Sketch a few pictures of the people you intend to sculpt. Pay attention to the subtle details, such as the clothes the figures wear, hair style and any tools you wish to include in their hands. If the figure has multiple small elements, draw your sketches large enough to clearly identify each element. For instance; if you are drawing sketches of a Civil War soldiers for a class project, include a rifle and proper uniforms.
Decide on a size for your final sculptures by considering the level of detail you wish to include. Choose a larger size for figures with fine detail, such as a rifle or small handgun, ensuring your final sculpture is large enough for you to include those details, and that they are large enough to resist damage, such as a broken rifle if the final product is too thin. Choose a smaller size for figures with less detail, such as a basic figure with few small elements.
Work the clay in your hands until it is pliable and easy to bend and mold. Knead it with your hands at first, until it begins to soften, then move to your fingers, allowing you to work the clay until it is soft. Once soft, continue kneading the clay until it is in a basic body form: body, two legs, two arms and a head.
Mold the clay into the final pose you wish to use for the figure. Include excess clay in areas you can detail later to form other additions, such as guns, hats, baskets or books in the figure’s hands. For instance; if you intend to detail a rifle for your Civil War figure, add enough extra clay to one of the figure’s hands for you to detail it into a rifle later.
Use modeling tools and begin removing excess clay from your figure, scaling each part of the figure to an appropriate thickness. Use a toothpick or modeling pick to scrape detail lines in the figure, drawing elements such as belts, clothes, hair and fine parts like tools or weapons.
Bake the figure, hardening the clay, and holding it in its final pose. Follow the instructions included with the clay you are using for the project.
Paint the hardened figure, using acrylic paint. Follow the color design appropriate to the time period and style of the figure’s you are recreating. When finished, spray your figure with a coat of clear paint protection to finalize your project.