Jason Arkles Livres

Focusing on practical application, this translation of Leon Battista Alberti's treatise on sculpting serves as a hands-on manual for artisans. Unlike previous versions that treat it as a historical document, Jason Arkles' edition includes insightful commentary relevant to modern studio practices. It features additional illustrations and diagrams that explain the 'diffinitore,' Alberti's innovative measuring device, which laid the groundwork for contemporary pointing machines. This resource aims to bridge the gap between historical techniques and today's sculpting methods.

This is the first and only instructional manual written about the sight-size method as applied to sculpture. The blossoming Atelier Tradition in the United States and abroad has changed the way contemporary artists are trained, but scant attention had been paid to how figurative sculpture fits into this tradition, until now. 157 pages and over 200 illustrations guide the reader through every aspect of figurative clay modelling, including bas relief work, portraiture, and figure modeling, how to equip and outfit a studio, how to hire and use models, and more. The sight-size method is a strikingly different approach to clay sculpture than is offered by any other how-to manual. Combining optical principles and studio practice dating back five centuries and passed from Master to Apprentice right down to the Author himself, the sight-size method is a philosophy of perception as much as a powerful tool for the sculptor. Written for teachers and students alike.