Bas Relief Sculpture
Adult Class | Registration opens 11/3/2026 10:00 AM MDT
Bas Relief Sculpture: The Figure in Relief
Explore the unique intersection of sculpture and drawing in this 7-week figurative bas relief course. Students will learn how to create the illusion of three-dimensional space while working within the shallow depth of a relief sculpture.
Working from the human figure, we will explore composition, gesture, proportion, anatomy, perspective, and the relationship between high and low relief. Students will learn how subtle changes in depth can create convincing form, atmosphere, and dramatic spatial relationships—allowing a figure to seemingly emerge from a flat surface.
Through demonstrations, individual instruction, and hands-on studio work, students will develop a relief sculpture from the initial drawing and composition through the gradual building and refinement of form in clay. Special attention will be given to understanding how anatomy and perspective must be compressed and manipulated to create the illusion of depth.
Over the seven weeks, students will have the opportunity to slow down, refine their work, and develop a finished figurative bas relief sculpture while gaining techniques that can be applied to portraiture, figurative sculpture, architectural relief, and narrative work.
All experience levels are welcome
Patrick Stephenson
Patrick Stephenson started his figure sculpture journey in 1997 when he enrolled in this first figure sculpture class at the Arts Students League of Denver. This class ignited a passion for the arts, he began to pour through anatomy and sculpture books absorbing as much as possible to improve his craft, including enrolling in a medical dissection course at the University of Colorado in Denver. Early on Patrick sought out the instruction of professional artists such as Blair Buswell, Don Gale, and Bill Starke to learn clay working techniques and soon began creating figure sculptures of his own. Patrick was the youngest exhibitor at the Sculpture in the Park exhibition in Loveland, CO in 1998.
After graduating high school from the Denver School for the Arts he began to work on his first monumental bronze work “IL Compositore”. This work was inspired by the old masterworks of Michelangelo and Bernini and features a meticulously detailed composer at his piano. This work took four years to complete due to its complexity and size.
Upon completing this piece, Patrick attended the Lyme Academy College in of Fine Arts where he earned his bachelor's degree in figure sculpture. At LACFA he diligently studied, drawing, sculpture, and painting as well as frequented the esteemed museums in New York City where he would draw for hours from the famous works of art. For two summers Patrick lived in NYC working for the Company Spaeth Design in Manhattan learning sculpture techniques in foam carving and production. During his time at LAFCA Patrick also interned for artist Gilbert Boro wo