The Artist's Corner
Scale Model
There are many methods to achieving proper proportions of a ten foot tall snow sculpture. One can use a careful eye and just carve away. Or use a sketch for reference. However most professionals will sculpt a small figurine in clay first.
That way you become familiar with the piece before you even touch the snow. It's also a lot easier to correct mistakes beforehand on a clay model than having to correct them on a ten footer. Most of your creative passion, heart and soul go into the clay model. Scaling it up to the large snow version is more of an engineering feat.
One tried and true method is demonstrated at left. Once you finish your piece in clay, determine how tall the snow figure will be. In this case it is ten feet. Now cut a strip of cardboard or plastic and mark ten dashes. You're finished!
To use your little scaling strip, any measurement you take from the small model translates into feet for the snow statue. For example, notice the number 8 is even with the clay figure's shoulder. This means the shoulder for the snow statue is 8 feet high. Measure horizontally in the same way.
Use tape measures, yard sticks, or make your own ten foot long measuring pole for the snow statue.
Most artists use oil based modeling clay. That way it won't dry out or crack. Children's clay from WalMart or Walgreens (not Playdough) is excellent.
Here are examples of sculptors' working clay models (their blueprints) and the finished pieces.
The Invisible Man
Notice what these sculptors did. They encased their model in a plexiglass box and marked it with squares. (On all sides.)
As demonstrated at right, the whole snow block is also marked with these squares.
Most artists use chalk lines or spray paint to mark the snow.
