In-person workshops are scheduled in different places at different times of the year. Most workshops run twice a year in different locations in New Zealand, Auckland being the most demanded of the locations. Australia and Europe are other locations planned to run workshops in 2024.
We are setting up a different challenge with a live model changing pose each time. Plenty of material, tutorials and online courses can help you on this journey and keep you connected with the community. To ensure you get this information, sign up for the newsletter.
If you are missing one day out of 2 or 3, we recommend you to wait until there is another chance as you might be missing quite a bit of information and time to do your work. If this is a 5 days workshop it might be ok.
Not really. Simplified figure is the only workshop we have designed to teach the basics of building the human figure so you have enough knowledge to make the most of a model. So, if you are thinking of joining the five days figure workshop with model, this might be good for you, although it is not mandatory.
Not really. The more experience you have the better. Javier Is an experienced sculptor and can adapt to your level whether you are just beginning or you are experienced, whether you are just looking at learning more anatomy or pursuing a more artistic challenge.
The workshops are designed for:
If you want to learn about the human figure, I would suggest you join the Online courses. Why? There is a lot more information Javier can share with you. You can find your time to invest in your learning process. Head studies online is about six weeks course, and the figure online course is about ten weeks. The more hours you put in, the more you will learn; that´s a rule. And finally, it is more personalized as the progress of your work will be reviewed every week by Javier personally.
If you are interested in doing a workshop but you don´t know which one, get in touch and let us know what is that you are looking for and we will help you. Either if you are looking for some good training, knowledge or just living the experience as a hobby, we can help you.
Yes, you can and you should.
You can fire your work when doing the head studies workshop. This is the only work you can safely get ready and fire in a kiln. You can try and fire the work after the five-day Figure course, but definitely, you can not fire the work you do on the simplified figure. Why? Due to the short amount of time, we have to use armatures to hold the weight of the clay, so it helps you while you are working. Having an armature inside makes it not possible to fire the work afterwards.
Yes it is, all the workshops include the armature regarless the kind of workshop you are signing up for.
Clay and tools are not included in the price of the workshops. You can bring your own or you can buy it on the day of the event. Javier usually bring enough tools as the students find them very good to work with.
10 Kg bag of clay is plenty. Any type of clay, not too bright or dark in color and very thin grog will work. You can bring your own or you can buy it on the first day of the workshop.
Absolutly!
Javier usually brings his own set of tools you can buy from him. This is a set of two spatulas, a big one and a medium one; you can check them out here on the website. These tools will help you to do 95% of the work.
You can also buy your tools or make your own if you like. Be aware ceramic tools are not ideal for sculpture. If this is what you have or what you are buying, only choose the spatulas.
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martial pagesTaking a course with Javier was exactly what I needed in support to my saturday’s sculpting practices. We had time to go deep into anatomy and were provided all the tools by Javier, making the most of his own studies and anatomical references, for a better and easier understanding of it. I was able to strengthen my skills, knowledge and learnt so much more! Always inspiring to see Javier’s dedication to his craft and his work ethic.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Barry KeenanJust finished the 12 week Figure Écorché course, and I have learnt a lot! The crazy detail is there for advanced students, but do not be daunted if you have not taken the time to study anatomy before – Javier repeats the main skeleton landmarks often and examples of the simplified form are there so you can get a solid foundation. It is a privilege to have access to this level of teaching locally.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. M SurcoufI attended a 5-day Figure with Model workshop with Javier. This is my second workshop with Javier, and this one was equally as good as the first, if not better (because it was longer). Javier communicates his depth of anatomical knowledge through a combination of written handouts, theory, and more often (and more importantly), with hands-on demonstrations which serve to not only instruct, but to inspire. Javier’s workshops are fantastic. They are intensely focused and good fun at the same time. I feel like I’ve expand my understanding of how to work with clay and how the body works. I highly recommend Javier’s courses to anyone who’s interested.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matthew Tan (X32 Lapis)I did a 2 Day Head Study with Javier. He was a great teacher to work with and helpful with the knowledge. Javier even went the extra mile for many of us when some of us forgot to bring plastic bags he told us no to worry that when we leave for the day he would go buy us plastic bags and made sure the clay were in workable condition for us to continue the next day. I would recommend Javier for people of all levels I myself went as a Beginner and thoroughly enjoyed my time. The interaction with other students was great too as we all chased our artistic endeavors together.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Adrian BosiI did a human figure workshop with Javier in Queenstown and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone either wanting to learn the basics or wanting to level up their skills to the next level. He's very knowledgeable of anatomy and gives you the tools to capture it in the sculpture, while also explaining the whys and the hows. The classes had the perfect blend of theory and practice (with a killer playlist in the background) and he was happy to answer any questions and provide info and tips all along. I only wish I could've also done the human head workshop as well.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. McLeod FamilyJavier recently came to Queenstown and held a couple of workshops. I attended the Simplified Figure Workshop- it was intense, but even as a beginner I coped because the information Javier imparted was supported by the armature (a tangible figure), thorough explanations supported by literature with diagrams, and demonstrations on how the body moves, where the center line falls and how it balances. I have learned so much that I can apply to my pottery future efforts. Speaking to other attendees- everyone enjoyed themselves and were impressed at what they achieved under Javier's tutelage. If you worry that your skills are not good enough to attend- don't, Javier is a good teacher. Just do it!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kate RossJavier’s head study workshop was a fantastic two day intensive on creating a realistic sculptural work in clay. Learned a huge amount about the material and enjoyed a very different process from my usual way of working.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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