clay to shape the upper body and smooth it out

-     Create arms using simplified tubes of clay, attaching them to the shoulders and blending them in

-     Flatten the areas for hands and sculpt a thumb and four fingers on each hand

5. Sculpting a face out of clay

-     Pack clay onto the head area and shape the face

-     Create eye sockets using your thumbs, making them as even as possible

-     Add clay for the eyes and blend them in, refining the face as needed

-     Use reference images to make the features softer and more "gnome-like" with rounded cheeks and a small nose

6. Hair and hat

-     Create plaits using three rolls of clay braided together

-     Attach the plaits to the head, pressing the ends against the body and arms

-     Roll out a sheet of clay and wrap it around the head to form a cone-shaped hat

-     Smooth the hat to remove any visible joins

7. Dry and fix Cracks

-     Allow the gnome to dry completely; cracks may appear during the drying process

-     Once bone dry, refill any cracks with fresh clay and let it dry fully again before painting

8. How to paint a gnome

-     Paint the cap with Brilliant Red

-     Mix Yellow Pink and Titanium White to paint the face and hands

-     Use Pearl Sapphire for the dress for a metallic shimmer

-     Paint the apron with Titanium White

-     Mix Lemon Yellow and Titanium White to paint the hair and eyebrows

-     Paint the eyes a light blue and add some eyeliner with Lamp Black if you like!

-     Paint the base with two coats of Sap Green

9. Final touches

-     Check for any missed spots or small details and touch them up

-     Let the paint dry completely before displaying your gnome masterpiece!

We hope you enjoyed creating your charming gnome and have found a cosy spot for them to shine! If you haven’t already made Mr Gnome, why not follow our tutorial to make your friend a companion?