How to plan sittings for a portrait sculpture
First sitting, photos and measurements, length of each session, keeping clay workable, children and absent sitters: how sculptors plan a portrait bust.
5 min read
A portrait sculpture is planned as a series of sittings, not a single appointment. Start with a first sitting to take photos from every angle and key measurements, then book the following sittings at a steady rhythm so the clay stays workable and the sitter's face stays fresh in your eye. Keep each sitting short enough for the sitter to hold a pose comfortably, use the time between sessions to work from your photos, and agree from the start how many sittings the price includes and what happens if more are needed.
The first sitting
The first meeting sets the whole project. Talk with the sitter before you touch the clay: why they want the portrait, where it will stand, what size and material they imagine for the final piece — clay, plaster, bronze or resin cast. Then observe and record.
- Photos all round: front, back, both profiles and three-quarter views, at head height and in the same light, plus close-ups of eyes, ears and mouth.
- Measurements: with callipers, the key distances — chin to crown, ear to ear, the width of the eyes — that keep proportions true.
- The pose: the angle of the head, the look, a neutral face or a hint of a smile. Choose something the sitter can hold and repeat.
- Clothing and hair: ask the sitter to come back with the same neckline and hairstyle at every sitting.
Length and rhythm of sittings
Holding still is tiring. Plan sittings of a length the sitter can manage with short breaks to stretch and talk; conversation also brings out the expressions you want to catch. Leave enough days between sittings to work on the armature and the large forms from your photos, but not so many that you lose the freshness of the face. A regular weekly rhythm is easy for both of you to remember.
Keeping the clay workable
Between sittings, wrap the head in damp cloth and plastic and keep it away from heat and draughts. Check it between sessions: a piece that dries too much cracks, and one that stays too wet slumps. If you work in an oil-based clay, the timing is more forgiving, but the bust still needs covering against dust.
What each stage of sittings is for
- Early sittings: the large masses — skull, jaw, neck — and the tilt of the head. Proportions matter more than detail.
- Middle sittings: the planes of the face, the eye sockets, the nose and mouth. Compare with the sitter from every angle, turning the stand.
- Last sittings: expression, the look, surface texture. Short sessions, with the sitter needed mainly for the final checks.
- Approval: a last meeting where the sitter or the client signs off the clay before moulding or casting.
Children, busy sitters and portraits from photos
Children can't sit still for long: plan very short sittings, let them play or listen to a story, and rely more on photos. Busy adults may prefer fewer, longer sittings. For a portrait of someone who can't sit — a person who has died, a relative far away — ask the family for as many photos as possible from different angles and a meeting to look at them together; be honest that a likeness from photos is harder and price it accordingly.
Booking the sittings with Book
On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a "First portrait sitting" service that new clients can book online, with a description of what to bring and how the commission works. Once a client commits, book the following sittings yourself: create slots for a "Portrait sitting" service on the same weekday, repeated weekly until the planned end date, and book the client into each one from your calendar. With one place per slot, a booked sitting no longer shows on your public page. The client receives a confirmation with a calendar file for each sitting when you add their email.
| Service | Example slot | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| First portrait sitting (photos, measurements) | 1 h 30 | €90 |
| Portrait sitting | 1 h 30 | €0 |
| Final approval of the clay | 45 min | €0 |
Here the follow-up sittings are priced at €0 because the commission is quoted as a whole; set your own durations and prices. If a sitter is ill, reschedule from your bookings list and tell them yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.