The Mission

When it comes to art training, I'm a fundamentalist at my core. Why? Because I've witnessed the unlimited power and influence of fundamental training as a sculptor and teacher for the past 30 years. By Standing on the Shoulders of Giants(The Masters) and a whole lot of independent study, I became aware of the patterns therein [fundamentals] and began to share my discoveries with my students with outstanding results on behalf of their hard work and a willingness to learn and be taught in an unconventional way.
Every successful head sculpture begins with understanding where the vertical/horizontal planes and facets are--and the basic relationships the features have, and once these are understood, having the opportunity to design and create within these boundaries. Just as music has scales, chords, and arpeggios that together establish harmony, so do the head and face. In my experience, once I understood the Loomis Head, the shackles came off and I was free to roam creatively. These very fundamentals shape and influence everything I do as an artist. If someone had said to me years ago "Learn your figure fundamentals first and stop looking at creatures!" I could have saved myself a lot of time.

My goal has always been to turn out the best instructional sculpture tutorials that get you the results you want. For years I've taught numerous sculpture students how to sculpt through a fundamental paradigm of "What gives shape and form their identity?" with less and less instruction on anatomy and with great results...and interestingly enough I've never taught concept itself first because their is no concept without the fundamentals.

If you're going to bake a cake (any cake) you need to know that the main ingredients are flour, eggs, sugar, salt, butter.....if you're going to sculpt a head (any head) this tutorial will teach you what the main ingredients are so that your concept looks the best it can...and that is the mission!!

-John Brown