Modeling from life
libre 9
Before teaching children to sculpt from life, it is necessary to teach them to see the characteristic features of nature, to convey proportions and plasticity, to develop the concept of relief, to develop skills of sculptural perception of objects. 
Modeling of leaves, vegetables and fruits from life
For modeling leaves, vegetables and fruits from nature it is necessary to prepare the following equipment:
- a blank of plasticine or clay;
- saucers with water,
- stacks,
- wooden boards or a table-top machine,
- rags;
- leaves of birch, oak, willow, aspen;
- an apple,
- tomato,
- carrot,
- orange;
- geometric shapes (oval, ball, cone).
The main requirements for the nature are simplicity in execution, small size. Each child chooses an object to perform the work. First it is necessary to examine the object carefully, to determine what shape it has: flat, oval, ball, cone.
They compare leaves, vegetables and fruits with these geometric bodies. The main techniques of modeling is the correct choice of the necessary amount of material, the ratio of masses, modeling in full size, or with observance of the scale. 
Children sculpt the leaves of various trees with great enthusiasm. Here the object (being flat) pushes on the principle sculptural solution. But children are fascinated by the technique of modeling, and therefore it is necessary to give this task. Children mold leaves, as a rule, flat, do not interfere with this, except to suggest: the leaf has beautiful curves, uneven surface, and this is its beauty.
Molding should not be done piece by piece, but from a whole piece of clay or plasticine, at the first stage children can make a whole from parts. It is necessary to observe the sequence of basic operations, see the characteristic features of nature, and constantly compare their work with nature.
The work molded with fingers is finished with stacks. Apple and carrot children mold volumetrically from a whole piece of clay or plasticine, comparing the nature with each other. The apple is shaped like a ball, the carrot is shaped like a cone. Finished work should be smoothed with a cloth or palm moistened in water. Dry work is then colored with paint.
Modeling birds and fish from life
Modelingbirds and fish from nature teaches to sculpt from a whole piece of clay or plasticine, to instill skills to work on the volumetric form, teach to see and convey the most characteristic features of birds and fish. For this purpose it is necessary to have artistic skills, i.e. familiarize with the works of artists.
Necessary equipment:
- clay,
- plasticine,
- stacks,
- wooden boards,
- saucers with water,
- rags; models of fish and ducks.
Before the lesson it is desirable for children to visit a live corner, a poultry farm, to look at birds and fish, to make sketches from life. 
The work is made of a whole piece of clay or plasticine. Molded not in parts, not separate parts, and the method of pulling out of the whole piece. Modeling from life is not an easy job, but gradually children master it.
