This is a photo from a craft market I did in Cape Breton. The raku pottery bear and cardinal are not three dimensional in the strictest sense, although they look it in the picture. I cut them out of a flat slab of clay and then push out from behind the design to create some depth to the piece (cheeks, bellies, etc.). Then, in the case of the cardinal I curve it around so it stands on its own. For the bear as part of the “making it look 3D” process, I fold the feet forward so that it also stands up. I add extra pieces of clay in spots for strength.
Here’s another photo of the back of the cardinal so you can see how the 3D look is achieved.
