FEET

It has been said that hands and feet are the hardest to draw and sculpt. However, this method can eliminate a lot of the hassle of making feet.

When beginning remember three things: 1) coils and spheres; 2) anatomy book; 3) proportion.

Set up the work space with a slab, coil and tools. Notice that the biggest bone of the foot is the Calcaneus bone. That is the heel. Make a sphere and push that onto the end of the back of the foot. Next build up the Talus, Navicular, Cunefiroms and Cuboid, bones. Make four or five spheres and place them across the top of the foot in an arch. Place them at the base of the tibia and fibula, or the base of the leg. Add the Lateral Ankle (the ankle on the outside of the foot) and the Medial Ankle (the inside ankle). Remember proportion - the Lateral ankle is lower than the Medial Ankle.

After those forms are in place think about proportion. How big is the foot compared to the body. The foot is about the same length as from the wrist to the elbow on the arm.

Now the decision on how long to make the toes can be made. Make Five coils theses represent the Metatarsals and Phalanges (the toes and the joints). The big toe also has a flexor muscle that goes over the top of the foot all the way to the patella ( the knee). Next is the index toe, then the middle, then the ring toe, then the pinky toe. Notice how the pinky toe curves a little.

Blend the little toe a bit. Then add and abductor muscle (it's the what most people call the ball of the foot) it goes along side of the big toe. From the abductor muscle to the little toe is the widest part of the foot.

Place and thin slab across the top of the foot this represents the Superior Extensor Retinaculum.

The Achilles Tendon should go on at this point. It is a large muscle that attaches at the bottom of the Calcaneus and all the way to the back of the knee.

Do not add a lot of bulk to your sculpey or the legs and feet will be gigantic. Add the toe nails by pushing the sculpey in where toe nail would go. You can be more detailed. This is just a method to get you started until you gain more experience and find your own techniques and style.

Pre bake this skeleton and muscles of the foot. Then add a very thin translucent layer of sculpey to cover everything. Feather the ends and smooth it out. The bones and muscles will show through a bit giving the appearance of a fabulous foot.

BONES OF THE FOOT
MUSCLES OF THE FOOT BACK VIEW
MUSCLES OF THE FOOT FRONT VIEW