Editing Improvisation (section)

===Sculpture===
Sculpture often relies on the enlargement of a small model or [[maquette]] to create the final work in a chosen material. Where the material is ''plastic'' such as [[clay]], a working structure or [[armature (sculpture)|armature]] often needs to be built to allow the pre-determined design to be realized. [[Alan Thornhill]]'s method for working with clay abandons the maquette,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2uNhbq6mk4 Alan Thornhill on the tradition of pre-conceiving sculpture 1989 studio archive footage], YouTube</ref> seeing it as ''ultimately deadening to creativity''.<ref>[http://www.alanthornhill.co.uk/Spirit%20in%20Mass%20film.htm Film: Spirit in Mass – Journey into Sculpture (2007)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512005743/http://www.alanthornhill.co.uk/Spirit%20in%20Mass%20film.htm |date=12 May 2008}}</ref> Without the restrictions of the armature, a clay matrix of elements allows that when recognizable forms start to emerge, they can be essentially disregarded by turning the work, allowing for infinite possibility and the chance for the unforeseen to emerge more powerfully at a later stage.

Moving from ''adding and taking away'' to purely reductive working, the architectural considerations of turning the work are eased considerably but continued removal of material through the rejection of forms deemed ''too obvious'' can mean one ends up with nothing. Former pupil [[Jon Edgar]] uses Thornhill's method as a creative extension to [[direct carving]] in stone and wood.