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Wilfrid Wood

Wilfrid Wood

Bio

Wilfrid Wood is a satirical sculptor.

After dumping a career in graphics, Wilfrid plunged into model making and sculpture at cult classic British television show, Spitting Image. Here he learnt his trade as an 'apprentice headbuilder'. Now he makes heads and figures entirely by hand. They are of famous people, invented characters and friends. Wilfrid's fascination with people and the belief that 'nature is much more interesting than your imagination', means he spends a lot of time studying characters he sees in the supermarket, on the bus and in celebrity magazines.

He's inspired by asymmetrical faces, fat bodies, beautiful bodies, hairy bodies, The Uncanny, doggies, fashion, self‑taught artists, contortionists, freaks, sport, tongues and gender fluid internet exhibitionists. The sculptures are initially sketched before being fleshed out as quickly made maquettes. He then takes them further in cheap materials like polymer clay and papier máché. Finally they are airbrushed and varnished to an immaculate level of finish.

At the moment he's using plasticine for a series of heads called Plasticine Models featuring actual fashion models and people who think they are models. He does a lot of drawing and just had a show of portraits called 'Drawings of People'. Occasionally he gets a commission but most of the time he produces sculptures for his own entertainment which end up on social media and sold in galleries.

Session

Human Portraits

  • beginner
  • intermediate
  • advanced
  • designers
  • inspiration
  • Illustration
  • Art

I'll be talking about portraits of celebrities, friends, human beings. How to get people to sit for you. How to depict boring looking people. About getting frustrated with life drawing. Trying to get a likeness. Does it matter if a portrait looks like the subject? Whats the difference between a caricature and a portrait? Why drawing is good for mental health.

Wilfrid also starred at:

Work