I start by making a wire armature to create the basic shape of the head and hold the clay. The clay used is water-based ceramic clay. It's easy to work with but needs to be kept moist.

Working quickly using wet clay, I try to get the correct proportions of the face and features to capture the likeness of the sitter.

As the clay portrait progresses and you begin to add more deails, it's important to keep the freshness of the modelling so it doesn't look over-worked.

The finished portrait on this occasion was cast in plaster, painted and toned to give a bronze effect. Portraits are usually cast in bronze.