How should the face look: fierce? Since the figure is a warrior, should I make him look more muscular or athletically built?

Maybe if this part of the face was carved out it would look more like a warrior.

How should one mold the clay to give the piece a better sense of motion?

Contemplating ways to improve his art work is what brings a sense of clam to the hectic life of Ronald Villegas, art major, who would like a career as a sculptor.

“I used to be like a mess before. I wasn’t really happy with my life because I was working all the time,” Villegas said.

“I’m more content now then I was four years ago,” he said

Getting back to art about a year and a half ago at EC after a 12-year absence, Villegas, who did not know anything about sculpture until he had started taking sculpting classes, soon realized his growing interest in sculpting.

“I took, beginning sculpture class four semesters ago to see how it is and I found that I really had a knack for it,” Villegas said.

“I found out that I was pushed to another level than where I was before,” he said.

Villegas said that the sculpting class is like a small community that brings out the better artist in him. Everybody is passionate and it inspires him to work better.

Even though he had a background in drawing, and he likes the texture and expression in painting, Villegas said he finds greater pleasure in sculpting.

Sculptures are more three dimensional than paintings.

Sculptures will last through the ages while paintings will not, Villegas says.

“I could fabricate what I’m doing; it makes me think. In painting, you see what you paint; in sculpting if you don’t like it, you can change it right away,” Villegas said.

Villegas said he gets his inspirations from Japanese action figurines, anime cartoons, and comic books.

“When I was younger, I was big on comic books. I was a big collector and started reading and drawing at the same time,” Villegas said.

From the influences he got from comic books and action figures, Villegas said it he started creating his own characters. These come through in his sculptures.

Other influences are from other sculptors such as Picasso.

Villegas said he was moved by one of exhibits he attended that featured sculpture from artist Isamu Noguchi at Little Tokyo in Los Angeles.

Villegas said he has a “unique style” to his sculptures and that people can tell by viewing the sculptures that it is his work.

“Mine are more detailed; just the movement, I just like to bring it out,” he said.

Villegas said some of his art works have been featured in art shows in places like Hollywood and Angel’s Gate in San Pedro through open calls, which is where artists may submit their artwork to the gallery.

Villegas said he eventually would like to get into an art school, finish his undergraduate and maybe get a master’s degree.