Clay armature

- Glue two pieces of scrap wood together to form a solid base

- Cut the base down to around 100 × 100mm

- Drill a hole in the centre for the vertical support rod

- Insert the rod and secure it firmly in place

- Bend and attach a small metal bracket to support the angle of the head

- Secure the base to your surface with a small amount of tack so it stays still while sculpting

Knight base

- Roll a long log of clay and wrap it around the base of the armature

- Press and smooth the clay to form the first ring of the chess base

- Fill in the gaps between the ring and the armature, smoothing the clay

- Create and stack a second ring of the same size on top of the first

- Fill in between the ring and the armature with more clay, smoothing it out

- Repeat once more, adding a thicker but shorter ring on top

Refining the base

- Fill in the ring with more clay, and refine the transition so it slopes upwards

- Build up clay to flatten the top of the and create a base for your knight

- Lastly, carve and smooth the top of your base to the outer edge to create a gentle curve all the way around

Air dry clay horse – building the body

- Add clay around the top of your armature to form the neck and upper body

- Work slowly, adding clay piece by piece rather than large sections

- Use your thumb or a damp brush to smooth surfaces and blend joins

- Regularly check proportions against the reference drawing provided on the project page

Clay face sculpting

- Build up the main shapes of the head by adding clay gradually

- Form the eye sockets first before shaping the cheeks and muzzle

- Refine the nose and mouth area by carving and smoothing

- Continue adjusting shapes until the proportions feel balanced

- There’s lots of kinds of horses so make the head shaped how you like it

Clay mane

- Roll a long piece of clay and flatten the base

- Attach it along the back of the head to form the mane

- Blend the join using a brush with a small amount of water

- Cut it back to fit the shape of the head

- Carve or press lines into the clay to suggest hair texture

Final sculpting details

- Add small amounts of clay to refine the shape of the nose and cheeks, then cut a line for the mouth

- Shape some ears using two small balls of clay

- Create two curved triangle shapes and flatten the base

- Attach them carefully and smooth the joins

- Build up some extra clay where the nostrils and mouth line go

- Carve back the clay to refine the shape

Drying and sanding

- Allow the sculpture to dry completely for a number of days

- Once dry, sand the surface gently to smooth any rough areas

Sealing and painting

- Mix equal parts PVA glue and water to create a sealing coat

- Apply this over the sculpture to help the paint adhere better

- Allow it to dry fully before painting

- Paint the knight using Acrylic Colour – we went with black

- Apply Natural Finish Clay Varnish to create a soft matte finish