Maya
Sculpture
The Maya were master artists who enjoyed depicting the lives of the ruling class in their hieroglyphics. Using the information you’ve learned about Maya beauty standards, create a clay 3D image of yourself, applying the features the Maya deemed beautiful.
Items needed
Hands
Clay
Various items to create texture
and detail (like a toothpick or fork)
Instructions —
Taking the clay in your hands, start warming the clay by squishing it between your palms and rolling it into a ball. Be sure to set a few small balls of clay to the side for hair and other facial features or embellishments.
Begin forming the shape of your head with the clay. To make things interesting, you can shape the clay to look like a head of corn the ways the Maya used to shape their heads.
Once you have the head shape of your clay mold, begin forming your facial features like your eye sockets, nose, and lips.
Now it’s time to start adding details! Using a toothpick or fork, begin adding various facial features and hair. (Tip: a toothpick is great for making it look like there are individual strands of hair and help give texture.)
Once you have completed your masterpiece, let the clay harden for a few hours by following the instructions on the box of clay or by letting it rest for 24 hours. Be sure to check on your clay every so often to make sure cracks don’t form.
Lastly, step back and enjoy your creation!
Pro tip: Use the Paint activity from Issue 9, An Era of Exploration, to mix your own paint to use on your clay sculpture.