Most people will go to places such as Color Me Mine or a local pottery studio for the experience students get in the beginning sculpture class.

Students are hunched over, carefully crafting with tools they’ve handmade or bought. They sculpt, chip and mold a project they have been working on for two weeks, called “hero sculptures.”

“The hero project deals with the concept of the hero and the human culture,” Russell McMillin, art professor, said.

The “hero project” is one of many assignments the beginning sculpture class is assigned.

Other assignments include “nature to man made,” where students will find natural items like leaves, pinecones and sticks and make them into sculpting tools.

“The entire world is their palette,” McMillin said.

In the class, students learn the process of making a sculpture.

With their current project, the students will begin by researching ideas and creating sketches of their design concepts.

Once they hone their ideas into design concepts, they are ready to start molding their sculpture with a base, called an armature.

“The armature is a skeletal support system,” McMillin said.

Patricia Moreno, 18, art major, sits at her chair adding pieces of clay to her armature. She has designed her own version of the Cheshire Cat and has come close to finishing the clay portion of the project.

“I was going for sneaky, like the Cheshire Cat, (who is) relaxed,” Moreno said. “Even though it’s a hero, she can still be relaxed and conniving.”

Melanie Davila, 18, biological science major, also sits at her desk, working on a nearly covered clay sculpture which she has named Myst.

“I was trying to go for different poses, fingers are longer, (her) hair and face are revealed slightly,” Davila said.

The students learn to mold their sculptures onto the armature. The class uses Sculpey, a plastic clay that hardens when baked.

Once their sculpture is completely covered with clay, they  bake it in a giant oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 225 degrees. After baking, students paint their sculptures with acrylic paint.

The overall project takes the students three to four weeks to complete according to McMillin.

“This is the project that motivates the students to take the class,” McMillin said. “The students will learn storytelling as well as modeling skills and the traditional sculpture,” he said.

Once the students have painted their sculptures, they have completed an original idea from start to finish.

“It’s a very powerful thing for people, to directly make something,” McMillin said. “Students walk in consumers and walk out creators,” he added.