Dane Ready for Firing

This is the clay portrait of Dane that I started as a demonstration for a sculpture class and finished in my studio.  (See previous posts for step by step development.)  In order to fire it in the kiln I need to hollow out the head and make the walls of the sculpture about 1/2"-3/4" thick.  To do this I first mark on the sculpture where I will be cutting the head open.

Then I cut deep along the lines and carefully lift the top of his head off.  This usually makes a lot of students nervous.

After hollowing out the walls to the right thickness, I put a lot of needle holes in the inside to let the air escape if there are any air pockets and to help the clay dry out thoroughly.  Then, I score the edges, add slip and put the two pieces back together.  It is a little more involved than that, but that's the general idea. 
Here's the final sculpture, which will sit on the shelf drying for about a month.  After which, I will fire it in the kiln and then put a patina on it.