Hair is impossible to sculpt. It's not just difficult but also completely impossible. Anyone who tells you otherwise has simply never attempted it.
That said, here are the few things I have learned while attempting the impossible:
- Hair is both chaotic and logical. It must follow the laws of physics without appearing to to ever follow any rules of any kind. Just ask a hair dresser.
- Let random things happen. Too much order and it will not resemble hair.
- Look up chaos theory. It will not help you to render hair from clay but it will help you to understand why you are failing so miserably.
- Think about spaghetti and cupcakes. Think about words like "undulate". Think about super string theory or the series of events that brought you to this place in your life but whatever you do, do not think about hair.
- Listen to Thelonious Monk. Mozart is another option but do not even think about Bach, for he is not your friend in this madness.
- Approach the rendering of hair from a place of deep meditative humility. Know that you are walking in the footsteps of some of the greatest artists in history and they struggled too. Look the work of Bernini for extra humility.
- If you want to see your work through the eyes of others, take a picture and look at that. I apologize in advance for the shock of it.
So, that's all I know. That, and these words of my mentor Walter Erlebacher: "Take courage; art is big."